But it's just crazy enough to work. Thanks to the atypical arrangement, the full ATX motherboard can fit into the small chassis, with plenty of room for the liquid-cooled CPU's massive radiator. Air flows from the rear out to the front; grilles on the side of the face expel any heat. The Super Stock variant also slaps a 140mm fan right on the top, for additional cool-air intake. Everything runs silently, too.

Despite the smaller chassis, the system still has a fair bit of room for expansion. You'll find one free PCIe x16 slot, and SLI with a pair of GTX 570 cards shouldn't really be a problem here. The reverse orientation of the motherboard does mean that the GTX 570 competes for space with the optical drives. The cabling juts out the side of this particular card, so snaking it out of the way is fairly easy. It's a tight fit, though--if the cabling weren't tied down so well, getting anything else into the tight space would be a lot harder. That said, the interior has plenty of airflow, even with the relatively small size of the chassis. Nothing is tool-free, alas; the aforementioned thumbscrews keep the case doors on, but screws abound once you're inside.

You'll find ports aplenty on the Vybe Super Stock's rear, including eight USB ports, a pair of USB 3.0 ports, 7.1-channel analog and optical audio, an eSATA port, a FireWire port, and the gigabit ethernet port. The machine also offers Bluetooth connectivity. The GTX 570 provides a pair of DVI connectors and a mini-HDMI connector. The front of the system sports a multiformat card reader, a USB port, and the DVD burner. Another pair of USB ports and the headphone and microphone jacks sit under a flap on top of the computer.

In comparison, Origin's Genesis Midtower offers a larger, traditional design. You'll find a bit more room to work inside, with additional space for 5.25-inch drives. It's also saddled with a DVD burner, but offers a pair of USB 3.0 ports and an eSATA port right up front.

Maingear has crafted a fine machine in the Vybe, but it has plenty of competition. While the price tag is a bit higher at $2500, the serves up superior gaming performance, as well as a slick (albeit larger) case. And the $6399 remains the juggernaut to beat. If you're looking for the best bang for your buck, however, the Maingear Vybe Super Stock offers plenty of muscle, at a great price.