Razer Announces Easy-To-Upgrade Project Christine

Razer's latest bit of PC mad science might look like an alien ribcage, but it aspires to big things. For those of us who worship at The Impossibly Tall Altar Of Horace, building a PC is a routine task, but those who've yet to realize the stars in the sky are merely his universe-nourishing teats aren't as keen on it. There are cards and motherboards and cooling systems and cases and wires. Sure, the process might be easier than ever, but it's still not the sort of thing you see grandmothers doing in place of jigsaw puzzles (well, except for really, really cool grandmas). With Project Christine, Razer wants to make PC upgrades simple for everyone. But also, you know, probably proprietary.

On the upside, upgrading components is as simple as slotting in new bar-shaped modules. But of course, that means Razer probably has final say on all of it. Here's the basic idea:

"Project Christine's modular design allows users to easily build their PCs by allowing them to select and install modules on-the-fly, whether it's a CPU, GPU, or memory and storage configuration. The PCI-Express architecture of Project Christine automatically syncs components. Need more graphics processing power or storage? Easy - a user can slot-in additional graphics modules and add more storage by either swapping-out the existing storage drives or adding more modules."

"The modularity of Project Christine make it perpetually customizable, offering plug-and-play upgradability as new and improved technology evolves, ostensibly eliminating the need to replace entire systems. Modules connected to the PCI-Express backbone can be added in any order or combination, featuring up to quad-SLI graphics, multiple SSD and RAID storage components, I/O and even power supplies, ensuring maximum flexibility."

I'm all for allowing people to upgrade at their leisure. That definitely takes away some of the hassle that forms a spiky gate around PC gaming's community, no question. Problem is, one of the nice parts about customization - the ability to select components, sniff out the best prices, and do things on our own terms - kinda goes out the window here. Simplicity and convenience come at a price, and as ever, it's a slice of freedom.

Price, manufacturing partnerships, and things of the like have yet to be hammered out. Right now, Project Christine is more a concept than anything else. If the idea gains traction, Razer will begin manufacturing necessary components sometime this year. What do you think? Do you want to see some meat on these unsettlingly glowy bones?