ABS Ultimate X9: Core 2 Extreme Hits a Speed Bump
by Jarred Walton on August 18, 2006 1:35 PM EST- Posted in
- Systems
Externals and Appearance
Starting with first impressions, the case certainly appears attractive, though obviously that is a subjective judgment. The all black exterior, dimly glowing blue lights, and relatively quiet operation start things out on a good note. [Sorry for the finger prints -- they showed up in the images due to the flash, though they are not nearly as visible normally.]
ABS uses a Gigabyte Aurora 3D case as the basis of the system. The case is sturdy and is something we would consider purchasing on our own. It's relatively roomy, has a decent layout, and comes equipped with three low-RPM 120mm fans.
The drive bay door is metal and has a very solid feel to it, and it snaps shut with the aid of a reasonably strong magnet. Power and reset buttons as well as the optical drives (and any other external drives) are concealed behind the door, which can be locked with a key if necessary to keep tiny fingers and prying hands away from things they shouldn't touch.
The right side of the case doesn't have much to look at other than the front USB, FireWire, and audio ports. You can also see the lock for the front door, and at the rear of the case you can see the water radiator jutting out. We'll take a closer look at that in a moment.
The view from the left side is similar, with the only difference being the mesh grille towards the rear of the case and the latch used to help secure the side panel. A small amount of light is visible through the ventilation, but it isn't overly bright.
Moving to the rear of the system, we get our first look at the water cooling system. Two ¾" tubes exit from the bottom of the case through an expansion bracket and lead up to the radiator and fan towards the top. At the bottom of the case, where the tubes exit, you can also see the fan speed control for the radiator. Depending on the operating environment and system load, you can reduce noise level quite a bit by turning down the fan speed. With the overclocked CPU and under full stress, however, you will probably want to keep the fan speed at maximum in order to ensure proper cooling.
The features table already covered the various ports that are included, so we won't get into further details of that area. Basically, you get all of the typical connections you would find on the back of any modern computer. In our particular configuration, all of the rear expansion slots are populated, so even if you wanted to there's no available slots to add additional expansion cards. Let's take a look at the inside.
Starting with first impressions, the case certainly appears attractive, though obviously that is a subjective judgment. The all black exterior, dimly glowing blue lights, and relatively quiet operation start things out on a good note. [Sorry for the finger prints -- they showed up in the images due to the flash, though they are not nearly as visible normally.]
 |
| Click to enlarge |
ABS uses a Gigabyte Aurora 3D case as the basis of the system. The case is sturdy and is something we would consider purchasing on our own. It's relatively roomy, has a decent layout, and comes equipped with three low-RPM 120mm fans.
 |
| Click to enlarge |
The drive bay door is metal and has a very solid feel to it, and it snaps shut with the aid of a reasonably strong magnet. Power and reset buttons as well as the optical drives (and any other external drives) are concealed behind the door, which can be locked with a key if necessary to keep tiny fingers and prying hands away from things they shouldn't touch.
 |
| Click to enlarge |
The right side of the case doesn't have much to look at other than the front USB, FireWire, and audio ports. You can also see the lock for the front door, and at the rear of the case you can see the water radiator jutting out. We'll take a closer look at that in a moment.
 |
| Click to enlarge |
The view from the left side is similar, with the only difference being the mesh grille towards the rear of the case and the latch used to help secure the side panel. A small amount of light is visible through the ventilation, but it isn't overly bright.
 |
| Click to enlarge |
Moving to the rear of the system, we get our first look at the water cooling system. Two ¾" tubes exit from the bottom of the case through an expansion bracket and lead up to the radiator and fan towards the top. At the bottom of the case, where the tubes exit, you can also see the fan speed control for the radiator. Depending on the operating environment and system load, you can reduce noise level quite a bit by turning down the fan speed. With the overclocked CPU and under full stress, however, you will probably want to keep the fan speed at maximum in order to ensure proper cooling.
The features table already covered the various ports that are included, so we won't get into further details of that area. Basically, you get all of the typical connections you would find on the back of any modern computer. In our particular configuration, all of the rear expansion slots are populated, so even if you wanted to there's no available slots to add additional expansion cards. Let's take a look at the inside.
