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Here's a secret for you: I may write about PCs for a living, but I have not built or bought a new computer in nearly a decade. I just don't play graphically demanding games as much as I used to, but Maingear's new Retro95 gaming PC has me finally ready to break my streak.
A throwback to the era when I did play demanding (for back then) games a lot, the Maingear Retro95 looks like it runs Windows 95, not Windows 11. Built inside the SilverStone FLP01—a retro-style PC case that started off as an April Fool's joke before becoming an actual product last year—the Retro95 appears ancient, but is more powerful than any machine in my apartment. Packing an Nvidia RTX 5080 graphics card, current-gen chips from AMD or Intel, and up to 96GB of memory and 8TB of storage, this machine is the definition of a sleeper build (and yes, it runs Microsoft's most up-to-date operating system).
Credit: Maingear
But it's the look that has me considering whether I should click that “buy” button. The case is the exact right shade of beige to tickle my nostalgia, and comes with Noctua's old-school style fans to complete the disguise. You can also place it either horizontally or vertically, and regardless of your orientation, there are delightful rounded feet for your PC to rest on. Overall, this computer feels like an antidote to all the rainbow lighting and edgy graphics that tend to adorn modern gaming PCs, things that appeal to me much less now that I'm older.
Maybe the best part, though, is the floppy drives. There's two mock floppy drives on the front of the case, but they're not just there for show. Instead, the lower one houses your USB ports, and the upper one comes with a functional DVD drive inside. Physical PC media is mostly dead in this day and age, but including a way to take discs actually ensures the Retro95 will be able to play your retro software, too, rather than just look like it can.
What do you think so far?
The price is right, too, but there is a bit of a catch. Starting at $1,599, it's reasonably placed around the level of other prebuilt gaming PCs with an RTX 5080 inside, so you get the added retro flair at no additional cost. Unfortunately, though, Maingear's only making a limited amount of these. The company hasn't said how many of the Retro95 it will sell, but according to a press release, “Once they're gone, it's game over,” with (according to the company's website) “No reruns” and “No second chances.”
That's not too surprising for such a specific product, but what's maybe more disappointing is that you'll have to provide your own accessories. While Maingear's marketing material shows the Retro95 perched under a bulky old CRT monitor and decked out with an old-school speaker and mouse/keyboard setup, buying it will only get you the tower itself. Frankly, it would take a lot of effort and cost for Maingear to sell this kind of retro gear alongside its new computer, but expect to spend some time on eBay if you truly want to complete this PC's look.
