A hardware configuration based on the combination of Intel
Core i5-9600K processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 video card characterizes
this system, aimed at passionate gamers who prefer a preconfigured solution
guaranteed to assemble the components by themselves.
Winblu T-Rok Powered
by ASUS (PDA) is a series of pre-assembled desktop gaming computers, some
characterized by the typical stylistic features of the TUF family. The peculiar
feature is that of being made with products that can easily be found on the
market: we do not therefore find custom solutions, but the same versatility
typical of a product that we could assemble with our own hands.
So why not buy loose components and configure them with our
hands? The answer is simple: Winblu T-Rok computers are aimed at less
experienced users, but also at the most savvy ones, who want a solution that is
already ready for use once they are taken out of the box. In fact, the
keyboard, mouse and monitor must be added to the desktop, and then you are
ready to play.
Everything is already available since the so-called
unboxing: not only the essential hardware for the operation, but also the most
purely aesthetic features. Among these we point out an extremely neat and clean
wiring, although not too conspicuous on the aesthetic level, and a backlighting
system already ready for use compatible with ASUS Aura Sync technology . The
system we have been testing is based, as we will see later, on the case Cooler Master
MasterBox MB500 TUF Gaming Edition case with TUF customization: it is sold with
components that allow you to benefit from good power for advanced gaming and
that offer adequate power in perspective also for next-generation titles up to
a resolution of 2560x1440 pixels. All to oneprice of € 1,799 on Yeppon with
on-site assistance included in the price.
Article index
Winblu
Technical specifications
Design
Tests and benchmarks
Final considerations
Winblu
Winblu is an Italian company operating in the IT and
personal computing sector, present in Italy through an extensive network of
dealers. It is aimed at individuals and companies with an entire line-up of
products ranging from traditional desktop PC solutions to graphics workstations
and servers. The brand belongs to Brevi, a company that is among the most
important distributors in the IT sector in Italy, and promises in the sold
computers " design research, carefully selected components and total compatibility,
for a rigorous scientific assembly process, for an in-depth activity testing
and the harmonious combination of hardware and software ".
Technical
specifications
Winblu T-Rok is based on the Cooler Master MasterBox case
MB500 TUF Gaming Edition, characterized by standard materials (plastic for the
front panel, tempered glass for the side panel) and a fairly sober aesthetic.
Once the RGB LEDs of the three integrated fans have turned on, the waterblock
of the all-in-one liquid cooling system and even the RAM changes the situation,
with the lighting that certainly draws the attention of those in the same room.
The power supply chosen by Winblu is a Cooler Master 80Plus Bronze TUF 750W, in
our opinion well dimensioned compared to the technical characteristics of the
system also in anticipation of future upgrade of the internal components, which
we list in the table below.
The system memory is based on two Crucial Ballistix DDR4
modules of 8GB each, while the storage subsystem is based on an Intel Optane
32GB M.2 unit combined with a 1TB and 3.5 "hard disk with a speed of
7200rpm disk rotation We would certainly have preferred a pure SSD combined
with a mechanical hard disk for data storage, so as to obtain the best
combination of speed performance for applications and storage space for the
games library, but the use of technology Intel Optane represents a good
compromise that still leaves room for a future upgrade with a dedicated SSD.
The benefits of Optane technology are particularly
noticeable in data readings and not particularly high data: it acts as a de
facto cache, but once the capacity is saturated, the mechanical hard disk is
the performance bottleneck. On the whole though the use of Optane allows to
obtain a system user
experience that is very similar to the one obtained with a
dedicated SSD, in terms of promptness of response to the opening of
applications or navigation between the tabs of your web browser.
The video compartment is based on an ASUS GeForce RTX 2070
Turbo card , with traditional dual slot heatsink. On its back there is an HDMI
port, two DisplayPorts and a USB Type-C for interfacing to more than one
monitor simultaneously, with the margins of configuration that NVIDIA typically
makes available with its GeForce RTX family video cards.
