Monoblocks or "all-in-one" solutions are an excellent way to replace a bulky desktop for simple everyday tasks. Meanwhile, they retain the advantages of a large screen and full-sized peripherals. They combine a monitor, system unit, acoustics, webcam, as well as all necessary ports and communications in one case. To start working, you only need to connect the power. And when using an energy-efficient platform, you can expect completely silent operation. Moreover, this class of devices easily fits into any interior.

Now, the Vinga range includes such devices with 21.5" and 23.8" screens. In both cases, Full HD IPS panels, low-voltage Intel Apollo Lake processors, up to 8 GB of RAM, and 64 GB of ROM are used. We got our hands on a pre-release version of the Vinga AIO BUSINESS B400 (A24N4200.864) model. Let's look at the novelty in real usage scenarios and assess the prospects of its purchase.

Specification

Supply and Package Contents

The Vinga AIO BUSINESS B400 is placed in a relatively large box made of dense cardboard. It is designed in black and green tones and allows you to evaluate not only the appearance of the product but also its characteristics. There is a convenient handle for transportation.

In the supply package, we found an external power supply Vinga VPA-1202003 with a detachable cable, a stand with screws for mounting, and user documentation.

Appearance, Element Placement

Externally, the Vinga AIO BUSINESS B400 monoblock resembles modern monitors or TVs. The very narrow frames on three sides immediately catch the eye, and the overall effect of lightness and compactness is enhanced by the elegant stand.

The case is made of good quality matte plastic. The front is complemented by a decorative panel of brushed aluminum. The stand is also made of metal. The materials turned out to be understated.

In terms of ergonomics, the stand allows you to adjust the screen tilt from -5° to 20°. There is also the possibility of a slight swivel in the horizontal plane. This is quite sufficient for most users for individual adjustment.

The back of the Vinga AIO BUSINESS B400 is mostly very thin, but it thickens at the bottom due to the hardware platform. Here are concentrated all the control elements and input-output ports.

From left to right: power and reset buttons, a pair of USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports, RJ45, HDMI, power connector, and two 3.5-mm audio jacks.

The buttons are easy to find by touch. You are unlikely to confuse them due to their different sizes and shapes.

In addition, we highlight the stereo speakers and the hatch under which there is a free slot for installing a 2.5-inch drive. That is, it is easy to install or take with you - you do not need to unscrew the main case and lose the warranty.

On the bottom edge, besides the ventilation holes, there is a Kensington security lock, another USB 2.0 port, and a card reader.

The build quality and rigidity of the Vinga AIO BUSINESS B400 are good – there were no complaints during operation.

Display, Webcam, Sound

The Vinga AIO BUSINESS B400 uses a 23.8-inch IPS panel with a resolution of 1920×1080 and a glossy finish. It delivers pleasant color reproduction, albeit with cool tones, maximum viewing angles, and excellent contrast, which is mainly characteristic of VA panels.

Brightness ranges from 29 to 218 cd/m². This allows for comfortable work indoors at night or during the day. However, under direct sunlight, there may be readability issues, which are also not helped by the glossy finish.

The sRGB and Adobe RGB gamut coverage reaches 106% and 73%, respectively. It is worth noting that good values for non-professional monitors are considered to be around 90% and 65%, respectively. Simply put, the display is unlikely to be suitable for professional correction, but regular users will be satisfied. This is much better than the common TN panels with their lower quality color reproduction and narrow viewing angles.

The main screen parameters are summarized in the table:

The webcam had to be placed at the bottom due to the extremely thin screen bezel on the sides and top. It is a standard CMOS module with a resolution of 2 MP. By default, the aspect ratio is set to 16:9, resulting in a narrow viewing angle and the face not fitting in the frame. Fortunately, in the settings, you can select a 4:3 aspect ratio, and the problem will be resolved. The image and sound quality are quite acceptable for video communication in good lighting conditions.

The audio subsystem is based on the Realtek ALC269 HDA codec, and the case houses a pair of stereo speakers with a power of 4 W (2 x 2). They have low volume and a noticeable bias towards high frequencies. They are suitable for watching videos, but for listening to music, it is better to immediately acquire higher-quality acoustics or headphones. 

Hardware Platform and Performance

We received the Vinga AIO BUSINESS B400 version based on the 4-core 4-thread Intel Pentium N4200 processor, built on the 14-nm Intel Goldmont microarchitecture and belonging to the Intel Apollo Lake series. Its base speed is 1.1 GHz, but it can dynamically boost up to 2.5 GHz. The TDP is a modest 6 W. Cheaper versions of the all-in-one use the 2-core Intel Celeron N3350.

The processor integrates an Intel HD Graphics 505 graphics core with 18 execution units (EU), a base frequency of 200 MHz, and a dynamic speed of 750 MHz. It supports API DirectX 12, OpenCL 2.1, OpenGL 4.5, Vulkan 1.1, and the ability to encode/decode H.264, H.265 (HEVC), and VP8/9 video. The maximum output resolution is stated to be 3840 × 2160 with a refresh rate of 60 Hz.

