ULTRACADE is powered by Quantum3D's Graphite PC, a small (12.5" x 13.375" x 5.125") and rugged (18 gauge steel chassis) PC running Quantum3D's own Sapphire OS. It sports a 366+MHz Celeron CPU on an i810 motherboard, 64MB of SDRAM, a 6.4GB HD, a 27" VGA monitor, uses the Intel 752 integrated video, and runs Quantum3D's own purpose-built Sapphire OS and ULTRACADE game engine. A key component of the system is the Quantum3D JAMMALinx^TM, which interfaces the PC to the coin-mech and player controls via a standard JAMMA harness. The Graphite and 27" VGA monitor are mounted in a schnazzy looking upright cabinet with a 2-player control deck.

The numbers may not be particularly impressive, but ULTRACADE is a purpose-built machine. The i752 has plenty of 2D power, and older games take up little space, so 6.4GB will hold many games. Licensed games are emulated by the ULTRACADE game engine, which runs under the Sapphire OS, and which also provides the operator and user interfaces.

Up to eight games can be made available at any one time to players, and an operator can change the available games as well as load on new ones off of expansion CDs through the Operator Interface. The OI also tracks game usage, letting an operator see how each game is performing, as well as change settings on each game, including coins per credit, credits per play and game difficulty.

Graphite also includes the JAMMAlinx interface, which supplies the ULTRACADE with compatibility to standard arcade I/O devices as well as built-in audio. JAMMAlinx is what turns the Graphite PC into a machine ready for coin-op usage.

The Graphite PC in link with JAMMAlinx are a good example of just how versatile, the mainstream PC has become. ULTRACADE lives in a market made up of mostly proprietary hardware.