July 1, 2015 | By Alec

If you are one of those gamers who wants to get the best out of their systems through unofficial modding of graphic cards or is looking for that extra layer of cool in custom built pcs, then we’ve got some good news for you. Processor developer AMD has kept a close eye on customization over the years, and their new Radeon R9 Fury X graphics card comes with a customizable front plate that can be replaced or altered with 3D printed parts.

For those of you who’ve never heard of them, AMD is short for Advanced Micro Devices, a company based in Sunnyvale, California. Specializing in the development of computer processors and related technologies consumers and professionals, their graphics card are quite popular among gamers. And with their new Fury X they seem to be completely focusing on that market. While a solid casing doesn’t scare off many experienced users, it must have always been a little bit stressful to take risks with investments that easily go up to $500 or over. Well, that will no longer be a problem with the Fury X, which features a removable front plate held in place with just four screws.

AMD encourages its customers to take it off and 3D print a customized new plate to suit your preferences; to help you get started, they have even released a couple of free 3D printable designs which you can customize to your own heart’s content. You can find these on their website here. They will also highlight some of the best and most original designs on their blog in the near future.

But before you get your tools out, the company does warn you to remove your card from the pc before removing the front plate and under no account tinker with it while operational. Also, tightening the screws too strongly could damage the card inside, so handle with care. Further precaustions include working on a clean workspace, with appropriate electrostatic discharge protection, and not removing parts other than the front plate. Understandably, your own mistakes won’t be covered by the warranty.

While a careful approach is thus in order, this is definitely a very cool feature for a graphics card and to our knowledge the first of its kind. And why shouldn’t 3D printing extend even into the realm of custom pc assembly? As long as the PLA doesn’t start melting, this could be an untapped market that thousands could enjoy. How long before someone opens a Shapeways or Etsy shop with 3D printed frontplates?

 

Posted in 3D Printing Applications

 

 

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-willy- wrote at 7/2/2015 4:11:34 AM:

Customizing the plate that faces downward. Oooo, now isnt that novel. Only thing that is seeing that is the bottom of the computer. This is as glitzy as putting a pic of Cheryl Tiegs on the back of a refridgerator. No one will ever see it. But hey, you can do it if you want to.



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