KobraLan V1 Review
Category : PCs
Published by Luca Rocchi on 12.03.14
KobraLan V1 is the first mini-pc born for events and LAN parties, built and studied by KobraPC. The small Kobra is very compact and powerful. Despite its compact size, there are high-end and recent components inside. In this article we will analyze the performance, power consumption and also the temperatures of all components.
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KobraLan V1 is the new mini computer born for events and LAN parties, assembled and designed by KobraPC. The system is very compact and on the following pages we will show you the strengths and weaknesses of this mini-pc.
Preview
Specifications / Chassis
| CPU | Intel Core i5-4670K |
| Cooler | Corsair H60 |
| Mainboard | MSI Z87I Gaming |
| Memory | 2x4 GB Kingston HyperX 1600 MHz |
| Graphics card | MSI GTX 760 Gaming Mini-ITX |
| Hard drive | Kingston HyperX 240GB |
| Case | Cooltek U2 Black / Silver |
| Power supply | Thermaltake Smart M650W 80Plus Bronze |
| Connectors |
|
| Dimensions | 208 x 233 x 331 mm (W x D x H) |
| Weight | 6.1 Kg |
| Drivers |
NVIDIA ForceWare 334.89 WHQL Chipset 9.4.0.1026 |
| OS | Windows 7 x64 |
The KobraLan V1 is a mini computer based on an ITX form-factor, created to be easily carried during events and LAN parties. The size of the computer is quite impressive if you consider the components inside. The KobraLan V1 measures 208 x 233 x 331 mm and weighs 6.1 kg. This little mini PC-LAN uses a Cooltek U2 case, made out of of aluminum with good quality and workmanship. There are no intake fans, but only one 120mm fan in the rear part. The case has been customized by KobraPC, and on the front panel there is a KobraPC logo and, placed near the window of the case, a red LED strip that can be switched off.
Regarding the hardware, KobraPC decided to go for MSI's Gaming Z87I motherboard, which has all of the most common connections including WiFi and Bluetooth. Combined with the small Gaming motherboard from MSI, we find an Intel Core i5- 4670K 3.40 GHz CPU cooled by Corsair's Hydro H60 water cooler. Since the case is compact, the graphics card is also very tiny. In this case we find a rather powerful MSI GTX 760 Mini powered by a generous Thermaltake Smart M650W modular PSU.
When it comes to pre-assembled desktop systems, it is always interesting to see what it would cost to build the same PC but with components purchased individually. We tried to configure the KobraLan V1 using Geilzhals.eu. The economic difference between the two configurations is very low. In our opinion, this difference is definitely fair and justified by the assembly, customization and software installations.
SiSoft Sandra 1
SiSoft Sandra is a theoretical multi purpose benchmark suite which is able to show differences in CPU architectures. We split the tests with SiSoft Sandra into two parts. Therefore on this page you will find Arithmetic-, Multimedia- and Cryptography-benchmarks.
Arithmetic Benchmark
| Arithmetic benchmark - Dhrystone |
Rating |
GIPS | Percent |
| ASUS Z87I-Pro + i7-4770K | N/A |
118.00 | N/A |
| KobraLan V1 | N/A |
104.71 | N/A |
| More is better | |||
| Arithmetic Benchmark - Whetstone |
Rating |
GFLOPS | Percent |
| ASUS Z87I-Pro + i7-4770K | N/A |
90.48 | N/A |
| KobraLan V1 | N/A |
60.44 | N/A |
| More is better | |||
Multimedia
| Multimedia - Integer |
Rating |
MPixels/sec | Percent |
| ASUS Z87I-Pro + i7-4770K | N/A |
381.00 | N/A |
| KobraLan V1 | N/A |
220.67 | N/A |
| More is better | |||
| Multimedia - Floating point |
Rating |
MPixels/sec | Percent |
| ASUS Z87I-Pro + i7-4770K | N/A |
374.58 | N/A |
| KobraLan V1 | N/A |
206.70 | N/A |
| More is better | |||
Crytography
| Crytography - AES 256 |
Rating |
GB/sec | Percent |
| ASUS Z87I-Pro + i7-4770K | N/A |
8.89 | N/A |
| KobraLan V1 | N/A |
6.00 | N/A |
| More is better | |||
| Crytography - SHA 256 |
Rating |
GB/sec | Percent |
| ASUS Z87I-Pro + i7-4770K | N/A |
1.13 | N/A |
| KobraLan V1 | N/A |
1.08 | N/A |
| More is better | |||
SiSoft Sandra 2
At this point we deliver the values regarding Memory Bandwidth, Memory Latency as well as Memory and Cache Access.
