Modular PC systems have long been used in the gaming rig market segment due to its ease and convenience when it comes to upgradability. However, this type of PC-building system has not been utilized in the retail market primarily because manufacturers want consumers to replace an entire machine when a new model comes up.

But Razer is looking to change all that with its Project Christine –a modular PC system that allows consumers to build and customize their computers based on their needs without any prior technical knowledge or what not.

The system features a PCI-Express architecture that makes it easy for users to snap on different components or modules into a slot to build or upgrade a machine. Moreover, the system uses a cable-less design with self-contained modules that features liquid cooling and cancellation that allows Razer to factory overclock different PC components without voiding its warranty.

Project Christine is also capable of running multiple operating systems, thereby increasing its flexibility. The system also features a touchscreen LED display that indicates control and maintenance information.

“Project Christine is a new concept design that will revolutionize the way users view the traditional PC. This is the first gaming system that is able to keep pace with technology and could allow consumers to never buy another PC, or gaming system, again,” – Min-Liang Tan, co-founder, CEO and Creative Director of Razer.

At present, Project Christine is still a work in progress and obviously Razer won’t be able to tell whether or not this system will make it to retail. But if all goes well, we might see this product in the future just like the company’s Project Fiona that eventually was released as the Razer Edge tablet.

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Hewlett Packard joins the club of manufacturers that produce a so-called portable desktop PC. Its latest creation, the Envy Rove 20 joins the likes of the Dell XPS18, the Sony Vaio Tap 20 and the Asus transformer all-in-one.

As the name implies, the HP Envy Rove 20 features a 20-inch IPS LCD screen with a 10-point capacitive touchscreen. The device will reportedly be powered by Intel’s newest Haswell processors, 1 TB of storage, Beats Audio processing and Intel’s WiDi tech (Wireless Display) which will allow the device to wirelessly send 1080p videos to compatible devices.

The HP Envy Rove 20 weighs around 12 pounds and is quite thick so it’s not really designed for users to lug around. Rather, it’s supposed to be a slightly portable desktop computer that you can transfer from room to room in your house especially thanks to its spring-loaded kickstand. 

As for the rest of the specs, HP wasn’t that keen on providing details about the Envy Rove 20. For starters, it’s unclear if the device will have a stylus or will support pressure sensitivity, so graphic artists and designers who might have a good use for this device may have to wait for its official launch sometime in July.

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Electronic Arts hasn’t had much luck these past few weeks as it received a lot of negative feedback from customers and critics specifically the mess it made during the launch of its open-ended city-building computer and console game series – Sim City.

The game was plagued by server problems during its launch causing gamers to experience a lot of download, loading and login problems. The company has issued a formal statement saying that they weren’t able to anticipate the influx of users who logged in during the launch of the game.

But aside from the major server issues, the game still suffers from a number of bugs and processing issues. So today, EA announced that it will be bringing a major update to SimCity that aims to fix majority of the issues faced by gamers.

These changes include the proper processing of cities as well as the random appearance of air pollution and unexpected number of tourist will be fixed. A fix for players who are always getting struck by natural disasters will also be fixed, while mansions for city mayors will also be added.

Electronic Arts has already notified its users that in order to install the updates, the company will need to shut down all of its servers for a few hours on Monday at around 1pm EST in the US.  Any thoughts about SimCity? Please do tell us by leaving a comment below.

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