Razer's Project Christine, and why it's the future (maybe)

Communities Blog
1

Sorry for featuring Linus on the Tek, guys. May Gabe forgive me. =P

But now, onto the serious stuff. Why does this matter? Well, the idea is fairly simple. You've got a case which is pretty much your HUB for power and data, taking all that from the CPU+RAM combo drive and the PSU drive, and then relaying it across the rest of your components and IO ports.

Basically, much like how a riser card spreads PCIe lanes across a PCB, Razer's Project Christine works along similar principles. And much like how one PCIe x16 slot can become 2x PCIe x8 slots, this project works along similar ideas. It would also work like an active repeater for USB, SATA, and others. (Of course, USB 3.1 is going to have 100w bi-directional added soon, and is going to give up to 10Gbps via PCIe. SATA 3.2 is also going to run via PCIe. This could allow for a much more universal support, by allowing one backend bus to drive all the bandwidth needed to/from the CPU+RAM.)

Around 1:45 to 1:48 seconds in the video, you can see the way it transfers this power. It uses something similar to the connectors we see in cars and other more heavy-duty components to transfer power. I assume those are similar to PCIe power cables, just using different, more heavy-duty connectors.

And the way it transfers data is really unique. It uses a PGA (pin grid array - much like how AMD processors work) to transfer over what I assume is a PCIe x16 connector. The gold contacts go from being arranged in a square arrangement, rather than a line arrangement.

This is really interesting, because they've got a completely closed-loop system using 100% mineral oil to allow the whole thing to be liquid cooler.

We've also got two round holes, which are either meant to hold the card in place or to allow cool mineral coil to be moved into the GPU, and hot mineral oil to be moved out. That last one makes much more sense, since otherwise it would heat up really quickly.

It also really simplifies the whole computer building process, making upgrades really easy. And it adds a great industrial design to your computer, making it a great piece for your living room.

I was having discussion with another Tek member via Steam, and he said he didn't like this case because of the size. I went on to mention that the size of the case isn't that important, since you could make one that contained GPU, CPU+RAM, PSU and only two storage devices. Basically, a smaller size, by decreasing height.

This could be the future. It makes things simpler and easier. But, one issue. People aren't exactly going to stop buying mainstream CPUs if they're going to have to buy all their components from one manufacturer. The "miracle" of Apple can't happen for everyone, and Razer isn't the Apple of PCs (just yet).

We're going to need to see ASUS, GIGABYTE, MSI, ASRock, and others jump on board, along with case manufacturers like CoolerMaster, Corsair, NZXT, Lian-Li, Silverstone and others. A whole new standard needs to be build around this, with connectors, limits, certifications, etc. It's not a simple task for many manufacturers to create components that are all interoperable. You can't just plug and play any component, if there aren't any standard to keep said components from releasing the "magical blue smoke" that makes IT components work.

So Razer *could* be very wise, and allow this standard to be completely open, much like the OHSA (Open Handset Alliance), the DisplayPort group, the HDMI group, and others. Razer could also use their branding on the standard, rather than charging royalties (like HDMI does). Assuming Razer can develop a standard which others want to adopt, it could be amazing. But we're going to have to see what Razer does next. I'm hopeful that Razer can make this work; I'd love to see this become a real product, rather than a beautiful tech demo.

Any thoughts on this, guys? =)

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No the future is integration.  Things like the NUC and AiO, neither of which are attractive but those are where things are going.

Judging from all the other PC cases out there no one cares about industrial design.  What they care about is price and being able to fit as much crap as possible into the case.  And it's already very easy to upgrade a PC.

3

This will sell to the current group who already eats up a lot of the overpriced flashy crap Razer puts out: spoiled teens and pretentious fan boys. The people who like the BUILDING aspect of building a computer will continue doing that. The posers who did builds just to fit in and lazy sacks can pick one of these up I suppose. 

This does nothing different than a 'traditional' PC except dumb it down so it's as easy as plugging in a toaster. Really, the mineral oil thing is gimmicky at best and not really a selling point as my current rig barely gets warm. 

(all this said by a PROUD owner of a 2013 Black Widow Ultimate, it's a nice keyboard!)

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Well, @Beezleybuzz and @ReservationStation I'm inclined to disagree.

AIO may work for low-end, cheap computers. Integration is going to be a big thing, but think about how convenience is helping shape the IT world. We have apps and technologies to make computers much simpler. That's how User Interfaces, networks, and more all work. We don't have to know what's going on behind to scenes to be able to use these devices, apps or technologies. The same can be said about pretty much any website these days.

All this is, is just a new form factor for PCs.

We don't have to see an expensive version if this. We could just see an air-cooled version of this. We could see a version that isn't made of expensive metal, and has loads of LEDs, with a flashy industrial design.

We could see budget versions of the same form factor. We could see manufacturers coming up with their own color schemes, cooling solutions (maybe just air instead of mineral oil), etc. The connector and form factors here are the real interesting thing.

