Exclusive: AMD’s amazingly tiny and powerful Project Quantum dissected! - carmichaelnower1967

It's surd to believe, but AMD's Undertaking Quantum nearly stole the demo from the company's big Fury X GPU reveal at the E3 gaming depict this year. Predictable, fast GPUs are a inclined from AMD, only a concept PC indeed alien, so custom so powerful? No one expected that.

On the far side teasing us with pictures and some engine room schematics, Project Quantum has been a deeply guarded esoteric, with access moderate only to AMD employees.

Until now.

Join us as we make the ma's first public seem at Project Quantum outside the control of AMD. For this dissection, there were nary nervous marketing or PR professionals look over our shoulders as we took forbidden our Leatherman. We had unfettered access, and we used it.

projectquantum3 — Visualize Quantum is AMD's concept PC, packing state-of-the-art hardware and full liquid-cooling, too.

What you're about to undergo

For this autopsy, AMD provided one of maybe a dozen Project Quantum prototype machines in existence. Ours was specifically Number 5. We were given free rein to mess with Number 5, with the sole stipulation that we had to put it back together. An off-the-shelf PC is no problem for this veteran of hundreds of PC builds, but the close-quartered Project Quantum would be a challenge.

Number 5 started its life itinerant the world as a demo machine for AMD's VR initiative. That's non an easy life, and Number 5 suffered the fate most demo machines do after being manhandled in a dozen cities: It broke. Exactly how I wear't make love, but AMD said Number 5 was dead, making it the perfect cadaver for my autopsy.

propertyof — Even the in series total confirms this is Number 5.

Why Project Quantum is particular

Project Quantum is definitely small-form-factor, measuring 6.5 inches tall by 9.5 inches wide by 9.5 inches deep. A couple of things lot apart from other tiny PCs i've seen up to now. The all but striking feature is its outside-the-box intention.

As a showcase for AMD's new Fury X GPUs, whatsoever $75 PC case would have worked. Instead, AMD decided to rethink how you could liquid-cool an entire PC in a tiny box.

Gordon Mah Ung

Project Quantum ISN't just another PC.

Attention to detail

One and only of the optimal examples of the loony attention to point on Project Quantum are the rubber feet. AMD could have secondhand the little ice hockey-Puck gumshoe feet I've seen used on everything from $200 budget PCs to $12,000 custom gaming rigs. Instead, the accompany made them triangular, using a design element from its business firm logotype.

foot — The bottom of lid of Project Quantum features rubber feet victimisation theatrical role of the AMD logo.

Steve Jobs would ingest liked these feet

Call back, these feet are on the bottom of the machine, and no one leave ever attend them. This brought to mind a story I'd heard about Steve Jobs: He argued with engineers about altering the trace routes of an early Apple PC, because he didn't like how they looked. The engineers pushed rachis, saying no one would see to it the backside of the motherboard. Jobs aforementioned it didn't matter because, like a master cabinetmaker, it's not just about what people can see—information technology's approximately having pride in the craftsmanship. You know, like making made-to-order prophylactic feet that no one will of all time see.

Still don't recognize the triangle? If you peep at the next picture, you should. This logo, by the direction, is laser-cut Beaver State milled into the bottom of the Envision Quantum rig.

amdlogo2 — The AMD logo is carved into the arse aluminum cover. Notice the triangle from the feet now?

Made in 'Murica

And if you think AMD reasonable picked out the case from the catalog of some Taiwanese manufacturer, the company says no—it was an in-house effort. Check out the tiny print on the bottom: It was planned at AMD's Austin, Texas, facility.

Read on…we're going in inexplicable.

designedintexas built in america — Designed in Lone-Star State.

Going away inside

Enough with the buildup, let's suffer inside this rig. Envision Quantum features cardinal compartments. The pinch integrates a 180mm radiator, a pump, and a unequalled reservoir. A winnow sucks in air through the open nitty-gritty section and pushes it up through the radiator and out the top. You can easily get inside away removing four screws at the corners.

topoff — With the eyelid removed, you can meet there's a single large 180mm radiator on top, on with the heart and artificial lake.

An unconventional Personal computer

While the radiator and pump appear off-the-peg, the reservoir is built fitting for Project Quantum. In the past, having a small run of custom reservoirs would be too cost-prohibitive, but the 3D pressman revolution has transformed everything. This tank is clearly 3D-printed, as is much of the hosing.

Parts of the hose are rubber, but the main lines that carry the thawed between the acme half and the bottom half are 3D-printed in hard plastic. I'm not certain why AMD didn't sensible use conventional hosing, but I suspect the accompany was concerned the tubes would foldable or crimp, cutting off the flow. But then, perhaps it's just because this is an unconventional PC.

3dprintedtankagain — Here's a better shot of the 3D-printed source AMD made for Project Quantum.

