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CES 2020: Razer Tomahawk gaming desktop stays small, powerful thanks to Intel's NUC 9 Extreme

Inside the aluminum-and-glass mini-chassis resides a modular tray that includes up to an Intel Core i9 processor and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 GPU. DIYers will eventually be able to purchase the case separately as the Tomahawk N1.
Written by Sean Portnoy, Contributor
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Razer Tomahawk

We reported the other day on Intel's new NUC 9 Extreme, the latest Next Unit of Computing kit that allows desktop graphics cards to be used as part of it for the first time. It can work with the modular Compute Element to make swapping components in and out of a small form factor chassis easier. While Intel is prepping its Ghost Canyon NUC complete with a skull-adorned case, other manufacturers are free to build their own mini-desktops around the NUC concept.

Enter Razer, the gaming hardware company that graduated from producing controllers and other peripherals to also offering well-designed full-fledged PC systems. Though it's had more success with laptops like the Blade family, it's tackling the desktop realm with the Tomahawk, which will come as both a full PC as well as a standalone chassis. The Tomahawk will make use of the NUC 9 Extreme, but as is typical with Razer, it will deliver its own innovative design touches.

For starters, Razer forges the Tomahawk from aluminum with its sides crafted from tempered glass, allowing you to see the vertically mounted GPU like the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080. Cooling is facilitated by a vent at the top of the case, while the rear of the chassis opens up to allow the Compute Module to slide in and out. It still retains a compact footprint, however, sized in the neighborhood of the proverbial breadbox.

In addition to a full-sized graphics card, the Tomahawk can be configured with up to a Core i9 CPU and 64GB of RAM. Connectivity includes a pair of Thunderbolt 2 and HDMI ports and a half-dozen USB 3 ports. Thanks to the modular nature of the Compute Element, many components can be upgraded with ease. If you really want to build a system completely, Razer will be releasing the Tomahawk in a chassis-only version dubbed the Tomahawk N1.

Razer has announced that the Tomahawk Gaming desktop will be available sometime in the first half of 2020, but no pricing details were disclosed. Given Razer's previous offerings, expect to pay a premium.

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