Our introduction to the cases of a brand not yet well-known in our region began with the gaming solution Vinga Black Widow, which inherited features from some popular devices. This fact can clearly be considered an advantage, although a number of pleasant options have noticeably affected its price tag.

In this review, we will talk about the much more affordable case Vinga Sain 1. Despite this, this novelty can also boast a number of features typical of models from a higher price range. Which ones exactly? You'll find out now.

Specification

Packaging and Delivery Set

Cheap cardboard with an image of a completely different case model and a very short specification table - before us is the simplest box for transportation. But nothing else is needed for a budget case.

The delivery set includes the most necessary components, for which you also won't have to overpay much:

• set of screws and standoffs for installing the motherboard;
• set of screws for securing the power supply and drives;
• system speaker;
• cable ties.

Appearance

The front panel of Vinga Sain 1 may appeal to some, not to others, and leave some indifferent. In any case, it is quite original. There is space for one 5.25" bay, covered with a removable plug, while the space for the second is occupied by interfaces. The latter set has already become standard for inexpensive solutions: one USB 3.0, a pair of USB 2.0, and two 3.5-mm audio ports. The ports are located quite close, so when connecting bulky devices, partial overlap is possible.

Here are also the reset and power buttons. The latter has a couple of elements - a blue power indicator and a red LED that shows the drive load.

On both sides of the front panel, there are metal mesh strips (410 x 10 mm) through which cold air will enter the case. Unfortunately, a fine synthetic filter underneath is not provided.

The rear part, like the entire chassis, is painted black - this trend has finally reached many budget solutions. It's difficult to leave fingerprints on the matte finish, and those that appear are easily removed.

The case has a width of 205 mm, which allowed for a mounting spot for a 120-mm fan with slight height adjustment. A pressure plate with a pair of thumb screws is intended for securing devices in the expansion slots. Similar convenient elements are used for securing both side panels.

The top panel of Vinga Sain 1 resembles more expensive solutions. All thanks to the presence of a mesh dust filter with magnetic attachment, covering two mounting spots for 120-mm fans.

The removable dust filter is also located on the bottom panel, where it works with the power supply. The mesh slightly protrudes beyond the stamping, although no one will see it here anyway.

Nearby are tall (30-mm) plastic feet with soft 1-mm pads. Thus, the PSU will receive enough air even when the system unit is placed on a carpet. And the surface of the furniture will not be damaged when moving it.

The side panels are made of 0.71-mm steel, providing sufficient rigidity. Disassembly is quite usual - by sliding towards the back of the case.

The tinted acrylic window is quite large - 330 x 292 mm. However, the contents of the tunnel remain out of sight from the outside. And you can only see the components if there is lighting.

Internal Structure

The division of Vinga Sain into upper and lower parts allows the components to affect each other's heating less. Let's see what can be accommodated here.

The chassis is clearly designed for a pair of 5.25" devices, but the front panel only allows the use of the lower bay. The left mount is short, so it's better to additionally secure the same optical drive on the right.

Below are the mounting locations for installing two fans with a diameter of 140 mm or 120 mm. The fans themselves are not included, so you can choose the necessary solutions in the required quantity. A 240 mm radiator can also be accommodated here.

The lower fan will direct airflow to the drives located in the tunnel. A pair of trays allows the installation of 3.5" models without screws or a pair of 2.5" solutions using the included screws.

Exclusively for SSDs and compact hard drives, the novelty has three mounting locations on the case tray: two near the front panel and one more behind the motherboard. In the latter case, a removable tray is used, attached with one screw - it's a pity that it's with a regular screwdriver head.

As with the Vinga Black Widow, the non-removable basket with trays is located at a certain distance from the front panel, thus limiting the length of the power supply. However, 170-mm models (with 40-mm space for power cables) will fit here, but for easier connection, it's better to look for a standard 140-mm solution. For example, the Fractal Design INTEGRA M 650W model has such compact dimensions, despite its considerable power (650 W) and partially modular cable connection system.

The PSU installation location is carefully equipped with anti-vibration elements on the bottom and side wall. Also note the presence of ventilation holes on the tunnel (255 x 105 mm), which should contribute to heat dissipation from the power supply and hard drives.