A view of the backside

Flipping Project Quantum around to give you a improved sentiment: The LiquidVR logotype is prominently displayed and reminds you of Project Quantum's original function: to showcase AMD's VR program. The round port happening the lefthand side is where the power supply goes.

One mode AMD saved blank was to move the PSU outer of the case. This meant a lot of tricks internally, but an outer power brick on a desktop case isn't unheard of, nor a lousy estimate. It gets the heat from the PSU out of the system and lets AMD running a very much larger unit. Unfortunately, AMD didn't make the brick available for this postmortem examination, but from pictures I've seen of it, it's very hefty and I suspect fairly commanding wattage.

One of the limiting factors connected organization carrying out in a small-form-factor gaming machine today is getting sufficient power to run all the hardware. Power supply maker Silverstone, e.g., made a big deal earliest this year about its 700-watt PSU that fits into micro-towers.

projectquantum back — Here's a shot of the back of Project Quantum. Note the LiquidVR logo.

Bottoms prepared

While the radiator, pump, and source are completely located happening overstep, the bottom holds all of the electronics. To get inside it's just iv Phillips-head screws, and off comes the atomic number 13 panel. The as half and the middle are aluminum, while the top is molded impressible.

With the tail panel removed, you can see every single square edge of Project Quantum is arrange to use up. Yes, that's an AMD Radeon SSD, which is a rebrand of an OCZ SSD. Why AMD got into the SSD business (and computer memory business too) I've yet to soma out.

Happening the bottom is a Fury X card. Arsenic far every bit I can William Tell, IT's pretty much a stock Fiji XT card. I know, you were expecting a dual Fury X card, which AMD made a power point of saying was inside Project Quantum at E3. I tried to puzzle over a dual-Fury X Project Quantum for this autopsy, but AMD wasn't going to play.

bottomoff — AMD uses every square inch of the Project Quantum.

Conspiracy theorists unite

I know that'll urge on the tin foil-hat confederacy theorists to say AMD never based any of the Project Quantum machines on a dual Fury X, and they faked the Apollo Moon landing too.

While I deliver cypher to contradict that theory, there are plenty of logical reasons why Add up 5 isn't a two-fold Vehemence X auto. The most obvious one is that AMD didn't enounce all Project Quantum machines were dual Fury X-settled. Even if only one Project Quantum were dual-GPU, that'd be enough. And because a dual card won't embark for another few months, it's unlikely AMD would pass on its upcoming hotness extraneous its ascendancy.

fijixt over 290x — By putting a Republic of Fiji XT cut off with its HBM memory terminated a Radeon R9 290X card, you can run into just how often space AMD saves with the stacked HBM RAM.

In that respect's i strange bit of evidence that led ME to wonder whether this was the original GPU. The serial number of the system is 5, and individual of the components were marked '5,' too. But strangely, the Fury X in the machine to a higher place was marked '4.' Maybe AMD just pulled unconscious the dual card to keep it a secret yearner?

Here's an persona Anandtech.com grabbed at Project Quantum's E3 set in motion. The motherboard depicted present is more or less 9 inches long, but you can see the chips are closer together and it should set, just barely, into the Project Quantum chassis.

dualfiji2 — Anandtech.com grabbed this photo of a dual Fiji XT card at E3.

Getting the Delirium X out of the motorcar is surprisingly well-heeled. I remote respective screws and pulled the tensioner that held the card to the water block. Then I just flipped out the entire assembly, including the PCIe perpendicular-angle transcriber. If you look closely at the GPU, you put up get a line the '4' written on it, which suggests it came from Project Quantum Come 4.

justanotherfiji — In this shot of the Fury X, it appears to be a stock card and is marked '4.'

A raft of Coke cans died for this

The card interfaces with this monumental aluminum water block. Like the case, it's all custom. Water flows through and through this machined aluminum lump to water-cooled the GPU and, connected the opposite side, the CPU. IT's actually a beautiful clever take on liquid cooling system. In most small-form-factor machines I've seen that approximate to this in size, information technology's either a liquid-cooled GPU or CPU, but not both.

Aside sandwiching the water blocking between both, AMD is able to cool both with minimal space and hoses. It is, however, still a massive chunk of aluminum. I was also thunderstruck No. 5's was aluminum. Videos AMD showed of Project Quantum machines previously had water blocks ready-made of copper color. which is a better thermal conductor only likewise more expensive, heavier, and harder to work with.

The water mental block seems to solve the treble-GPU mystery, though. Marked '5,' this block is clearly designed for a single GPU. A dual-GPU version would involve its own custom-designed urine block. Again, conspiracy nuts, the only thing this proves is that Number 5 wasn't a dual frame-up.

waterblockgpuside — The water block is all custom and a massive honking clump of machined aluminum.

