The modular PC: Intel’s new Element brings Project Christine to life
Way back at CES 2014, Razer's CEO introduced a revolutionary concept design for a PC that had one main backplane and users could insert a CPU, GPU, power supply, storage, and anything else in a modular fashion. Fast forward to 2020, and Intel is aiming to make this idea a reality. Today at a fairly low-key event in London, Intel's Ed Barkhuysen showcased a new product, known simply as an 'Element' - a CPU/DRAM/Storage on a dual-slot PCIe card, with Thunderbolt, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and USB, designed to slot into a backplane with multiple PCIe slots, and paired with GPUs or other accelerators. Behold, Christine is real, and it's coming soon. Anything to compete with the default ATX design of a PC is welcome, and this looks incredibly interesting.