It allows computers to be assembled using plug-and-play technologies, integrating power, data and more all using a single standardized connector, which is easy for people to use. That's the beauty. It brings PCs to the masses. No more need to fear PCs for "being geeky" or for "being complicated to use or assemble". It brings PCs to the masses in the best way.

I think this helps PC builders. People who still want to build PCs manually can do so. They'll just have one more option. No more fiddling around with power and data cables, cable management, and so forth. Now you'd just plug one card or storage device into a bay (much like how you plug an SSD or an HDD in a NAS) and it just works. That's the beauty here.

I don't think expensive mineral oil cooling is the solution. I like this because of the connector and form factor. Assuming Razer makes it open-source, they could get a lot of people onboard with this, which could be awesome! Now, whether or not we'll see something come from this will be something only time will tell. But for now, let's wait and see and hope. I've hopeful for this, and I think it could simplify building PCs a lot. =)

5

The future? i don't think so because. A. It will be expensive. Custom PCB's connectors aluminum cases and oil cooling costs allot. B. Proprietary connectors. Hardware vendors are not going to want to build hardware for a small market.

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This will just be a "fad" and then die off like this stuff normally does. ATX standard has been around for almost 20 years, it will not be replaced. This is a silly Razer gimmick just like their overpriced laptop and tablet (how much have you heard about them past their initial release).

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If you read my comment, I mentioned that this *might* be the future if Razer makes this type of connector open, rather than proprietary.

Also, in my comment above you'll find that liquid cooling may not be the only way to do this, and aluminum cases aren't the only way either.

I'm excited about the idea of having connectors which include data and power in an easy, plug and play method which could be easier for the average consumer.

Obviously, the expensive aluminum case and mineral oil cooling solution is the fanciest, most expensive and extravagant way of doing this. But it isn't the only way. And that's the point.

Manufacturers could adopt the standard (if it is open, rather than proprietary). They could make these so that the modules fit from above, allowing cases to be made using plastic and steel to reduce costs. We could see other was of making these types of cases, in different forms that are cheaper. The main point of this post is to show off the connector here. This type of case *is not* the future of computers, in my opinion. But the connector shown off here, that's a keeper. The connector has potential, and that's what could help bring PC building to the masses.

ATX has been around for a long time, but I think this will coexist along side it for those who are willing to spend more so they don't have to be certified IT technicians to fix their PC themselves. They wouldn't have to test each component; they could pull out one module, replace it with another one, figure out what's bad and what isn't, and bring the old module to be either serviced or replaced.

We could also see other solutions besides mineral oil cooling. How about air cooling? We could see these modules installed within an enclosure case, so that it would still have the same advantages of being modular, but the case would house these modules, much like how a NAS holds HDDs.

That's the beauty here. They've shown that data and power can be delivered by using PCBs, extenders, and so forth. They've shown that we could see something which is much easier to build. Razer may not be the only one who makes such connector or form factor solutions, but maybe others will in time, and one might become a new standard. I just hope I'm still (fairly) young and enthusiastic about hardware by then to see it. =)

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Please read my other two replies above. They'll have answers to your comment, and they'll also explain the potential of this type of connector. (Hopefully that'll clear up any misunderstandings.)

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I think its cool yea looks great but just like cars I dont go and buy every car that looks cool being made so is this for me? nope not at all i am happy with my desktop.

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I think Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo are going to been more interested in this concept then PC gamers. 

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reshape connectors and add minimalistic shrouds and all of a sudden it's simpler, not the exact same thing with different shaped connectors and simplistic looking covers

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"Manufacturers could adopt the standard (if it is open, rather than proprietary). They could make these so that the modules fit from above, allowing cases to be made using plastic and steel to reduce costs. We could see other was of making these types of cases, in different forms that are cheaper. The main point of this post is to show off the connector here. This type of case *is not* the future of computers, in my opinion. But the connector shown off here, that's a keeper. The connector has potential, and that's what could help bring PC building to the masses."

Hardware vendors are not going to adopted it tho as only one vendor uses it. Not only that but the costs of re spining every PCB and cooler to fit this stranded would not be worth it.

 "ATX has been around for a long time, but I think this will coexist along side it for those who are willing to spend more so they don't have to be certified IT technicians to fix their PC themselves. They wouldn't have to test each component; they could pull out one module, replace it with another one, figure out what's bad and what isn't, and bring the old module to be either serviced or replaced."

 Hardware makers are no going to want to make two of the same thing they would rather pick the more commonly used one ( ATX ) and go with that. PC's are no that hard to work on and adding a video card is as easy as putting it in the slot turning a screw and maybe a power connector. You don't need to A plus certified to do that.

You can hope all you want but its not going to happen. Because PC interfaces are an agreed upon stranded.

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+1 to you. Cheaper, simpler, better.

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Agreed. This could save the console. Imagine being able to swap our a CPU+RAM and GPU if needed on your console?

Maybe the console requirements might be "PS4 Graphics 2014 Elite", "PS4 Graphics 2015 Premium" and so forth. You'd have minimum requirements, and maybe the PSU and case could all be integrated. So you could easily upgrade one part if needed. Same goes for storage or anything else.

