"If you are looking to buy a true gaming laptop for a decent price, this is the store to go to. Although I ended up going with ABS I originally went with Dell. The system I purchased through Dell was promised to me (3 times) to be able to handle Battlefield 2 (SN: RPM666) and it definetely did not. Only on the lowest possible video setting could it load the game, and lets face it - when you do that TETRIS has better graphics. So the system was instantly returned and for some reason Dell refunded me the price of the system and not the Tax($90+).

Then I went shopping around more and more and eventually ran across ABS, a company I have never heard of. Through the testimonials I decided this would be a safe and sound purchase.

The system I purchased was the Mayhem T1:
AMD 64x2 TL-60
2Gb Corsair Ram
100GB 7200RPM HDD
GeForce 7600 256Mb video card
Windows XP(none of that forced Vista crap)

This system did not come with any "Free & Useless" software, only the things I wanted - yes it's true I do not want a 60 day free trial to AOL, go fig.

The power and streamline build of this system is remarkable, on the absolute highest resolution and detail settings of Battlefield it runs perfectly smooth. Also I can put Command & Conquer 3 on VERY HIGH detail and it still does not hiccup (unless I have 400 ships circling the map but that's my own fault!)

The machine was shipped on time without delay and was packaged as if someone was sending crystal through UPS around the world, if anyone uses UPS for their company they would know it's kinda scary. But ABS compensated by sending my laptop in a giant foam box. The machine booted flawlessly and I was instantly amazed.

The only time I called Tech support was when I could not get the system to connect to my wireless network, building error? No. I did not know I actually had to power my antenna on but it was nice of the ABS techs not to start laughing:)

I have recommended ABS to anyone shopping for a REAL system and will probably purchase a 17" laptop from them when they decide to put an AMD platform in one.

PROS:

SPEED: It's fast, anytime anywhere.

COST: After shipping I was still in the low $1500's

SUPPORT: Fast, efficient, and they do not talk down to you. Also they speak perfect English so that eliminates a certain fustration element. When trying to return my Dell laptop I had to go through 4 people before I found a rep that was actually from Texas that I could understand.

QUALITY: My wife knocked the laptop off the table, twice, after a heart attack the first time and a stroke the second, it still booted up fine, no loose connections/ram/processor/video/etc. Very Very well built.


The ONLY CONS of the laptop.
Heat: It definetely can get hot fast, a LOT of power in a small package generates heat fast, get a laptop cooler and it's perfect($20)

Battery Life: I believe I have an 8 or 9 cell LiIon Battery and still only get about an hour and a half of battery life, but once again it is expected with a system that demands all the power(just have to have it plugged in basically). Imagine a Enzo Ferrari with a 3 gallon gas tank, then imagine it connected to a fuel truck.

Go buy a machine from them, even their "bottom of the line" systems and it will still out perform 90% of the competition. Thanks ABS for saving me headaches and getting me in trouble at work for playing video games!

RMilling"

"My purchasing experience with ABS was great. But even more important is the availability and quick turnaround time of the very helpful customer/tech support, that has helped me keep a deadline in a very important moment. I use an ABS computer as the backbone of my production system."

"I purchased a computer from them on Sept. 2nd 2006. Although it took them awhile to ship it out due to them running out of packing materials I received the computer relatively quickly after it was shipped. I have had the computer for almost a year now with no problems. I highly recommend this supplier and will make purchases from them in the future."

"I am satisfied with ABS. I called a few times for tech support and they helped me each time. The only problem I had is that tech support was busy sometimes so they did not return my call until the next day. I would buy a computer from ABS again."

"I purchased the Ultimate X8 stealth extreme from ABS. Everything about this computer was great. It was expertly crafted and has just enough blue LEDs to make the computer look purposeful but not over the top. Every wire and cord in the case has been zip tied away to make the case clutter free and look clean. The computer is incredibly powerful and fast. Every game I have played so far can be maxed out without any flaws in FPS. Plus, the 19in widescreen that was on sale is amazing looking.

Abs also has great customer service. They have helped me out every time I have called (which is about 5 since I bought it). I am very satisfied with the computer and would recommend anyone to purchase one.

Even though the computer is solid, I do have some complaints. Unfortunately, everytime I call tech support they have to call me back. There never seems to be anybody that is readily available to assist me, but when they do call back, they help out alot. Another complaint is that the computer was shipped and some of the liquid cooling was in the computer by the optical drives. It was just a few drops, which was probably attributed to the heat and it was condinsating, but it had me nervious at first. Another complaint is that they shipped the monitor out a day after the PC. A minor annoynce because I had a spare one, but I would have rathered get them both at the same time. Another problem was the backup copy of XP did not come with the computer. It must have been a mistake because they sent me 2 copies of Heroes of Might and Magic. The last complaint is the copy of Rainbow Six Vegas was dented and unusable. I contacted ABS and they said they will replace Rainbow Six and send me out a copy of the XP restore disc.

Besides these minor complaints, everything else is great and I would still go to them over Alienware or Cyberpower. Their prices are competitive and have great customer service!"