The built-in memory controller supports DDR3L/LPDDR3-1866 or LPDDR4-2400 modules in dual-channel mode with a maximum capacity of up to 8 GB. In this case, 8 GB of LPDDR3-1600 is soldered on the board in dual-channel mode. Versions with 4 GB of RAM will also be available for sale.

The Vinga AIO BUSINESS B400's disk subsystem is represented by a 64 GB eMMC 5.1 flash drive. It demonstrates familiar performance: sequential read speed of non-compressible data reaches 180 MB/s, and write speed - 122 MB/s.

After turning it on, you are left with 24 GB of free space. You won't be able to store many movies and music, but it's enough for an office suite and a set of simple programs. If you need more space and higher performance, there is an option for simple and easy installation of a 2.5-inch drive. You can also always purchase a flash drive, memory card, or external storage. Fortunately, the two high-speed USB 3.0 ports work properly.

In the screenshot above, you can see that even with an old solid-state drive ADATA SD700 (ASD700-256GU3-CYL), you can expect good speed indicators: reading - up to 428 MB/s, and writing - 423.5 MB/s.

Wireless communication is provided by the Intel Wireless-AC 3165 combined network adapter. It supports 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 standards. Wired connection is handled by the widespread Realtek RTL8168G module. No issues were found in their operation.

Our all-in-one comes with a pre-installed licensed 64-bit Windows 10 Pro. There will be options available without an OS, allowing for some savings.

To better assess the performance level of the Vinga AIO BUSINESS B400 (A24N4200.864), we compared its results with previously tested mini-PCs ASUS Mini PC PN40 and Vinga Mini BOX B300 based on Intel Celeron N4000 and Intel Pentium N4200 processors, as well as with the Vinga Twizzle J116 laptop based on the Intel Pentium Silver N5000 processor.

In most cases, the laptop is the leader, followed by the test all-in-one with varying success. Its good results are partly due to the 8 GB of RAM in dual-channel mode, but the eMMC storage is its weak point. However, the performance level of the novelty is sufficient for solving simple everyday tasks: internet, office, multimedia, and running simple games.

There will be no problems with playing streaming video in 4K Ultra HD format, so the Vinga AIO BUSINESS B400 can easily become a digital entertainment center.

Cooling system, noise level, temperature regime, and power consumption

At idle, the temperature inside the case did not rise above 60°C for the processor and 57°C for the video core.

In the PCMark 10 Extended test, which simulates a real usage scenario (text, spreadsheets, browser, photo processing, video communication, gaming graphics), the CPU and integrated graphics temperatures rose to 71°C and 69°C, respectively.

Running a stress test heats the CPU cores to 76°C, and the iGPU to 74°C. The critical temperature for it is considered to be 105°C, so there were no stability issues.

There was no noise during testing, as the all-in-one uses a passive cooling system, and there are no moving parts inside. It may appear only after installing a hard drive.

During operation, we measured power consumption and obtained the following results:

• idle-23 W;
• stress test FPU AIDA64 - 33 W;
• stress test FPU + GPU AIDA64 - 42 W.

The Vinga AIO BUSINESS B400 is powered by an external Vinga VPA-1202003 unit with a detachable cable. The input signal parameters are 100 - 240 V with a current of 1.5 A and a frequency of 50 - 60 Hz. The output is 12 V at 3 A.

Conclusions

Vinga AIO BUSINESS B400 (A24N4200.864) is an affordable all-in-one for educational or office-multimedia tasks. It offers an elegant appearance, good build quality, a comfortable set of ports and communications, and a decent 23.8-inch Full HD IPS display. The hardware platform's resources are sufficient for web surfing, working with text or spreadsheets, creating presentations, watching streaming video (including 4K), and running casual or undemanding games. At the same time, the all-in-one is always silent, as it has no moving parts.

There will be versions available both with and without an OS. Disk space can be easily and quickly expanded with a regular 2.5-inch drive. It's better to use an SSD for these purposes: it is faster and quieter in operation.

At the time of writing, the cost of the Vinga AIO BUSINESS B400 is 10,599 UAH ($392). Most of its competitors in this price segment have either less RAM (4 GB), a weaker processor, or a screen with a TN panel. And usually, they do not have a pre-installed OS. Therefore, the novelty looks very decent against their background. Its only weak point is the small internal storage capacity. But this is easily fixable.

Advantages:

• pleasant appearance;
• good build quality;
• decent 23.8" Full HD IPS screen;
• sufficient performance for work;
• quick installation of a 2.5-inch drive;
• silent operation.

Features:

• 64 GB of built-in memory;
• mediocre webcam.

Author: Victor Yefimenko 
Translation: Liliya Masyuk