|
ABS
Performance 1: A PC Star Is Born Again Tired of chasing
megahertz while you wait for the rest of the PC to catch up to the CPU's clock
speed? Maybe it's time to think about investing in some practical features
instead. How about doubling the standard PC configuration of 128MB of memory? Or
a system with both a DVD-ROM drive and a 4x CD-RW? You can get all
that—and then some—with ABS Computer Technologies' Performance 1.
This
$2,499-direct system is powered by a 600MHz Pentium III with 256MB of SDRAM and
a Via 133MHz chip set. It is further outfitted with a graphics card based on
nVidia's smoking new GeForce 256 graphics accelerator, a 22GB IBM hard drive, an
Acer 4x/4x/32x CD-RW drive, a Toshiba 6x DVD-ROM drive, and a 19-inch ADI
monitor.
Although it will
probably be a while before you run out of space on the Performance 1's 22GB hard
drive, the CD-RW drive gives you a practical way to back up your essential data,
and the low cost of CD-R media leaves you no excuse not to archive your old
files. The drive is also your key to making customized audio-CD collections with
the bundled Adaptec Easy CD Creator software.
Anyone who has
ever burned a copy of a CD can tell you that having a second disc drive makes
the job a lot easier. But when it's a DVD drive, such as the one included with
the Performance 1, it's nice to have around no matter what. ABS uses Cyberlink's
PowerDVD MPEG decoding software to pull movies from the Toshiba drive and plant
them on the 18-inch viewing area of the ADI monitor. Clarity is excellent, and
the monitor's 0.26mm dot pitch makes even high-resolution graphics a breeze to
view. (As we went to press, ABS replaced the ADI LP monitor with the 19-inch ADI
G66, which offers the same dot pitch and viewing-area size.)
Audio can make or
break even the best movies, and we're happy to report that ABS has not scrimped
on the speakers. The Altec Lansing ACS45.2 system is a revised version of the
company's older 45.1 model. New features include a larger, wood-enclosed
subwoofer and an electronic tuning system that lets you adjust the volume of the
subwoofer and satellites at the same time. And feel free to crank it all the way
up if you like—it still sounds good.
Although a 600MHz
Pentium III is a strictly meat-and-potatoes processor by today's standards, it
has more than enough speed to adequately handle nearly any application you can
throw at it. The Performance 1 posted a 25.5 Business Winstone 99 score, and
that's exactly what we'd expect to see. And while the majority of the
Performance 1's individual components are not necessarily standouts, the GeForce
256 is a notable exception.
We've seen
results as good as or better than the Performance 1's 1,110 score on 3D WinMark
99 at 800x600, but those were with 700MHz systems. It's important to note that
the GeForce 256 graphics card used here is a 4x AGP model. When combined with
the Via's 133MHz frontside bus, the Performance 1 wrangles its way through the
3D large textures in our test with the same muscle we'd normally equate with a
system that's 100MHz faster. That's quite an accomplishment.
Moreover, the
Performance 1 offers quite a bit of real estate for later expansion. Two of the
four accessible 5.25-inch bays are still vacant, as is one of the two 3.5-inch
bays. There's also an additional 3.5-inch bay inside the case, but that is used
to hold the hard drive. The 15.5x8x19.5-inch midtower case has a single
thumbscrew, but you'll need to lift off the top before you can pull down the
side panel to access the interior. Inside, you'll find an IWill VD133
motherboard with the Via chip set. The modem and the sound card occupy the
shared slot and a PCI slot, respectively. That leaves one ISA and three PCI
slots still available. Two of the three DIMM sockets are occupied.
The Performance 1
carries a three-year parts and lifetime labor warranty. Under the standard plan,
repairs are handled through phone diagnostics and parts shipping; ABS claims a
three-day turnaround. Technical support is available around the clock, seven
days a week, and we've found the company's support staff to be both prompt and
knowledgeable. If you're not comfortable doing your own repairs, you may opt for
one year of onsite service for an additional $99 or three years for $149.
We admit that a
600MHz system in itself is not the head-turner it once was. But what the
Performance 1 may lack in CPU sex appeal, it makes up for with real-world
performance features. And in the end, that's what real value is all about.
t12994Its 600MHz processor may not be the fastest CPU available, but the
Performance 1 makes up some of the difference with 256MB of SDRAM and a GeForce
256-based graphics card.
System
ABS Performance 1 |