Razer's Project Christine

[Albatross]

What an ugly design. I don't like it at all...

[L0rd Log1c]

Guys, concepts are released often and they almost never come to fruition. Just because it happened once doesn't make it any more likely to happen again, especially not with such a concept that would require a big part of the industry to throw away the profits they make from us having to switch platforms a lot and start making components for one company.

[Kirihuna]

Guys, concepts are released often and they almost never come to fruition. Just because it happened once doesn't make it any more likely to happen again, especially not with such a concept that would require a big part of the industry to throw away the profits they make from us having to switch platforms a lot and start making components for one company.

Like the Razer Switchblade?

 

[applebook]

This concept sounds pretty useless to me for PC. Laptop would be more suitable, maybe

 

The biggest blessing of PC computing is upgradability, along with plentiful choices. Razer wants to take that away from us and offer us fewer choices, with proprietary upgradability (Apple's strategy). No thank you! A fully modular laptop with upgradable PSU, GPU, and mobo would be pretty sweet though.

[Cwazywazy]

It seems like it would be expensive but I think there are definitely some people out there that would love to have something like this.

[ThorBuildingLegos]

There is a lot of jumping to conclusions in this thread. Razer has not yet concluded if the connectors and standards of the Christine rig are to be proprietary. If they developed it as an open standard, complete with generalised connectors for CPUs and GPUs and they become generally adopted we are looking at easier to build rigs, meaning more consumers in the hardware market, as well as software market.

Additionally if opening modules does not void warranty then the whole "it's no longer DIY" argument becomes invalid. If they are factory sealed instead then it's bit less enticing to build a Christine rig for a DIY person.

Other than that I chalk a lot of the arguments up to fear of a change in the status quo.

[MrTickle]

Like the Razer Switchblade?

 

A shame the Razer Switchblade was never a thing. IMO it had potential 

[mr moose]

There is a lot of jumping to conclusions in this thread. Razer has not yet concluded if the connectors and standards of the Christine rig are to be proprietary. If they developed it as an open standard, complete with generalised connectors for CPUs and GPUs and they become generally adopted we are looking at easier to build rigs, meaning more consumers in the hardware market, as well as software market.

Additionally if opening modules does not void warranty then the whole "it's no longer DIY" argument becomes invalid. If they are factory sealed instead then it's bit less enticing to build a Christine rig for a DIY person.

Other than that I chalk a lot of the arguments up to fear of a change in the status quo.

 

That fear is a pretty big one too, just look at the people whinging because overclocking is on borrowed time, or because the CPU may come integrated on the mobo.

 

The fact of the matter is that technology evolves and moves on, computing as we know it today will be different tomorrow, just look at how much it has changed since the days of the PET, 5100 and apple IIe.

[ThorBuildingLegos]

Yeah, but it's about damn time we improve upon the PC standard. A PCIe cross-generational rig would be very nice to have as you wouldn't need to upgrade anything but a single module.. which is in it self cheaper, smarter and more effective. I'm really enthusiastic about this because it could open a brave new world for lamen in regards to computers, hardware and gaming.

[Keystone Nyan Cat]

I'm worried about the weight of the components causing the locking mechanisms to break as well as them just drooping down from the rear end with that design.

[exyia]

lol Because Microsoft does NOT build PCs and sell them to the consumer... If you pick the parts you're selling, or at least keep track of what you're selling, don't you think it would be much easier to create a database with all the components you've released on the market and it's respective drivers? MS has to deal with tons of hardware manufacturers and, believe it or not, they have improved a lot in the last OS versions, mainly Win7 and 8, but one can only do so much...

 

so then you're saying if this is only for what Razer chooses

 

you end up with a modular system that should be easy to work with

 

but you only have a select few parts to work with/choose from

 

then what's the point of the modularity? all it does is restrict choice for ease of use......................for enthusiast users who would be capable of doing it themselves anyway

 

"normal" consumers will never jump on this because they don't care. they go look for a Dell or HP computer when they need a computer - and said companies are not going to bother conforming to someone else's standard at extra cost to sell to a product to consumers that don't care

[BernardoSLR]

so then you're saying if this is only for what Razer chooses

 

you end up with a modular system that should be easy to work with

 

but you only have a select few parts to work with/choose from

 

then what's the point of the modularity? all it does is restrict choice for ease of use......................for enthusiast users who would be capable of doing it themselves anyway

 

"normal" consumers will never jump on this because they don't care. they go look for a Dell or HP computer when they need a computer - and said companies are not going to bother conforming to someone else's standard at extra cost to sell to a product to consumers that don't care

 

Select FEW parts? Never said that. Just said that Microsoft has to deal with thousands of parts, maybe even more, crappy or not. So they just don't bother all that much. They have a decent system though. But Razer could make it even better by filtering some of the parts that come to market and are crap (like a GT640 or something. With that you might as well stick with your onboard graphics).

