Labs

ECS's GeForce 6100SM-M has a built-in graphics chip, which is ideal if you want to cut down on the cost of building a Socket AM2 PC.

The 6100SM-M is a microATX sized motherboard, so it has less room for expansion than ATX motherboards. There are only two SATA II ports, for instance. The graphics chip provides a D-sub output, but there's no DVI connection for a digital-only display.

The 6100SM-M's scores in our benchmarks were better than those from the similar Foxconn motherboard. It scored 145 and 155 in the image-editing and multiple-application benchmarks, while the Foxconn managed just 111 and 119. The 6100SM-M's PCI Express x16 slot runs at just x8 speeds, but still managed to outperform its rival in Call of Duty 2.

If you don't want to play games or you're building an AM2 computer on a budget, this is a great choice.