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48 Comments
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JarredWalton - Saturday, August 19, 2006 - link
As I pointed out on page 2, the price charged by ABS really isn't bad. I mean, $300 extra to build a super high-end setup, relative to what you'd pay at Newegg? That's not to say I think buying ultra-high-end isn't a bit crazy anyway, but getting all the watercooling and such installed isn't a 30 minute task. Anyway, you can always build a better PC for less money on your own, but you also then are fully responsible for supporting that PC if anything goes wrong. I'm fine with that, most of the people posting are fine with that, but there are a lot of people out there that would rather pay someone else to do the work. I've charged people $200 or so in the past to build a moderate system, and that's probably less than I would charge now.plewis00 - Friday, August 18, 2006 - link
Does anyone else think it's absolutely criminal to spend that amount of money on a system which would then turn out not to be 100% stable? In fact, any system which isn't 100% stable out of the box (unless by some freak one-off accident) I would consider a failure, like this one.DigitalFreak - Friday, August 18, 2006 - link
If you're going to spend that much on a system, you should be dealing with Alienware, VoodooPC, etc. This ABS system appears to be junk.BTW, you guys should take a page from Hardocp on how you conduct your system reviews.
rjm55 - Saturday, August 19, 2006 - link
-H- has turned into a joke in the mind of any real enthusiast. Stupid reviews like the Core 2 Duo launch "proving" AMD outperforms Conroe are posted, and then any one who questions his majesty is banned from making comments. You end up with King Kyle and his adoring "yes massah!" loyalists around his feet. Every REAL enthusiast I know has been banned from -H- at least once for asking questions - it's almost become the red badge of courage to be banned form -H-. Compare that to AT where hard questions and comments always stay up, are encouraged, and actually debated by Editors.Every one knows -H- only rewards Editors Choices to whoever bought his last truck. His recent Editors Choice to the ECS KA3 MVP has everyone I know rolling on the floor laughing. You start with the idea you need to give an Editors Choice to ECS. You run benchmarks that are meaningless and very few, that you know will "prove" the ECS was a great board. You ignore the fact this is the AM2 board that is the WORST overclocker anyone has ever tested - and mention quickly it doesn't even have the means to adjust CAS latency and runs Corsair 1066 at 800 at CAS 5 timings AT BEST (every other AM2 board can run it at 3-3-3). You can bet the award was payment for the new truck ECS bought this year. Based on the fact -H- has recently moved from giving anything Abit an Editors Choice to now trashing Abit, so it's a pretty safe bet Abit isn't buying the trucks any more.
You don't have to believe what everyone who tells you about -H-. Just go to -H- and ask a hard question about test methods or how a conclusion was reached. You'll be banned so fast it makes your head swim. Hitler also surrounded himself with yes men, as apparently do many other Texans who avoid reality.
JarredWalton - Saturday, August 19, 2006 - link
Careful! We might ban you from our forums for turning on white text! ;)rjm55 - Saturday, August 19, 2006 - link
has turned into a joke in the mind of any real enthusiast. Stupid reviews like the Core 2 Duo launch "proving" AMD outperforms Conroe are posted, and then any one who questions his majesty is banned from making comments. You end up with King Kyle and his adoring "yes massah!" loyalists around his feet. Every REAL enthusiast I know has been banned from {H] at least once for asking questions - it's almost become the red badge of courage to be banned form . Compare that to AT where hard questions and comments always stay up, are encouraged, and actually debated by Editors.Every one knows only rewards Editors Choices to whoever bought his last truck. His recent Editors Choice to the ECS KA3 MVP has everyone I know rolling on the floor laughing. You start with the idea you need to give an Editors Choice to ECS. You run benchmarks that are meaningless and very few, that you know will "prove" the ECS was a great board. You ignore the fact this is the AM2 board that is the WORST overclocker anyone has ever tested - and mention quickly it doesn't even have the means to adjust CAS latency and runs Corsair 1066 at 800 at CAS 5 timings AT BEST (every other AM2 board can run it at 3-3-3). You can bet the award was payment for the new truck ECS bought this year. Based on the fact has recently moved from giving anything Abit an Editors Choice to now trashing Abit, it's a pretty safe bet Abit isn't buying the trucks any more.