Memory bandwidth
| Memory bandwidth - Integer |
Rating |
GB/sec | Percent |
| ASUS Z87I-Pro + i7-4770K | N/A |
28.00 | N/A |
| KobraLan V1 | N/A |
18.58 | N/A |
| More is better | |||
| Memory bandwidth - Floating point |
Rating |
GB/sec | Percent |
| ASUS Z87I-Pro + i7-4770K | N/A |
28.12 | N/A |
| KobraLan V1 | N/A |
18.42 | N/A |
| More is better | |||
Memory latency
| Memory latency |
Rating |
ns | Percent |
| ASUS Z87I-Pro + i7-4770K | N/A |
21.2 | N/A |
| KobraLan V1 | N/A |
26.4 | N/A |
| Less is better | |||
Memory and cache access
| Memory and cache access |
Rating |
GB/sec | Percent |
| ASUS Z87I-Pro + i7-4770K | N/A |
168.6 | N/A |
| KobraLan V1 | N/A |
136.5 | N/A |
| More is better | |||
3DMark - Fire Strike Performance
| Graphics Cards | Score | Graphics Score |
| ASUS ROG Tytan G30 - GTX 780 | 7877 | 8734 |
| ASUS ROG Tytan G30 - GTX 770 | 6679 | 7408 |
| MSI GTX 760 Gaming MINI-ITX + i7 3770K | 5802 | 6338 |
| KobraLan V1 | 5501 | 6262 |
| ASUS ROG Tytan G30 - GTX 660 | 4415 | 4707 |
| More is better | ||
3DMark - Fire Strike Extreme
| Graphics Cards | Score | Graphics Score |
| ASUS ROG Tytan G30 - GTX 780 | 4007 | 4121 |
| ASUS ROG Tytan G30 - GTX 770 | 3319 | 3348 |
| MSI GTX 760 Gaming MINI-ITX + i7 3770K | 2904 | 2970 |
| KobraLan V1 | 2822 | 2943 |
| ASUS ROG Tytan G30 - GTX 660 | 2178 | 2202 |
| More is better | ||
Unigine Heaven 4.0 Extreme Preset
| Graphics Cards | Score | fps |
| ASUS ROG Tytan G30 - GTX 780 | 1537 | 61.0 |
| ASUS ROG Tytan G30 - GTX 770 | 1204 | 47.8 |
| KobraLan V1 | 1015 | 40.3 |
| MSI GTX 760 Gaming MINI-ITX + i7 3770K | 1004 | 39.9 |
| ASUS ROG Tytan G30 - GTX 660 | 801 | 31.8 |
| More is better | ||
Games
| BattleField 3 Max details, 1920 x 1080, max AA, max AF |
Average FPS |
| ASUS ROG Tytan G30 - GTX 780 | 90.4 |
| ASUS ROG Tytan G30 - GTX 770 | 76.6 |
| MSI GTX 760 Gaming MINI-ITX + i7 3770K | 67.0 |
| KobraLan V1 | 66.4 |
| ASUS ROG Tytan G30 - GTX 660 | 50.6 |
| BattleField 4 Custom Preset, 1920x1080, 4xMSAA, Ultra, max AA, HBAO |
Average FPS |
| ASUS ROG Tytan G30 - GTX 780 | 64.4 |
| ASUS ROG Tytan G30 - GTX 770 | 52.5 |
| KobraLan V1 | 44.0 |
| MSI GTX 760 Gaming MINI-ITX + i7 3770K | N/A |
| ASUS ROG Tytan G30 - GTX 660 | 34.4 |
| Bioshock Infinite Ultra Preset, 1920x1080, AA, no DDOF |
Average FPS |
| ASUS ROG Tytan G30 - GTX 780 | 90.7 |
| ASUS ROG Tytan G30 - GTX 770 | 78.9 |
| MSI GTX 760 Gaming MINI-ITX + i7 3770K | 71.5 |
| KobraLan V1 | 71.2 |
| ASUS ROG Tytan G30 - GTX 660 | 52.9 |
| Crysis 3 High Preset, 1920x1080, 8xMSAA, Very High |
Average FPS |
| ASUS ROG Tytan G30 - GTX 780 | 30.2 |
| ASUS ROG Tytan G30 - GTX 770 | 25.8 |
| MSI GTX 760 Gaming MINI-ITX + i7 3770K | 23.0 |
| KobraLan V1 | 22.2 |
| ASUS ROG Tytan G30 - GTX 660 | 16.8 |
| Call of Duty Black Ops 2 High Preset, 1920x1080, 8xMSAA, High |
Average FPS |
| ASUS ROG Tytan G30 - GTX 780 | 121.0 |
| ASUS ROG Tytan G30 - GTX 770 | 109.0 |
| MSI GTX 760 Gaming MINI-ITX + i7 3770K | 99.0 |
| KobraLan V1 | 98.3 |
| ASUS ROG Tytan G30 - GTX 660 | 72.0 |
| DIRT Showdown High Preset, 1920x1080, 8xMSAA, Ultra |
Average FPS |
| ASUS ROG Tytan G30 - GTX 780 | 82.3 |
| ASUS ROG Tytan G30 - GTX 770 | 68.7 |
