Benchmark Conclusions
Other than the initial delays from the RAID situation, the system ran flawlessly. All of the benchmarks ran without a hitch. The system proved to be fast and quiet. It performed in all of the tests about where we would expect a system like this to do.
The performance is solid and beat our reference system in many of the benchmarks. However, it should have also beaten our system in all of the benchmarks at every setting. We would hope that the ABS FX-57 based system should be faster than our FX-55 system.
The CPU speed difference was evident in the Unreal Tournament 2004 scores. The game is CPU dependent and the higher clock speeds proved to make faster scores.
The question that remains is why was it slower in 3DMark 2005 at 4xAA 8xAF with a 1600x1200 resolution? Yes, it is only one score, but we would expect the custom system to beat our simple test bench system.
Conclusion
The M6 is marketed for gamers, in both form and function. The parts selected for this system can be seen all over the gaming and LAN party scene. These parts are of the highest quality and therefore come with the most brand recognition.
ABS always has multiple promotions running for buyers at any level. Currently, when you buy a system with an Athlon 64 or FX processor, you will get a free copy of Half-Life 2 over Steam. And, if you did not have a copy already, would be a perfect addition to your new high performance rig.
Externally, this is a very good-looking case but the internal cabling quality is significantly less than expected. The systems we have seen from other builders do their cabling with a passion instead of duty for their employment.
After spending some time browsing the ABS user forums, we found out that periodically ABS runs out of stock of certain high-end parts and will put users on auto notify when the part is once again in stock. However, to the credit of ABS, all information regarded their stock and prices are updated in real time on their Website. If you have a question of true importance to address with ABS technical, we do not recommend using their forums because of many days of delay between question and answers.
The ABS is a solid system, but it is not to the same standard to which other custom builders assemble their systems. If you spend the money on a custom motorcycle but don't get the look, style and performance that Orange County or West Coast choppers will provide, why spend the money?