"I've got an exceptional system for the best price not once, but TWICE now over the years.

Kudos and keep up the good work. I recommend you to everyone for your service, products, and prices.

Top 4 Things that set ABS apart



1. ABS gives me a recovery CD for free when some companies try to charge you for it.

2. ABS does NOT load up a ton of nonsensical proprietary software onto my new machine.

3. I got exactly what I paid for, earlier than expected, and it all worked like a charm.

4. When I had minor issues, I was helped promptly, and respectfully. None of those call centers in Foreign countries

Thanks ABS for giving me an option besides the OTHER guys.
As far as I'm concerned you are my computer company for life.

Sincerely,

Daniel



"

"The computer was packaged well, customer service is understanding and are diligent about getting back in contact with you at a time convenient for you."

"great system.very good tech support.im very please and will buy again from ABS.After using different brands, this is the best high end system dollar per dollar in the market today. "

"This is my fourth PC I have purchased from ABS and as always I am a very satisfied customer. I did however have my first problem with them. I ordered a PC game along with the system. The game became out of stock before after purchase, but instead of sending the PC with the game later or something similar, they held onto the PC until the game arrived two weeks after the anticipated ship date and I had no notification on why this was.

When the PC finally did arrive, everything was as I expected. A great build with everything working out of the box. A great binder with system specs, benchmarks and all backup CDs. I am pleased with my PC and will do business again with ABS when it comes time to buy another PC, but I do wish they would have let me know that the game was out of stock as it would not have been a big deal if I was told what was going on."

"Excellent computer for the price, though there are a few design issues.
Model: MS-1029 Mayhem Eclipse
1. Overheats alot.
2. Cooling fan is in a very akward location.
3. The rubber feet fell off before I even got it out of the box.
4. unable to upgrade video card."

"I was very pleased with the purchase experience. ABS had the machine i wanted with all the best parts for an excellent price. Ordering was easy an the machine showed when promised. It was built exactly as ordered and even came with detailed benchmark tests on the shipped configurations. The case is beautifully built and the internals are all top shelf. ITs been a killer machine. I've only contacted tech support once to find out how to disable the blue lcd's behind the fan. The email response wasn't lightning fast but came in a timely manor. I've recommended ABS to several friends and continue to do so. The build very nice machines and there pricing is very good. I'm a photographer and configured the machine for ultimate Photoshop performance, it has exceeded my expectations."

"Overall I was happy with the ordering process and the help I received in choosing the right components for my machine. I was also happy with the price - as it was a bit lower than most competitors. It took a couple of weeks for my machine to arrive and that may be a bit slower than the competition - but I wasn't in a hurry - so that was no big deal.

The one thing that bugged me about my order is that the wires that connect the audio sockets on the case to the motherboard where connected wrong so the audio sockets didn't work correctly. I had to look up the correct connections on the web and re-wire them myself. This wasn't really a problem for me, but it could be a bit of a stumbling block for someone with less computer hardware experience.

I am very happy with the machine and its performance and I would probably order another computer from ABS if I had the choice."

"Overall, not a good experience. 5 months after purchasing my laptop the hinge began to crack. It got worse and became difficult to open/close it. When I sent it in for repairs (at MY cost of $36.00) they said it was from abuse and wanted to ship it to the manufacturer to have them look at it. So off it went to the manufacturer where they determined it was a fault of theirs and they repaired it. I had several conversations with J.A. during all of this. He was always nice to me, but the fact remains that ABS tried to weasel out of their warranty and I didn't have my laptop for about a month. Plus they never reimbursed me the $36.00 shipping costs to repair a warranty related problem. Would I buy from them again? Absolutely no way!!

Update: 7/24/2007 J.A. has called me several times and sent emails to me over this review. He wants me to edit this review and make it a positive one. Yes, he did credit my card with the $36.00 shipping charges I paid, but only after I had posted this review. I will NOT change my review, because the overall experience was lousy. And I suspect other people who have left a negative review have been approached in the same way and eventually changed their review because of all the phone calls. This whole experience reeks."

"Overall experience was excellent. I was a little disappointed that the monitor I ordered was shipped separately from the computer, and ended up being split over a weekend, but this was only a minor gripe. System provided excellent and stable performance. Price was competitive, and beat similar configurations at various other system builders, and was probably the ultimate deciding factor in going with the ABS system. The website was easy to use, and my order was processed and shipped on schedule. I would definitely order from ABS again in the future, and would not hesitate to recommend them to others."

"Computer is well built but out of the box there were software incompatibilities (related to sound). Issue fixed but tech support isn't as helpful as I would hope. They are inclined to advise you to reinstall the operating system if there are freezes and similar problems rather than help you try to troubleshoot.
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Review update. Since this review ABS Computers has called me multiple times....my estimation seven times, to explain my rating to them. In our first two conversations I explained in depth the rationale for what you are reading above. The last two times I told them tersely to stop calling me. This evening they left me a phone message. To say the least, their conduct is quite strange and if they call me again I'll need to contact the BBB. In the meantime, I'll need to reflect my current experience with them by modifying the rating."