Overclockers UK Refract Jade Prebuilt gaming PC review
The Refract Jade gaming PC brings you excellent performance for a reasonable price
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Overclockers UK is a popular go-to custom PC manufacturer here in the UK and for good reason – they produce quality prebuilt gaming PCs. OCUK recently released their latest line of prebuilts named ‘Refract’. The Refract range offers the same plug-and-play nature as previous systems, only now with Windows 11 pre-installed on every build. We have managed to get our hands on the Jade, a mid-range system highly capable at 1440p resolution. This sits in the price-to-performance sweet spot, giving you a 12th-gen Intel Core i5-12400F processor and an RTX 3060 graphics card, tackling AAA games without issue.
In terms of the full range, the Jade prebuilt sits a step above the Amber 1080p system and is ideal for those that want to game in max graphics, with high frame counts at 1440p. There is some play at 4K, especially when you take advantage of Nvidia’s DLSS on board the GPU. That being said, some games would require settings tweaks for a smooth experience, so for 4K, OCUK’s Azure system would be a better fit.
OCUK Refract Gaming Jade
CPU
Intel Core i5 12400F
GPU
RTX 3060
RAM
16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4 3200MHz
Storage
2.5” 1TB SSD
Refract Jade specifications
- CPU: Intel Core i5-12400F
- GPU: Asus RTX 3060 Dual OC (12GB)
- RAM: Team Group Vulcan Z T-Force 16GB (2X8) DDR4 3200MHz
- Motherboard: Asus Prime B660M-A wifi
- Storage: 1TB WD Blue 2.5″ SSD
- PSU: Kolink Classic 600w 80-Plus Bronze
- Case: Kolink Citadel Glass SE Micro-ATX
- Operating system: Windows 11 Home 64-bit
- Intel 12th gen processor
- Superb gaming performance at 1440p
- Microsoft Windows 11 pre-intalled
- Includes 1TB of storage, 16GB of RAM, and 3 x RGB fans
- Stock Intel cooler is sufficient but could run into trouble at 100% load
- A PC case with more ventilation at the front would be better
Bios, setup, & instructions
The first thing we like to look at with any prebuilt gaming PC is its packaging, to ensure that the system arrived undamaged. The overall packaging, as expected from OCUK, was excellent, with no components dislodging and the PC turning on straight away, tick.
Importantly, The Jade prebuilt, like others from the Refract range ship with a warning notifying you to take care when removing any internal packaging. This helps prevent any accidental last-minute damage on your end and is always welcome. You also receive a system setup booklet, which goes a long way for first-time users, helping you unpack the PC, connect your peripherals, and begin the setup. The booklet also goes into warranty details and the process to follow if you face any issues with your new PC.
Software installed:
- Windows 11
- Motherboard drivers
- GPU drivers
- Sound card drivers
Our final check is to jump into the BIOS to make sure the advertised RAM speeds have been set. We have RAM capable of running at 3200MHz in this system and as expected, it was XMP’d to meet those speeds.
Build quality
Quality control is a huge part of custom PC building, and every customer will receive a QC check sheet. This will show you exactly what components are in the build, along with any final checks made in regard to build quality, driver installation, and general testing. We quickly ran through the checklist and everything completely passed.
It is worth noting that some of the sub-components in a more affordable build like this one are sometimes going to be less desirable to help save money. The Refract Jade system’s RAM and power supply may fall into this bracket but both are reliable and will cause no issue. The Kolink PSU is rated for 80-Plus Bronze and is highly efficient, however, any significant upgrades in the future may require a more powerful model. This isn’t a negative, just something to think about when buying a prebuilt PC.
Every component and cable was seated securely and the cable management was sufficient enough to chop and change drives without having to unravel everything.
The Kolink Citadel Glass SE case is visually pleasant for its price, however, there is a slight concern with airflow due to the large tempered glass front panel. The case features ventilation on either side of the panel but this just isn’t optimal and leads to a rather warm system. The PC performed as expected, there was no issue with the results which we will come to later but it would make more sense to use a PC case that promotes airflow instead of this.
Aside from that, the case is well constructed, the interior is spacious, the fan placement is optimal, and overall feels very robust.
Performance
The Refract Jade promises potential customers a mid-tier system that is ideal for AAA gaming at 1440p and streaming. Sitting inside the jade is one of Intel’s latest next-gen CPUs, the 12400F, and the fabled RTX 3060 graphics card, so our expectations are high frames when playing in 1080p and 1440p in max settings, with some 4K performance.
