KFC has openly acknowledged the existence of its own KFConsole. The custom computer can play games. However, KFC claims the KFConsole can end the console wars, which is certainly a tall claim, but not unachievable.
KFC has officially unveiled the KFConsole. The creation is KFC’s own take on the gaming industry. True to its creator’s roots, the KFConsole combines chicken and video games.
KFConsole does exist and it is a powerful NUC or Mini-PC packing a top-end Intel CPU:
KFC teased the KFConsole earlier this year, but the internet brushed it aside as a prank or joke. It was hard not to joke about the contraption, given the fact KFC had managed to slot in a “chicken chamber”.
The future of gaming is here.
Introducing the KFConsole. #PowerYourHunger pic.twitter.com/ssUrX41Ab1
— KFC Gaming (@kfcgaming) June 12, 2020
The KFConsole, however, is very real and it is in fact, a capable gaming computer with top-end specifications. The computer is designed to resemble the iconic shape of the KFC bucket. But it is essentially an Intel NUC mini PC.
NUC stands for Next Unit of Computing. Essentially NUC is a small form-factor computer or Mini PC. These have some of the smallest possible motherboards.
See it for yourself. Find out more about the new #KFConsole @CoolerMaster: https://t.co/omZWuIhBG8 pic.twitter.com/6n5panSJIs
— KFC Gaming (@kfcgaming) December 22, 2020
In the case of KFConsole, the fast-food chain has reportedly collaborated with professional computer modder and Cooler Master CMODX team member Tim “Timpelay” Malmborg. Speaking about the creation, Tim said,
“The hardest part was definitely figuring out the entire internal layout to get it as compact as possible and still have sufficient cooling for the hardware. The cylindrical bucket design and the chicken bay [are] two separate features that by themselves [are] challenging to work with. And then combined with a high-performance PC, well, I had to spend days creating the 3D model for it.”
What Tim was referring to when he said high-performance PC, was the actual components of the NUC. According to the official disclosure, the KFConsole is essentially an “Intel NUC 9 Extreme Element at its core with a modified Cooler Master MasterCase NC100.”
Apart from the top-end 9th Generation Intel Core i9 or Core i7 CPU, the KFConsole also features a swappable GPU slot that accommodates an Asus RTX graphics card. The KFC Gaming PC packs a pair of 1TB of Seagate NVME SSD storage. There’s no information on RAM, but being a gaming-capable PC, the KFConsole could pack about 16 or perhaps 32 GB of DDR4 RAM.
The KFConsole Chicken Chamber is real and functional:
The KFConsole supports Virtual Reality (VR). Essentially, this VR-ready Intel NUC 9 Extreme Element NUC from KFC has the capability to run games at 240 FPS (Frames Per Second), with a 240Hz output. For desktop gamers, it also includes 4K gaming with ray-tracing. Surprisingly, the KFConsole’s chicken chamber isn’t there for show. According to the company, the chamber should keep the chicken warm.
Seasoned gamers will notice that the KFConsole’s chicken chamber is integrated with the NUC’s custom-built cooling system. What this means is that KFConsole repurposes the hot air leaving the PC to keep the food stored in the chamber warm. Given the TDP profile or the heat that Intel CPUs give off, this should work out to be a good arrangement.
A KFConsole might sound odd, but there have been gaming PCs built into cars, superheroes, sharks, tanks, etc. Hence a gaming PC housed inside a KFC bucket-shaped NUC isn’t that far-fetched.