Ultimate M6 - ABS launches a new Athlon 64 FX-51 system

If you've already read our Athlon 64 story, then you know this tech is stunning. ABS is the first PC builder to serve us up a system based on an Athlon 64 FX-51 -- currently the world's fastest consumer-level CPU -- and the Ultimate M6 is a machine of heady lust as a result.

And it's not just the Apple M5 that has something to worry about. As our tests on this system and the reference machine AMD sent us prove, this new 4-bit chip from AMD is even faster for games than the newest 3.2GHz P4 CPUs from Intel. That's not small feat, considering catch-up to Intel for years.

In addition to their raw power, the new AMD chips finally come with heat spreaders. These should serve to keep AMD's new processors cooler than ever before, make them less easy to break when installing, an d allowing for far less complicated heat-sink attachments going forward.

ABS seats the new 940-pin FX-51 in an nForce 3 PRO150-based motherboard from Asus (SK8N), which was originally designed for Opteron 64, the workstation version of the Athlon 64. Why? Because Athlon 64 FX chips are basically just faster-clocked Opterons.

The Ultimate m6 proved to be 1-to-2-percent slower overall than the reference system that AMD sent us to test, but differences that small are inconsequential. They're also not surprising, since AMD installed all the hardware and software components itself, and it's reasonable to assume that they tweaked a bit.

ABS builds nice computers, but they're not typically on the same level as those from voodoo, Falcon Northwest, or Hypersonic PC. This company seems to focus more on parts and options than artistic vision. each time we review an ABS PC, they send us a system with a new tower -- because they can. The stock loads of brands and varieties. The M6's construction is solid throughout. Internal wiring is neat and organized, CoolerMaster case fans abound, and this system's Lian-Li case -- while not the sexiest thing we've laid eyes on -- is compact and light, which makes it a great option for LAN partier. If you fancy something with a little more sass, ABS offers the latest cases from CoolerMaster, just like the big boys. ABS just won't paint them and clear coat them for you like the competition.

The M6 isn't nearly as expensive as those other tricked-out, super-high-gloss premium brands. And since the machine is so fast, powerful, and well-built, that's a compromise we're willing to live with in the pursuit of a good deal.

As a closing thought, we'd like to point out that ABS is the first company we've seen whose PCs shop with Ideazon's excellent Zboard - the world's coolest customized keyboard. We love these darn things, and are trickled pink that they're starting to gain acceptance. Kudos to ABS for having a Zboard option in its online system configurator.