The top panel is quite close to the motherboard, so a radiator will simply not fit here - the space is exclusively for fans.

Cost-cutting affected the expansion slot covers: only the top one is removable, while all the others are simply breakable.

We have no complaints about the assembly process. There is more than enough free space, so this process will not pose any difficulties. And the presence of free space behind the tray will allow for proper aesthetics, even if a budget PSU with a non-modular cable connection system is used.

There is also a quality fit of parts, no gaps, sharp edges, and vibrations during operation.

The ASUS ROG Matrix Platinum GTX 980 graphics card with a length of 309 mm looks very compact inside, as the case can accommodate 395-mm solutions. When installing a front fan, this figure will decrease to 368 mm, and when mounting a radiator in front, the length of the graphics card should not exceed 335 mm. As we can see, in any case, even a triple-fan GTX 1080 Ti will easily fit inside the novelty.

There should also be no particular problems with large CPU coolers. The 158-mm Scythe Mugen 3 easily fits inside the case. The same applies to other tower coolers with a height of up to 164 mm. And this is most modern models, except perhaps the largest ones. Replacement will also proceed without problems, as there will be no need to dismantle the system board to install and remove the reinforcement plate.

The cables coming from the front panel are long enough, and the holes in the tray will allow them to be brought to the motherboard as inconspicuously as possible.

Testing

By the way, we have a new test bench - now with a full-sized ATX board, a processor from the current model range, and a sizable tower cooler. The graphics card, storage, and power supply remain unchanged.

And since we are testing far from an office system, we installed a couple of Noctua NF-F12 PWM fans for intake and exhaust (1500 RPM) inside the Vinga Sain 1.

The "All System Load" chart shows the heating of components after 30 minutes of 3DMark Fire Strike in Ultra mode (4K resolution). The "System Component Burn" mode demonstrates temperatures under load with AIDA64 (Stress CPU and FPU) and MSI Kombustor for 15 minutes.

With the update of the test bench, we only have other models from the manufacturer's lineup for comparison. But speaking of absolute performance, with two fans, the novelty shows good results, as all components are far from overheating. We saw very similar temperatures previously in noticeably more expensive and renowned models, so the results obtained are pleasing.

Conclusions

At the time of writing this review, the Vinga Sain 1 case can be purchased for approximately $35, which is an excellent price for this novelty. And here's why.

The appearance of this solution may not appeal to everyone, although the practical matte finish and semi-transparent acrylic window (a window, not a small window) are pleasing. However, looking at an office system with a budget microATX board and a boxed cooler through it will not be very pleasant. And the manufacturer took this into account! Inside, there is room for powerful CPU coolers and long (without exaggeration) graphics cards. Installing a pair of fans will help properly cool all components, as we have experienced firsthand.

Okay, but what about the small details, which are usually economized on in budget solutions? For the most part, everything is great here: removable dust filters are on the bottom and top panels, high feet with rubber pads, anti-vibration pads at the PSU installation location, space for hidden cable management, and a total of three SSD slots.

As a result, the Vinga Sain 1 case truly deserves the attention of anyone looking for an affordable yet spacious and well-thought-out solution for their components.

Advantages:

• unconventional design with practical matte elements;
• large acrylic side window;
• good build quality;
• ability to install long 395-mm graphics cards and 164-mm CPU coolers;
• ability to install up to five fans and a 240-mm radiator;
• ability to install up to five 2.5" drives;
• presence of dust filters on the bottom and top panels, soft feet, and anti-vibration elements at the PSU installation location;
• ample space for hidden cable management;
• good temperature performance of components when installing a pair of fans.

Features:

• complete absence of pre-installed fans;
• ability to install only a pair of 3.5" drives.

Author: Oles Pakholoк 
Translation: Yuriy Koval

We express our gratitude to BRAIN Computers, the official representative of Vinga, for providing the case for testing.

We express our gratitude to ASUS, Intel, Noctua, Sea Sonic Electronics and the HyperX brand for providing the equipment for the test bench.