| MSI GTX 760 Gaming MINI-ITX + i7 3770K | 58.5 |
| KobraLan V1 | 58.1 |
| ASUS ROG Tytan G30 - GTX 660 | 45.3 |
| Far Cry 3 High Preset, 1920x1080, 8xMSAA, Ultra |
Average FPS |
| ASUS ROG Tytan G30 - GTX 780 | 47.2 |
| ASUS ROG Tytan G30 - GTX 770 | 38.2 |
| KobraLan V1 | 31.4 |
| MSI GTX 760 Gaming MINI-ITX + i7 3770K | 30.9 |
| ASUS ROG Tytan G30 - GTX 660 | 24.6 |
| Sleeping Dogs High Preset, 1920x1080, Extreme, High-Res Textures |
Average FPS |
| ASUS ROG Tytan G30 - GTX 780 | 58.7 |
| ASUS ROG Tytan G30 - GTX 770 | 51.7 |
| MSI GTX 760 Gaming MINI-ITX + i7 3770K | 42.2 |
| KobraLan V1 | 41.9 |
| ASUS ROG Tytan G30 - GTX 660 | 32 |
| The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim High Preset, 1920x1080, 8xAA, Ultra |
Average FPS |
| ASUS ROG Tytan G30 - GTX 780 | 126.2 |
| ASUS ROG Tytan G30 - GTX 770 | 109.0 |
| MSI GTX 760 Gaming MINI-ITX + i7 3770K | 96.7 |
| KobraLan V1 | 93.2 |
| ASUS ROG Tytan G30 - GTX 660 | 73.0 |
| Metro: Last Light Very High, 1920x1080, SSAA, DX11 |
Average FPS |
| ASUS ROG Tytan G30 - GTX 780 | 38.1 |
| ASUS ROG Tytan G30 - GTX 770 | 32.5 |
| KobraLan V1 | 27.4 |
| MSI GTX 760 Gaming MINI-ITX + i7 3770K | 27.2 |
| ASUS ROG Tytan G30 - GTX 660 | 20.8 |
Iozone
We are testing the throughput with different block sizes using the following commands: [/de][en]iozone3 is a benchmark suit for storage solutions which natively runs under Windows/Linux.
KByte/s
- iozone -Rb test4k.xls -i0 -i1 -i2 -+n -r 4k -s4g -t32
- iozone -Rb test256k.xls -i0 -i1 -i2 -+n -r 256k -s4g -t32
iops
- iozone -Rb test4ko.xls -i0 -i1 -i2 -+n -r 4k -s4g -t32 -O
Sequential write
| Sequential write | Throughput 256 KByte Block Size |
| ASUS Maximus V Formula + i5 2500K + Kingston HyperX 240 GB | 519'190 |
| KobraLan V1 | 483'627 |
| More is better |
Sequential Read
| Sequential Read | Throughput 256 KByte Block Size |
| ASUS Maximus V Formula + i5 2500K + Kingston HyperX 240 GB | 537'745 |
| KobraLan V1 | 503'809 |
| More is better |
Random write
| Random write | Throughput 4 KByte Block Size |
| ASUS Maximus V Formula + i5 2500K + Kingston HyperX 240 GB | 280'556 |
| KobraLan V1 | 274'768 |
| More is better |
Random read
| Random read | Throughput 4 KByte Block Size |
| ASUS Maximus V Formula + i5 2500K + Kingston HyperX 240 GB | 168'648 |
| KobraLan V1 | 149'034 |
| More is better |
Random write
| Random write | IOPS 4 KByte Block Size |
| ASUS Maximus V Formula + i5 2500K + Kingston HyperX 240 GB | 70'016 |
| KobraLan V1 | 68'173 |
| More is better |
Random read
| Random read | IOPS 4 KByte Block Size |
| ASUS Maximus V Formula + i5 2500K + Kingston HyperX 240 GB | 41'917 |
| KobraLan V1 | 42'604 |
| More is better |
Power Consumption
| Power Consumption Load (Idle)* | Watts |
| KobraLan V1 | 37 |
| MSI GTX 760 Gaming MINI-ITX + i7 3770K | 57 |
| *Entire system | Less is better |
| Power Consumption Load (FurMark)* | Watts |
| KobraLan V1 | 229 |
| MSI GTX 760 Gaming MINI-ITX + i7 3770K | 241 |
| *Entire system | Less is better |
Noise Level
Inside the KobraLan V1 there are not many sources of noise, as previously
detailed, the case has only a single exhaust fan. In addition, other possible sources of noise are the graphics card and
the power supply.