Before we get into the benchmarks it is worth mentioning what performance Overclockers Expect this PC to provide you:
“PUBG can achieve 170FPS+ at 1080p, 90FPS+ at 1440p, and 65FPS+ at 4K. GTA V can be played at 140FPS+ at 1080p, 140FPS+ at 1440p, and 60+ FPS at 4K, whilst Forza Horizon 5 achieves 100FPS+ at 1080p, 80FPS+ at 1440p, and 55FPS+ at 4K.”
Overclockers FPS benchmarks are provided just as a guide, so let’s see how the Refract Jade actually performed.
For testing purposes, we tested the system out of the box and kept Nvidia’s AI-powered DLSS switched off. We have tested a balance of games to see how CPU-intensive and GPU-intensive games perform, as well as how the system handles Ray Tracing. Every test was carried out using maxed graphical settings.
OCUK Refract Gaming Jade
CPU
Intel Core i5 12400F
GPU
RTX 3060
RAM
16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4 3200MHz
Storage
2.5” 1TB SSD
Synthetics
We tested the Refract Jade gaming PC in Geekbench 5, a newer benchmarking software that closely represents the average workloads of a CPU on a daily basis. We specifically looked at its base score to get a general impression.
We also recorded 3D Mark’s Timespy and Port Royal scores to give us a snapshot of synthetic performance that can be easily compared.
Gaming
We tested the Refract Jade gaming PC in five different games, trying to give these real-world benchmarks some balance.
Games tested:
- CS:GO
- GTA 5
- Doom Eternal
- Days Gone
- Evil Genius 2
Days Gone is a demanding game and was the main struggle when it came to the benchmarks in 4K. 1440p, which this system is built for was fine though, with an average of 71FPS. 4K gaming was viable with settings tweaks, and considering we ran this in maxed-out settings, an average of 38FPS on this title was not a bad result.
One of the main selling points behind the Nvidia 30-series aside from DLSS is Ray Tracing. This technology can eat performance but is a well-liked feature when trying to immerse into a single-player campaign. Doom Eternal with RTX on performed really well and gamers can get a superb experience when playing in 1440p and below. There was 4K performance again, however, it was noticeably less stable but with some optimization, DLSS, and tweaks, it is viable.
GTA5 performance was advertised on OCUK’s website as 140+ frames when playing in 1440p max settings and it was more or less bob-on. We averaged around 150 frames in the highest settings at 1440p, meaning there is plenty of room to turn RTX on and enjoy the Rockstar title to its fullest.
CS:GO, as expected, ran like a dream and if you are a competitive player, this gaming PC will easily help you achieve high FPS, in high resolution, and allow you to utilize a high refresh rate monitor.
Final word
Overall the OCUK Refract Jade prebuilt gaming PC performed higher than our first expectations, giving fabulous results in 1080p and 1440p. The fact there is clearly some performance in 4K without setting optimization and DLSS means this is going to provide you with an incredible gaming experience for years to come.
The main issue we found was with the stock Intel CPU cooler. When stress testing the CPU, FPU, Cache, and GPU for as long as 30 minutes, we found the CPU throttling. In certain situations, like a full PC load, the CPU has to clock itself down to prevent damage, which in turn affects performance. It isn’t all doom and gloom though as most potential users of this PC build are likely to only game on the system, where you would never run into these issues.
The PC case will run fairly hot due to the front panel design, however, the chosen components work well inside this case, never producing more heat than the Kolink case can handle.
Aside from the small negatives, we have a great gaming PC for beginners and hardcore gamers alike here. No matter if you prefer immersive, graphically intensive single-player games or fast-paced multiplayer FPS titles, you can play anything you desire to great effect.
The main points to look at with any prebuilt computer are whether it performs as it should, is the value reasonable, and how well is the machine put together. Overclockers have met and exceeded these main points to create a great little machine. In addition to the prebuilt scoring well in our tests, there is the added advantage of OCUK’s customer service and reputation, both of which are highly regarded.
For those that prefer a more affordable model, you can check out the Amber system here. If you are considering 4K gaming without compromise, you may want to look at the OCUK Azure and Indigo systems. Alternatively, you can check out the full Refract range here.
OCUK Refract Gaming Jade
CPU
Intel Core i5 12400F
GPU
RTX 3060
RAM
16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4 3200MHz
Storage
2.5” 1TB SSD
