Exclusive: Maingear just dropped a monster RTX 5090 gaming laptop with up to 192GB RAM
The Ultima 18 is Maingear's most powerful laptop to date, made in collaboration with manufacturer Clevo. Aimed at power users, this desktop replacement boasts an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX, RTX 5090 or RTX 5080 and an 18-inch 4K (3840 x 2400) display with a 200Hz display.
It's clearly a beast, but the real kicker is that it can be outfitted with up to 192GB of DDR5 RAM and 4x M.2 NVMe SSDs. With the power it packs under the hood, the Ultima 18 is set to cruise through load times and crush multitasking for both productivity and gaming.
The Ultima 18 is available at Maingear's official store starting at $3,599, both in pre-configured and customizable models. It's already giving best gaming laptop vibes, so let's dive into the details.
We've seen some powerful RTX 5090 gaming rigs so far, including the $6,700 MSI Titan 18 HX, but Maingear's new Ultima 18 gaming laptop takes it up a notch with its customizable specs.
Maingear Ultima 18
Price
From $3,599
Display
18-inch 4K (3840 x 2400), 200Hz, 16:10 aspect ratio
CPU
Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX
GPU
Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090
RAM
Up to 192GB DDR5 (4x 48GB)
Storage
Up to 4x M.2 NVMe SSDs
Battery
98Wh (330W charger)
Ports
2x USB-A( 1x with PD), 2x Thunderbolt 5, 2x 2.5Gb LAN, 1x HDMI2.1, 1x microSD
Connectivity
Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
Weight
8.8 pounds
On paper, this is one of the most powerful laptops I've seen, and at its highest configuration, it's sure to cost a pretty penny. However, as with the Maingear ML-16, the Ultima 18 can be customized to the user's liking. So, of course, if you don't need anywhere near 192GB of DDR5 RAM, you can shave off some memory.
Otherwise, there are a few fixtures that still make it a powerful desktop replacement. That includes the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU, plenty of useful ports that include dual Thunderbolt 5 slots, a 98Wh battery to give its internals enough juice and even the latest Wi-Fi 7 connectivity.
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It also comes equipped with a massive 18-inch 4K display with a 200Hz refresh rate and a response time of less than 7ms. Many newly released gaming laptops offer displays with up to 240Hz and sub-3ms response rates, like the Alienware 16 Area-51 and Asus ROG Strix Scar 18, but the Ultima 18's 4K resolution with a 16:10 aspect ratio should present gorgeous visuals. Plus, it also supports Nvidia G-Sync to manage screen tearing.
Judging from its size (to be confirmed) and weight (8.8 pounds), this is a laptop you'll want planted on your desk rather than open up at a café. But the Ultima 18 is built to be a desktop replacement.
'Ultima 18 isn't just a laptop, it's a no-compromise desktop-class gaming rig that fits in a backpack,' states Wallace Santos, CEO of Maingear. 'We've engineered this notebook to handle the latest AAA games, creative workloads, and AI-driven applications with headroom to spare. From the raw horsepower to the fine details, this system embodies everything our gamers expect from a premium Maingear gaming system.'
The amount of RAM and storage it can pack is what makes this a beast. It supports modern dual-channel DDR5 memory and PCIe Gen 5 SSDs, with the highest configuration allowing for 4x 48GB memory along with 1x Gen 5x4 and 3x Gen 4x4 SSDs.
As for what else it comes equipped with, the Ultima 18 features a customizable per-key RGB keyboard with a dedicated Copilot key. There are also five speakers with two drivers, two tweeters and a subwoofer that's powered by a Sound Blaster Studio Pro 2 audio system, along with a 5MP Windows Hello camera.
Maingear also states the Ultima 18 is free of bloatware (hoorah!) and its Control Center, where users can swap performance modes, customize per-key RGB lighting, adjust fan profiles and assign macros.
There are some powerful gaming laptops out there, but Maingear's Ultima 18 looks to bring the heat. We'll see how this monster performs once we get our hands on it, but in the meantime, check out how this RTX 5090 Corsair gaming PC measures up.
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