With the ABS Mayhem G1, ABS Computer Technologies has created an impressive gaming laptop, combining a fast processor with a gigabyte of top-speed memory and one of the brightest screens around. All told, the ABS Mayhem G1 model is a sleekly styled screamer, capable of running rings around many desktop PCs. It's a steal at a little more than $2,000, as long as you don't need oodles of battery life.
At 1.6 by 14 by 10.4 inches, the 7.8-pound ABS Mayhem G1 packs more computer into a smaller, lighter case than the comparable Toshiba Satellite P15 series. On the downside, the Mayhem G1's huge AC adapter weighs a hefty 1.8 pounds, making for an unreasonable travel weight of 9.6 pounds, which is typical for a gaming laptop. So, you'll want to leave it on your desk or table as much as possible.
ATI's latest Mobility Radeon 9600 graphics adapter with 128MB of memory feeds the 15.4-inch wide-screen, 1,280x800 display. This adds up to one of the most advanced mobile graphics setups available, regardless of whether your thing is watching DVDs, using computer-aided design (CAD), or playing games.
A 3GHz Pentium 4 processor with the latest Hyper-Threading technology resides inside the silver-and-gray case. Top-shelf all the way, the Mayhem G1 also contains 1GB of 333MHz memory, an 80GB hard drive, 802.11g wireless networking, and a DVD+RW-writable drive.
The Mayhem G1's wide body leaves plenty of room for comfortable 19.2mm keys that have a generous 2.4mm of depth to them. Unfortunately, the keyboard flexes under even minimal typing. Included ports range from parallel, external monitor, and S-Video to three USB 2.0 ports and a FireWire connector. The audio-in and audio-out connections are supplemented with an optical S/PDIF plug for high-end audio, and the three-way flash-card reader is a gem that can work with Memory Stick, Secure Digital, and MultiMediaCard media.
The ABS Mayhem G1's score of 177 on our MobileMark 2002 benchmark puts it near the top of the laptop heap. It's slightly behind the similarly equipped Hypersonic Aviator ZX7 and ahead of the Eurocom D470W. The Mayhem G1's score on our graphics benchmark puts it in the same league as that of some desktop gaming machines. You can squeeze even more performance out of the system by trading the 4,200rpm hard drive for a high-performance 7,200rpm model, which adds only $51 to the price tag. It'll cut into the already dismal battery life, however; the 4,400mAh lithium-ion battery ran for a little shy of two hours in our tests.
In addition to a padded backpack and a pair of preinstalled games, Flight Simulator 2004 and Rise of Nations, the ABS Mayhem G1 comes with a standard one-year warranty, including onsite service; oddly, there's no onsite service available in Texas. ABS has an excellent Web site, which offers downloads, tips, and FAQs, as well as detailed descriptions and links for every major component. ABS's technicians are a toll-free call away, but they are on duty from only 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. PT.
In a move that we wish others would imitate, you can return the ABS Mayhem G1 for a full refund within 30 days, no questions asked. Be careful, though: There's a 15 percent restocking fee if it's not in the original box or in new condition.
System configurations:
ABS Mayhem G1
Windows XP Home; 3GHz Intel Pentium 4C; 1,024MB DDR SDRAM 333MHz; ATI Mobility Radeon 9600 128MB; IBM Travelstar 80GN 80GB 4,200rpm
Alienware Area 51m
Windows XP Professional; 3.06GHz Intel Pentium 4; 1,024MB DDR SDRAM 266MHz; ATI Mobility Radeon 9000 64MB; IBM Travelstar 40GN 40GB 5,400rpm
Eurocom D470W
Windows XP Professional; 3.06GHz Intel Pentium 4; 1,024MB DDR SDRAM 333MHz; ATI Mobility Radeon 9000 64MB; Fujitsu MHS2030AT 30GB 4,200rpm
2004
At 1.6 by 14 by 10.4 inches, the 7.8-pound ABS Mayhem G1 packs more computer into a smaller, lighter case than the comparable Toshiba Satellite P15 series. On the downside, the Mayhem G1's huge AC adapter weighs a hefty 1.8 pounds, making for an unreasonable travel weight of 9.6 pounds, which is typical for a gaming laptop. So, you'll want to leave it on your desk or table as much as possible.