During our tests we found a considerable noise from the fan located on the cooler Corsair Hydro H60. Unfortunately KobraPC has chosen to use a Corsair fan with
a 3-pin header, therefore the fan speed is always constant at 1750 rpm (7V). As for the Thermaltake SmartM650W,
we have to say that it is always very quiet, thanks to the fact that there is
not much load on the PSU.
We have already tested the small graphics card from MSI and in our opinion is too noisy in certain scenarios with extreme load (Furmark). Overall we can say that the cooler used by MSI does a very good job,
considering the size of the graphics card.
Temperatures
| Temperature | Auto | 50% | 70% | 100% |
| Idle Temperature | ||||
| MSI GTX 760 Mini Gaming | 32 | 30 | 29 | 29 |
| Temperature under Furmark | ||||
| MSI GTX 760 Mini Gaming | 87 | 84 | 78 | 74 |
| Less is better | ||||
Idle, temperature is taken after 15 minutes @ auto, 50 %, 70 % e 100 % fan speed. For FurMark, temperature is taken after 15 minutes of GPU Burn test at lowest, auto, 50 %, 70 % e 100 % fan speed. We stopped the test when the GPU temperature hit 90°C.
Room Temperature: 25°C
| Temperature | Core 1 | Core 2 | Core 3 | Core 4 |
| Idle Temperature | ||||
| i5-4670K | 28 | 28 | 31 | 32 |
| Temperature under Prime95 | ||||
| i5-4670K | 63 | 64 | 60 | 63 |
| Less is better | ||||
Idle, temperature is taken after 15 minutes idling. For Prime95, temperature is taken after 15 minutes of large-FFTs.
Room Temperature: 25°C
| Temperature | PCH | Nuvoton NCT6779D |
| Idle Temperature | ||
| MSI Z87I Gaming | 37 | 38 |
| Temperature under Prime95 | ||
| MSI Z87I Gaming | 44 | 45 |
| Less is better | ||
Conclusion
If you are looking for a very small desktop system easy to use during events and LAN parties, the KobraLAN V1 is definitely a good choice. Despite a very small size of the Cooltek U2 case, KobraPC managed to squeeze some powerful components inside.In our tests, the small KobraPC proved to be fast and efficient. We tested the computer in various fields and scenarios, comparing the result obtained with our platforms using very similar, if not identical, components. The scores obtained in the 3D environment where it the graphics card is most important, in 2D environment where mainly pushes the CPU as well as storage, show that KobraLan V1 is a great product and in line with our results.
The temperatures measured in games and benchmarks are superior to a normal case, however, remain on very good levels. As for storage, there is a 240GB solid state drive which allows you to install enough games and applications.
We have found a small downside on KobraLan V1, as in our opinion, the fan located on the CPU water block is simply too noisy. KobraPC has used a Corsair SP120, which is not a 4-pin PWM fan, and therefore the rotation speed remains constant at maximum speed.
Now we come to the price, and KobraLan V1 has an official price of €1199, excluding shipping costs. We have tried to configure a PC using the same components with Geizhals.eu and the price difference between the two configurations is very low, and in our opinion is more than justified.
Recommendation
Overall KobraLan V1 is a great little gaming PC. With a price of 1199 euro you will get a rig designed for events and LAN parties.We gave the KobraLan V1 4 out of 5 stars.