Here's a view of the same water block from the former side. It's a single unit that's sandwiched away the Central processor and the GPU. Cooled liquid from the radiator flows through with channels milled knocked out of the piddle block. These little legs mount to the motherboard itself.

Record on…was that an Intel CPU we antimonopoly proverb? Say it ain't so!

That's not true, that's insufferable!

Yes Luke, search your feelings, there is indeed an Intel CPU powering AMD's Project Quantum. IT's specifically a Core i7-4790K "Devil's Canon" micro chip. A lot of AMD FX fan boys will be heart broken to get word an Intel CPU inside instead of an AMD PC but there's no concrete intellect to despair. AMD officials have said from opening they could have based it on an AMD CPU besides. Simply in the here and now, AMD knows World Health Organization is in charge and it's not Charles the Great from the situation comedy show.

devilscanyon — Just in case FX fan boys don't believe IT, here's a close-in the lead of the Intel Core-i7 4790K powering this AMD PC.

A specially modified motherboard

The motherboard is so hit-the-shelf, only if you look at the pictures, information technology's been heavily modified. For a point of reference, this image shows an unmodified Asrock Z97E-ITX/alternating current board. Notation those silver blocks near the high.

asrock — Here's a breed image of the Arock Z97 Mini-ITX board used in Visualise Quantum.

The shot below shows complete those silver blocks (of the rear I/O) removed, leaving just the gigabit left. AMD uses a short dongle that plugs into the ethernet port that goes to the back of the machine. Why? You probably didn't realize information technology from looking at the picture of the back of the machine, only AMD in reality affixed the motherboard backwards. The backwards of the card faces the front of the machine. The whole board is also upside-down to make contact with the water obturate.

theboard — The political machine is supported an Asrock Z97 Miniskirt-ITX motherboard. And yes, front again fanboys, that's zero AMD CPU.

Hither's a look at the front of the motherboard. The Independent Power Connective on the motherboard has been turned 90 degrees and a small PicoPSU-style power adaptor plugs into it.

This is non a DIY build

One affair I'll enounce about Externalize Quantum is that it's not an easy build by any stretch of the imagination. Just getting unconscious the water block and motherboard was a serious infliction. Every tightly jam-packed cable I pulled represented rebuild clock, time in my life i'd never get even. Project Quantum, at least in this state, presents best as a realised or nearly completed production.

I did get it backward together, but non before sweating bullets. If AMD always does manage to turn Externalize Quantum into a commercial intersection, I'm sure custom cable length length cables leave be put-upon. Even and so, I'd probably want to buy a Project Quantum, then frame IT from the ground up on my own.

boardout — Getting this motherboard out is not for the ill of marrow. At unity point, I called AMD to see if I could send on it back in pieces. I was told no.

One day, it might actually be sold

Project Quantum is indeed an undreamed diminutive PC. Information technology ranks among peerless of the coolest I've seen in a small production run. Yes, I've seen modded PC's that are even more amazing and certainly wired better but those are one-off machines. From nosing or so Project Quantum, I tooshie only reason out that AMD actually intends, operating room at to the lowest degree hopes, to market IT.

I make that statement supported the simple fact that on that point's no other logical reason for Send off Quantum. AMD could have just jammed its new Fury X card game into polish off-the-shelf, small-anatomy-factor character, or hired a modder to craft a few machines, and called IT a day. Why burn engineering prison term and preciously (and dwindling) resources to make it?

topdown — I keister entirely conclude that AMD intends to sell Project Quantum somehow.

So if AMD is out to making FigureQuantum, the question is, what would IT be used for? The company isn't likely to sell directly to consumers. That would right anger PC OEMs, bighearted them another argue to ply into Nvidia's arms.

Where could AMD sell Throw Quantum machines without angering OEMs, and who needs such a crazy-looking and compact urine-cooled PC?

The answer: VR.

With VR positioned as a hot tech cant with billions at stake, AMD could possibly sell Project Quantum machines packaged up with the VR headset of choice. IT could be a turnkey product for Hollywood, universities, and corporations. Project Quantum rigs could flow small demo kiosks or even be used to build small VR "theaters."

At least, that's what I can close. So much a use wouldn't offend its PC partners as much,and it's a context where such a olive-sized, cool and powerful boxwood would actually be titled for.

Of course, I could follow completely wrong. Maybe, exactly maybe, AMD wanted to spend tens of thousands of dollars and months of work to do a dozen Project Quantum rigs just because it's friggin' cool.

projectquantum2 — Project Quantum is incredibly composed, but what will it atomic number 4 used for?

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One of origination fathers of hardcore technical school reporting, Gordon has been covering PCs and components since 1998.

Source: https://www.pcworld.com/article/423158/exclusive-amds-amazingly-tiny-and-powerful-project-quantum-dissected.html

Posted by: carmichaelnower1967.blogspot.com