[renz62]

Expected "Modular" Graphics card pricing for Project Christine:

 

"Modular" GTX 760 = $400

"Modular" GTX 770 = $600

"Modular" GTX 780 = $800

"Modular" GTX 780Ti = $950

"Modular" GTX Titan = $1500

 

oh god...

[mr moose]

Expected "Modular" Graphics card pricing for Project Christine:

 

"Modular" GTX 760 = $400

"Modular" GTX 770 = $600

"Modular" GTX 780 = $800

"Modular" GTX 780Ti = $950

"Modular" GTX Titan = $1500

 

oh god...

link?

 

While I think we can all agree initial costs for the unit and modules will be higher than current form factors, if it takes off and becomes the next standard (or at least highly popular) then the price will fall to parity with the current market trends.

[Ineko]

Expected "Modular" Graphics card pricing for Project Christine:

 

"Modular" GTX 760 = $400

"Modular" GTX 770 = $600

"Modular" GTX 780 = $800

"Modular" GTX 780Ti = $950

"Modular" GTX Titan = $1500

 

oh god...

 

Source? 

 

And those prices aren't too far off what you would pay for a stock one anyway, it would come in a custom enclosure with water cooling ready to go, the extra $200 or so is expected.

[renz62]

link?

 

While I think we can all agree initial costs for the unit and modules will be higher than current form factors, if it takes off and becomes the next standard (or at least highly popular) then the price will fall to parity with the current market trends.

 

Source? 

 

And those prices aren't too far off what you would pay for a stock one anyway, it would come in a custom enclosure with water cooling ready to go, the extra $200 or so is expected.

It's not real, just my two-cents given that Razer's pricing is always high.

[nokturrduk84]

Oh it's Razer? Then forget it if you're not some cashed up bastard

[applebook]

link?

 

While I think we can all agree initial costs for the unit and modules will be higher than current form factors, if it takes off and becomes the next standard (or at least highly popular) then the price will fall to parity with the current market trends.

 

A tiny company like Razer isn't going to set a new tech standard that's been effectively the same for several decades. It would take the collective effort of Intel, AMD, and Nvidia to force the PC market to adopt this model. 

[mr moose]

A tiny company like Razer isn't going to set a new tech standard that's been effectively the same for several decades. It would take the collective effort of Intel, AMD, and Nvidia to force the PC market to adopt this model. 

All ideas start somewhere, and most of them don't start with large companies, they start with individuals who often get rejected by big companies like google who's executives reportedly said Gmail would ruin their company.

Many said apple wouldn't survive because it was too small and incompatible, they said the same thing about the Ipod, in fact two large companies (Pillips and real networks) turned down the proposal from Tony Fadell before steve jobs took it on. and in other fields this happens all the time too, J.K. Rowling was rejected by 11 publishers before harry potter was finally published, I bet those first 11 publishers are kicking themselves or firing their script readers,

 

Yep, small doesn't mean anything, many of today's standards were developed by companies and sometimes individuals much smaller than razor.

[kemical]

who could have thought somebody would challenge razers mac pro 2013 design with such a beauty

[TicTac]

Can some plz tell me where the heck the rad is? 

[ThorBuildingLegos]

Expected "Modular" Graphics card pricing for Project Christine:

 

"Modular" GTX 760 = $400

"Modular" GTX 770 = $600

"Modular" GTX 780 = $800

"Modular" GTX 780Ti = $950

"Modular" GTX Titan = $1500

 

oh god...

 

If so, then no...

 

Hey, that rhymes!

[applebook]

who could have thought somebody would challenge razers mac pro 2013 design with such a beauty

 

Mac Pro is a real product. This is a pipedream. 

[ThorBuildingLegos]

Mac Pro is a real product. This is a pipedream.

No... it's a prototype. It may not come to fruition, true. But remember that the little cylindrical beauty was also once a concept.

So let me remind everyone: this might not come to be, but if we show our enthusiasm then the chances are slightly higher.

[mr moose]

Mac Pro is a real product. This is a pipedream. 

Most successful products start of being propitiatory insular designs that at least a handful of people claim will never succeed.  (with the exception of a few successful companies that remain insular like apple)