A German startup spun out of Leipzig University has opened orders for two diamond-based quantum computers: the 128-qubit SXQ128 and the 512-qubit SXQ512. SAXON Q says both operate at room temperature, fit inside a standard server rack, and connect to an ordinary electrical supply without cryogenic cooling or vacuum equipment. That sounds like quantum computing finally stepping out of the laboratory, but one important detail needs explanation: the headline totals describe multicore machines, while the company’s specifications list 8 fully entangled qubits per core in the SXQ128 and 16 per core in the SXQ512. A quantum computer without the deep freeze Most superconducting quantum processors depend on elaborate refrigeration, but nitrogen-vacancy systems use defects in diamond whose spin states can be controlled under ambient conditions. In practical terms, this replaces a specialized cryogenic installation with a transportable cabinet that can sit in a normal office or research facility. “Portable” does not mean laptop-sized, so think server equipment on wheels rather than something tucked into a backpack. Fraunhofer IWU has operated a four-qubit SAXON Q machine in Dresden since June 2025, and Germany’s DLR Quantum Computing Initiative says it has accepted four-qubit demonstrators based on the same room-temperature approach. How a flawed diamond becomes a qubit An NV center forms when a nitrogen atom replaces one carbon atom in the diamond lattice and sits beside an empty atomic site. Its electron spin can store quantum information, while light initializes and reads the state and microwave pulses manipulate it. This underlying physics is not new. Researchers demonstrated room-temperature entanglement between engineered defect spins in diamond more than a decade ago, while the hard part has been creating many useful centers at precise locations without losing charge stability, coherence, or reliable control. Why sulfur matters SAXON Q says its manufacturing advance comes from