Project Christine ambitions blocked by lack of OEM support

Project Christine is one of the most exciting announcements from CES this year. Razer created a prototype for a fully modular PC that would allow users to easily and quickly swap components, including hard drives, GPUs, etc. Unfortunately, Christine may never be more than just a concept.

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Project Christine is one of the most exciting announcements from CES this year. Razer created a prototype for a fully modular PC that would allow users to easily and quickly swap components, including hard drives, GPUs, etc. In addition, Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan proposed a subscription service, one that would enable power-hungry PC gamers to always get top-of-the-line gear. Cheaper subscriptions would then use the outdated components for gamers that don't need bleeding edge power. For many, it seemed like a win-win solution.

Unfortunately, Christine may never be more than just a concept. Why? Tan says that manufacturers simply aren't interested in participating.

Tan explained that Christine works. However, getting OEM partners is the only thing preventing a release. "I throw it out there to talk to the OEMs about it. That's really the final piece of the puzzle. Everything else has pretty much been done," he told Polygon. "All they ask about is, 'How much money can I make out of this?' They're not interested in innovation at all."

Of course, couldn't Razer simply build everything by themselves? The company already has experience making their own gaming rigs. However, Tan wants to avoid that solution. "Christine's a bit different because if we went out and built our own modules and platform, we would literally be creating a walled garden, which is something that we don't want to do," he said. "It's got to be open. It's got to be stuff that you can swap out modules and stuff like that because we won't always have the best." Essentially, what's the point of having the ability to swap out components if the only distributor you can choose from is Razer?

So for now, the Project Christine prototype is simply an idea--a damn good one, at that--but just an idea.

Andrew Yoon was previously a games journalist creating content at Shacknews.

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  • reply
    March 24, 2014 11:45 AM

    Andrew Yoon posted a new article, Project Christine ambitions blocked by lack of OEM support.

    Project Christine is one of the most exciting announcements from CES this year. Razer created a prototype for a fully modular PC that would allow users to easily and quickly swap components, including hard drives, GPUs, etc. Unfortunately, Christine may never be more than just a concept.

    • reply
      March 24, 2014 12:23 PM

      I'm struggling with how the business model on this would work. Typically a subscription model means you get to borrow the thing for cheaper than just buying it. But, you have to give it back at some point. Unless Razer put some kind of wicked hold on your credit card, or required a sizable deposit, what's to keep someone from just making off with the part? Yes, it'll probably be some kind of proprietary connector. But, that wouldn't stop you from just using it as-is without renewing the sub and sending it back when you stop paying.

      The model would have to be more like a car lease program than a true subscription. Though one exception might be that you don't have a set period when you have to return the part.

      • reply
        March 24, 2014 12:25 PM

        Subscriptions don't necessitate renting rather than buying. One of the most common subscriptions in the US is to subsidize the phone hardware you own.

    • reply
      March 24, 2014 1:51 PM

      [deleted]

      • reply
        March 24, 2014 2:34 PM

        Personally, I'd love to be able to put together a computer without having to deal with cable management, having to unscrew or move around 3 things to get to a hard drive, getting the thermal paste on the cpu just right, oh shit, something's doa, now I have to unscrew 10 screws, take out the hard drive rack, unscrew the hard drive itself, ship it back, then re-screw everything back...you get the idea. It would be nice if it was modular in a friendly way, instead of requiring you to become a part time IT hardware specialist.

        I'd love to instead have it be plug and go, unplug and go. None of this crap that takes hours to build. The last time I got a new video card, it took 2 hours to install it because it was so long the hard drives were in the way. So I had to move the entire hard drive cage down half a food to make the room. Did I mention I hate cable management? I may not like how expensive Project Christine is, or how it looks necessarily, but I love how streamlined they were aiming for it to be...all about hotswapping without having to worry about components being in the way of one another.

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          March 24, 2014 2:35 PM

          I only build a new computer or new compnents because it's cost effective, and I have better control over quality. It has nothing to do with enjoyment though, as I'd rather be playing a game, than building a computer to play a game.

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            March 24, 2014 2:41 PM

            [deleted]

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              March 24, 2014 3:12 PM

              I have an Antec 1200...pretty large, but the hard drives are in a spot that can't be hot swapped. I must admit, I don't have much experience building computers...I've installed everything but a cpu and heatsink to be honest, One problem I have currently that I'm going to address with my next computer is getting a modular psu. My current one I have to cram the excess cables into a spot behind the hdd's.

              I could have done better if I had planned everything out better ahead of time. I think the time issue is really from me being to careful with everything due to inexperience compared to people like you, who do this twice a year, instead of once every 4 or so years. Damn Radeon 7950 boost is huge compared to the Radeon 4850 it replaced...

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                March 24, 2014 3:25 PM

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                  March 24, 2014 3:41 PM

                  The dust, holy shit, hahaha. I think I spend about 15 minutes at each go using a can of compressed air to clean everything out, not just the grills (which you have to unscrew 8 screws for each grill) but for all the dust bunnies that collect elsewhere. I would clean out the dust more frequently if I didn't have to go through so many screws to get to all 3 grills...

                  The best feature of the 1200 imo is the usb ports angled at 45 degrees, instead of being parallel to the floor, or facing the ceiling. That's kind of a personal preference thing for visibility, and ergonomics. But the dumbest feature is easily having dust grills for the front and side, but no grills for the back and top. You'd think dust had the tendency to abide by the laws of gravity and fall down?

                  Noise is also an issue, and I'll definitely be interested in minimizing noise in my next case. I'll probably need to go for custom fans, possibly the scythe brand as opposed to the generic fans that come with the case.

    • reply
      March 24, 2014 2:44 PM

      "They're not interested in innovation at all."

      Translation: THIS IS MY REVENUE!!!

      Also, I could imagine Intel standardizing a mainboard platform similar to NUC that would be able to take SATA expansion, as well as provide high-draw power for PCI-Express videocards, and allow for expandability and cooling that the classic ATX platform doesn't provide. They just need to be sure that they don't botch the implementation entirely, like they did with BTX.

      Whereas Christine only seemed to be catering to Razer's interests, and OEMs don't want to be trapped into a niche platform that only Razer would be able to build. How much volume would that actually push, relative to ATX, Mini-ITX, and NUC?

      Also, my statement back in January still holds: "I think Razer as a company has lost its way, and is desperately searching for a disruptive niche, but has been stumbling on each attempt." Chalk up Christine as yet another stumble.

    • reply
      March 24, 2014 3:27 PM

      [deleted]

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        March 24, 2014 3:31 PM

        Yup. I don't know if it's blatant enough to sue; Razer's lawyers might have been helping the designers to go as close as possible without infringing.

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      March 24, 2014 3:58 PM

      Honestly I don't understand the point of this anyway. Modern PCs can be assembled in about 20min with nothing more than a phillips driver and a handfull of screws. If that intimidates you I don't think eliminating the screws is going to make any difference.

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