The connectivity solutions are also complete: in the back of
the case we have four USB ports, two of which are USB 3.1 with Type-A connector
and one Type-C USB 3.1. Then we find a DVI-D and an HDMI port connected to the
integrated Intel GPU, useful when you don't want to install a dedicated video
card in the system but useless in the configuration as it is sold, a PS / 2
connector and two connectors for the antennas of the Wi-Fi network adapter. The
motherboard is an ASUS TUF B360M-PLUS Gaming model , based on 1151 LGA socket
for Intel Core 9th generation processors and Intel B360 chipset. The form
factor is the Micro-ATX, more than suitable considering the integrated onboard
accessory.
Also noteworthy is the presence of two 3.5mm jacks on the
front, a Gigabit Ethernet port, and the possibility of having two internal M.2
slots for any additional solid state storage units. The integrated motherboard
also features six SATA 3 ports, a PCIe x16 3.0 slot occupied by the video card
and two PCIe x1 slots, one of which is used for the WiFi network card.
Design and RGB LEDs
The design of Winblu T-Rokis naturally linked to that of the
Cooler Master MasterBox MB500 TUF Gaming Edition case. We therefore have a
front part that is divided into two halves: the upper part is made of
polycarbonate, quite rigid but with a surface finish that did not appear to be
particularly accurate; the lower one instead uses a honeycomb grid that allows
the two frontal RGB fans to bring air from the outside to the inside of the
case. In an extremely quiet environment the fans can be heard even slightly in
idle, without however being annoying. We also have a third fan, also of 120mm
and equipped with integrated RGB lighting: it is combined with the radiator of
the Cooler Master liquid cooling system and serves both to cool the radiator
and to push the hot air from the
Although the use of RGB LEDs is quite evident, the
aesthetics of the T-Rok is accurate and customizable . This thanks to the
support of the Aura Sync system, which is present on all backlit components
including the motherboard with the only exception of the Crucial BallistiX RAM
modules. Compatibility with ASUS technology translates into the possibility of
managing all the backlighting present in the system through a few clicks: even
turning it off is extremely simple. In other words: from the first start, no
need for configuration, driver installation or additional software. Everything
is pre-installed and native, as are tools for customizing integrated devices.
This does not apply to RAMs, which use proprietary
technology and must be configured with the MOD Ballistix app, however installed
on the system the first time it is started. The result we can achieve on RAM,
however, may not always be consistent with the lighting of the rest of the
system.
The case has no differences compared to the model that
Cooler Master has put on the market: we find a Winblu logo on the front and the
word Powered by ASUS on the side panel. Obviously, the typical textures of the
TUF family products are not missing, which make the case slightly more
aggressive than the traditional MB500 MasterBox. The side panel in tempered
glass, also with the typical textures of the TUF series, can be removed very
quickly: only two screws are present and can be removed without the use of
external accessories. By removing the glass panel you have access to all the
internal components, with maintenance that is made simple by the good internal
volume available to those who carry out the operations.
A good balance
between the components
The Intel Core i5-9600K processor is one of the most
interesting ninth-generation Intel Core proposals: with a 6-core architecture,
it balances a high clock frequency that goes up to 4 GHz with all the cores
permanently occupied 100% at a not high cost. Not only: the being of the K
family implies that the frequency multiplier is unlocked so as to facilitate
overclocking, which in this case is also simplified by the use of an integrated
type liquid cooling kit.
The speed performance of the Winblu system, from the
processor side, is aligned with that of our reference system based on the same
CPU. The only marginal differences are related to the timings of the DDR4
memory used: at the frequency of 2,666 MHz the BallistiX modules use latencies
equal to 16-18-18-38 which are slightly more conservative than those of our
reference system. The behavior is in any case always such as not to create
problems of fluidity or speed in the response. Even with games this processor
defends itself well: the number of cores it makes available is in fact high.
Moving on to the games, what we have been able to highlight
in our tests are always more than average average frames values up to a
resolution of 2560x1440 pixels, thanks to the computing power provided by the
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 card and the Intel Core i5 processor 9600K. Going up to
the resolution of 4K the medium-sized frames fall to a marked extent, as is
expected, but in some cases it is still possible to guarantee more than
adequate playability. This is the case, for example, of F1 2019, a title that
even in this resolution manages to do well.
