We'll have Sandy Bridge E at LITS!
The next-gen Intel CPU will be showed off in the coolest PC chassis ever made, the Armari XCP
We're therefore pleased to announce that we'll be exclusively showing off a working Sandy Bridge E system to the UK public for the first time on our stand at LITS.
According to Intel, Sandy Bridge E is 'Intel’s next-generation enthusiast-focused platform', so coupled with its quad-channel memory it should be extremely fast and overclockable.
Neither bit-tech nor Intel wanted to show off such an exciting new system in a bog-standard case or just a motherboard tray, so it'll be built inside the most awesome PC chassis ever made: the Armari XCP.
First built in 2008, the XCP has the distinction of being the world's first commerically-produced PC to cool its components in a bath of electrically non-conductive fluid, something that few companies have managed to match since. That brief description hardly does the XCP justice, so here's a video to show you its supreme awesomeness.
So, not only will you get to see Sandy Bridge E in action at LITS, but you'll also get to see it inside the first true piece of PC art. You can still buy tickets to come and meet us and the XCP from the LITS website.
We hope to see you at show - in the meantime post your own superlatives for the XCP in the forum!
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Discuss in the forums ReplyLooks like an over-sized kitchen appliance
I think it's really ugly too. Very.. ugly implementation of submersed cooling.
No. I think it rather repulsive. Lot of skill went into it, and I can see and appreciate that..but the looks...(where's the vomit emote?)
Lol agreed. The case looks fugly as fug.
I give you that point :D
Even using a furnace (I don't know the exactly word in english) to bend the acrilic, a laser cutter for the front and ETC, the case must have DAYs (if not month) of planning!
The only complaint I have is the insane number of screws showing all over.
And as a casemodder (or case designer, as the majority of my cases are scratch builds) for more than a decade, I can say the case IS BEAUTIFULL. Period.
Subtle hint
If you fancy getting chased around the show by an angry Harry and his pet face hugger then that's up to you...
I would pay good money to see that...
Just like he did that thing with the dremel and the GTX480.. You know, the extra ventilation holes.
To be fair, that card did need extra cooling...
http://www.armari.com/xcp-gallery.asp
It's still as ugly but you can see what else they sell, excuse me, have for sale. I've never heard of the name Armari and I've keep an eye out for new case manufacturers for years. The Armari site says that this case was the "Winner of Custom PCs 2008 Technical Innovation Award." Funny I've never heard of that. I've never seen it for sale anywhere so I guess it isn't quite as innovative or popular as their PR implies.
I don't care for products being shown that aren't available for immediate purchase and multiple reviews. They just do not exist unless money can be laid down and the product picked up and taken home. Until then, it's nothing to me except vaporware.
Now there's a good idea ;)
The XCP was a special project that the company created in for Custom PC's 2008 Dream PC competition.
That is all...
Its an optical illusion, it is there, otherwise bad things would happen...
The man speaks the truth! I can vouch for the fact that it is most definitely submerged - and being able to watch the convection currents formed by the components is pretty mesmerising! I wonder if it's had any tweaks since '08...
http://www.coolercases.co.uk/i34/i34_armari.jpg
Someone amputated Robbie's left foot !
dunx
I remember that, October '08, that was the one where they were disqualified for not being Scan! :)
Not knocking Scan, they're a (very) good company, but that was a pretty farcical decision - taking out a vastly superior machine so Scan could again pick up their annual 'bestest in the whole wide world' award...
As you seem to jumped to the wrong conclusion, I thought I'd point out what really happened in 2008.
What happened is that Armari decided it was unable to mass produce the XCP, i.e. readers wouldn't be able to buy it. Obviously this prevented us from reviewing it, but because its such an awesome piece of engineering, and was inspired by the Dream PC competition we wrote it up as a feature instead.
To finish off the story, Scan's machine may have won the 2008 Dream PC competition, but the Armari XCP won our Technical Innovation award for the year, and between you and me would have won if it had been in production.
*I'll get my coat*
Well they're not shipping them with the reference coolers anymore, so you're probably not far off.
Fluorinert costs A LOT. Something like $70 for 100 ml. Also, R&D costs are just in general high.
Fluorinert afair.
The liquid is very pure and very clear. It's not water remember. The computer parts are indeed submerged.
Fair enough then, (that'll teach me for jumping to conclusions!). :)
I could've sworn they said they were willing to build it commercially if they could generate enough interest though - didn't they say if they got 10 orders they'd be able to knock them out for about £11k(ish) a piece? Not too dear when you consider the Great White was also about £11k...
Anyway, that aside, looking forward to seeing it housing the Sandy Bridge E!
I've (briefly) tried finding the original videos that went with it but not had much luck yet, as I think they showed it off much better than these ones do. I'm sure you could see all the thermal currents being generated and swirling around in the Fluorinert - one of its most spectacular features, yet the one you can't really see properly here...
That's what I remember - I remember them saying that if there was enough interest, they'd make it. It's a shame that a Dream PC that's effectively a £5k pc bumped up to £10k with some chroming and (admittedly neat) CNC work could be compared favourably to this (on the grounds that one has an order list, the other a waiting list).
That's what Armari hoped, but they never got enough orders to put it into production. In the end Intel bought the one and only finished prototype and that's the one we're going to use at LITS to show off Sandy Bridge E.
I'm afraid that was the only video I could find too, and its pretty low res by today's standards. Still, you'll be able to see it in the flesh in a couple of months time :)
Oi!
If it's not using an ASUS board and there are Dremel holes don't look at me
Correct, the LED-Flower-PC-in-a-1920's-Radio-Case is what got me here in the first place (back in the old old forum) ;-)