News AMD May Resurrect Project Quantum Mini Gaming PC

frogr

Distinguished
Nov 16, 2009
61
32
18,570
The AMD design patent only protects the appearance of "a housing of an electronic device."
Compare the patent figures with the Zotac device. Since they look different, there is likely no patent infringement.
On the other hand, if it was an utility patent for a gaming computer with liquid cooling and an enclosure of a certain size then maybe the prior existence of a Zotac gaming mini PC would preclude an AMD patent.
 
This is a stolen Zotac Design Zotac should claim the patent.
Except... AMD was showing off Project Quantum at E3 a year prior. >_>

Most likely, Zotac borrowed the basic concept after seeing AMD's design make headlines the previous year. It's not really all that similar either, aside from being a relatively small liquid-cooled PC, lacking the separate compartments for the components and cooling system, which was a major part of the Quantum's design.

If you're into conspiracy theories, there is another angle that we haven't explored. Although Project Quantum was originally designed be a gaming PC, what if AMD suddenly decided to turn it into a gaming console? It would make sense to put Project Quantum into hibernation until the chipmaker has made sufficient advancements in both the processor and graphics card spaces to bring the project back to life. AMD also produces the CPU and GPU for both upcoming PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X consoles so the chipmaker obviously knows the secret recipe.
That seems quite unlikely. For one thing, AMD wouldn't want to upset companies who are buying tens of millions of their chips by directly competing with them. And for another, AMD doesn't have any first-party game development studios or anything like that, nor is there really any room for another major player in the console market.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gillerer