You don't have to believe what everyone who tells you about . Just go to and ask a hard question about test methods or how a conclusion was reached. You'll be banned so fast it makes your head swim. Hitler also surrounded himself with yes men, as apparently do many other Texans who avoid reality.
Kalessian - Saturday, August 19, 2006 - link
whoa, how did you manage to break the comments system?JarredWalton - Saturday, August 19, 2006 - link
Urg... just to recap, don't post the {H} abbreviation with brackets instead of braces. You know how {B} and {I} do bold and italic? {H} does highlighting, which in this case means white text. We should probably disable that feature, though it does make things somewhat entertaining. ;)
rjm55 - Saturday, August 19, 2006 - link
What a f$#&ing joke!! has turned into a joke in the mind of any real enthusiast. Stupid reviews like the Core 2 Duo launch "proving" AMD outperforms Conroe are posted, and then any one who questions his majesty is banned from making comments. You end up with King Kyle and his adoring "yes massah!" loyalists around his feet. Every REAL enthusiast I know has been banned from {H] at least once for asking questions - it's almost become the red badge of courage to be banned form . Compare that to AT where hard questions and comments always stay up, are encouraged, and actually debated by Editors.Every one knows only rewards Editors Choices to whoever bought his last truck. His recent Editors Choice to the ECS KA3 MVP has everyone I know rolling on the floor laughing. You start with the idea you need to give an Editors Choice to ECS. You run benchmarks that are meaningless and very few, that you know will "prove" the ECS was a great board. You ignore the fact this is the AM2 board that is the WORST overclocker anyone has ever tested - and mention quickly it doesn't even have the means to adjust CAS latency and runs Corsair 1066 at 800 at CAS 5 timings AT BEST (every other AM2 board can run it at 3-3-3). You can bet the award was payment for the new truck ECS bought this year. Based on the fact has recently moved from giving anything Abit an Editors Choice to now trashing Abit, it's a pretty safe bet Abit isn't buying the trucks any more.
You don't have to believe what everyone who tells you about . Just go to and ask a hard question about test methods or how a conclusion was reached. You'll be banned so fast it makes your head swim. Hitler also surrounded himself with yes men, as apparently do many other Texans who avoid reality.
rjm55 - Saturday, August 19, 2006 - link
has turned into a joke in the mind of any real enthusiast. Stupid reviews like the Core 2 Duo launch "proving" AMD outperforms Conroe are posted, and then any one who questions his majesty is banned from making comments. You end up with King Kyle and his adoring "yes massah!" loyalists around his feet. Every REAL enthusiast I know has been banned from {H] at least once for asking questions - it's almost become the red badge of courage to be banned form . Compare that to AT where hard questions and comments always stay up, are encouraged, and actually debated by Editors.Every one knows only rewards Editors Choices to whoever bought his last truck. His recent Editors Choice to the ECS KA3 MVP has everyone I know rolling on the floor laughing. You start with the idea you need to give an Editors Choice to ECS. You run benchmarks that are meaningless and very few, that you know will "prove" the ECS was a great board. You ignore the fact this is the AM2 board that is the WORST overclocker anyone has ever tested - and mention quickly it doesn't even have the means to adjust CAS latency and runs Corsair 1066 at 800 at CAS 5 timings AT BEST (every other AM2 board can run it at 3-3-3). You can bet the award was payment for the new truck ECS bought this year. Based on the fact has recently moved from giving anything Abit an Editors Choice to now trashing Abit, it's a pretty safe bet Abit isn't buying the trucks any more.
You don't have to believe what everyone who tells you about . Just go to and ask a hard question about test methods or how a conclusion was reached. You'll be banned so fast it makes your head swim. Hitler also surrounded himself with yes men, as apparently do many other Texans who avoid reality.