ATI's latest Mobility Radeon 9600 graphics adapter with 128MB of memory feeds the 15.4-inch wide-screen, 1,280x800 display. This adds up to one of the most advanced mobile graphics setups available, regardless of whether your thing is watching DVDs, using computer-aided design (CAD), or playing games.
A 3GHz Pentium 4 processor with the latest Hyper-Threading technology resides inside the silver-and-gray case. Top-shelf all the way, the Mayhem G1 also contains 1GB of 333MHz memory, an 80GB hard drive, 802.11g wireless networking, and a DVD+RW-writable drive.
The Mayhem G1's wide body leaves plenty of room for comfortable 19.2mm keys that have a generous 2.4mm of depth to them. Unfortunately, the keyboard flexes under even minimal typing. Included ports range from parallel, external monitor, and S-Video to three USB 2.0 ports and a FireWire connector. The audio-in and audio-out connections are supplemented with an optical S/PDIF plug for high-end audio, and the three-way flash-card reader is a gem that can work with Memory Stick, Secure Digital, and MultiMediaCard media.
The ABS Mayhem G1's score of 177 on our MobileMark 2002 benchmark puts it near the top of the laptop heap. It's slightly behind the similarly equipped Hypersonic Aviator ZX7 and ahead of the Eurocom D470W. The Mayhem G1's score on our graphics benchmark puts it in the same league as that of some desktop gaming machines. You can squeeze even more performance out of the system by trading the 4,200rpm hard drive for a high-performance 7,200rpm model, which adds only $51 to the price tag. It'll cut into the already dismal battery life, however; the 4,400mAh lithium-ion battery ran for a little shy of two hours in our tests.
In addition to a padded backpack and a pair of preinstalled games, Flight Simulator 2004 and Rise of Nations, the ABS Mayhem G1 comes with a standard one-year warranty, including onsite service; oddly, there's no onsite service available in Texas. ABS has an excellent Web site, which offers downloads, tips, and FAQs, as well as detailed descriptions and links for every major component. ABS's technicians are a toll-free call away, but they are on duty from only 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. PT.
In a move that we wish others would imitate, you can return the ABS Mayhem G1 for a full refund within 30 days, no questions asked. Be careful, though: There's a 15 percent restocking fee if it's not in the original box or in new condition.
Mobile application performance (Longer bars indicate faster performance)
 | BAPCo MobileMark 2002 performance rating |
Battery life (Longer bars indicate longer battery life)
| BAPCo MobileMark 2002 battery life in minutes |
Maximum application performance (Longer bars indicate better performance)
| BAPCo SysMark 2002 rating | | SysMark 2002 Internet content creation | | SysMark 2002 office productivity |
3D graphics performance (Longer bars indicate faster performance)
| Futuremark's 3DMark2001 SE |
System configurations:
ABS Mayhem G1
Windows XP Home; 3GHz Intel Pentium 4C; 1,024MB DDR SDRAM 333MHz; ATI Mobility Radeon 9600 128MB; IBM Travelstar 80GN 80GB 4,200rpm
Alienware Area 51m
Windows XP Professional; 3.06GHz Intel Pentium 4; 1,024MB DDR SDRAM 266MHz; ATI Mobility Radeon 9000 64MB; IBM Travelstar 40GN 40GB 5,400rpm
Eurocom D470W
Windows XP Professional; 3.06GHz Intel Pentium 4; 1,024MB DDR SDRAM 333MHz; ATI Mobility Radeon 9000 64MB; Fujitsu MHS2030AT 30GB 4,200rpm