I think this could be the beginning of great things for consoles, making them more PC-like in terms of upgradability, but also making them easier for users to upgrade.

This is a gray-area where console and PC start to merge. Couple this with SteamOS, and you have the console of the future. =)

15

Well, what I'm trying to say is that if such a connector standard were implemented and adopted, it could really help the industry in terms of sales.

Apple might do something like this, since they don't like users to add non-Apple parts in their machines. Sony and Microsoft might do something similar in their consoles, since those are closed standards.

As for PC, it's a bit more complicated. It seems great, but we're going to have to see an open standard developed for this, and we're first probably going to see this kind of case and modification being done by home-brew PC builders for style, much like how Razer has shown off in that video.

Enthusiasts will experiment first. Then it'll become something of a deluxe item for boutique builders. Than a standard will come along. Than it will be commonplace. We've seen this with liquid cooling, and other solutions before. There's no reason why it wouldn't happen again.

The difference is that, while we could see these cards being sold pre-modified to fit in such cases, we could see a connector standard being used across several case manufacturer's so help allow for better interoperability.

And that's where the future is, I think. It will take years, as Linus said, but implementing a connector which integrated power, data and IO all using a smaller, easier interface will become something much more commonplace.

Having a case what uses hubs, risers and repeates makes sense for sales, reliability and more. And having components which are free from dust. static or user tampering helps reduce hardware failure, as well as helping components arrive more safely in shipping (thanks to the oil).

This version which they showed off their prototype is obviously the most lavish, expensive and over-the-top version in which this could happen. There are other, much cheaper ways to get the same type of concept working. And that's the beauty of this. Sure, we may see only a few case vendors using connectors like this and maybe a few hardware vendors selling pre-assembled components like this (and charing a lot for them; like how EVGA charges a lot for having a liquid cooler pre-installed on a GPU and factory overclocked, even though it costs about the same as including fans and a massive heatsink, and a BIOS flash takes only seconds).

And if those boutique sales take off and become a big hit, other hardware vendors will adopt them, because where the money flows that's where hardware manufacturer's will go. At first, no one wanted to touch liquid cooling for PCs with a ten-foot pole because "water + electricity = bad". But now it's common, and we've sorted out most of the issues. It's still something entusiasts use more than your average joe, but that might be changing as liquid cooler loops drop in price to the sub-35$ range. (We already see some at 49$, and some at 44$ here and there. It's not that far off from where it was several years ago.)

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I really do like this concept of simplifying the PC.  The biggest thing that always keeps people away from the PC world is the complexity of it.  While building a PC has become far simpler than it was 10 years ago, there's still quite a bit to it, both on the hardware and software side.  This complexity keeps many people away, and is the reason consoles still exist; they're simple and are basically plug and play.  By making the PC simpler and more easily accessible to everyone, it's very likely more and more people will join the market.

I really hope the use of these new connectors and this plug and play concept does become a standard thing, but of course that's to be seen, and it will be awhile before more cheaper consumer friendly versions are available, but if they do, then the world of PC building will change for the better.

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Me personally I like having my desktop at my side and knowing that I can pull of the side panel and look at the parts and know what they are and what they do. I don't want it to be this simple as it takes away a pretty big aspect of what has become my hobby computers, you won't need to know much if you have one of these, you won't have to double check that it fits in your case and is compatile with you motherboard. for this reason I don't like it as bothersome as checking everything is, after you have bought a new part and fitted in the computer you feel that you have done something you can be proud of. you haven't just bought something and plugged it in you have checked that it will work with what you have, and you have personally put it in yourself. I just like the feeling of accomplishment that it gives me. and I also feel that I have knowlegde about something.

18

I think this idea would make a better workstation platform then the apple trashcan.

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You can easily buy prebuilt computers if you don't know anything about them. Hardware is not the problem, it's the software and people living in the past. Installing and running a game has been simplified a lot thanks to things like Steam and monstrosities like Origin.

Apple sells prebuilt computers and even takes away any possible chance of upgrading or replacing, much like consoles. They also give you a simple interface and behold people buy it even though it costs about 2-3 times more than it should.

HP, Dell, Acer, etc, all sell prebuilt computers. Hardware is not a problem.

The pc itself doesn't need to be simpler. Everything around it, perhaps. But with making things more simple, what often happens is you lose choice. If Windows gets dumbed down enough to be on the console level then what is the difference with consoles. The hardware already comes in one neat package, if the OS and other software gets simplified so that console users aren't scared of it anymore you basically got another console. I don't know about you but I like that I can upgrade or change my hardware, I like that I can choose an OS, and applications.

Apparently SteamBox is a thing, let the less capable ones get one of those and stop trying to dumb everything down, it's not good.

And it's not like swapping hardware is actually hard or anything, once you've done it (possibly with the help of someone that already knows how) it's quite simple really. Intimidating, perhaps. Hard, not at all.

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This isn't going anywhere, it is not cost effective at all.

A few people will buy them to put next to their exposed glowing tube amps.