PC Case Vinga Cobalt

Recently, we have delighted you with reviews of cases with a multitude of glowing fans and various combinations of glass and acrylic. Clearly, this approach is only aimed at owners with a certain taste, different from the classic one. So if you prefer something more austere, then the Vinga Cobalt case will surely not leave you indifferent.

Priced at around $70, it is a fairly affordable representative of the Full Tower format, resulting in the presence of eight expansion slots instead of the usual seven and compatibility with rather large components. The abundance of space also promises good temperature performance, which should make the novelty a desirable acquisition for lovers of multi-graphic connections. Do our expectations match reality?

Specification

Packaging and Supply Kit 

A standard cardboard box with specifications and handles for transportation - seems like everything you need. It would be great to synchronize the data on the official website and packaging - it would be perfect. The promised two 5.25" external bays are not found here, and the case width in assembly is noticeably less than the stated 300 mm. Vinga, there's room for improvement!

The included screws and stands are accompanied by a system speaker, a handful of cable ties, and interface plugs.

Appearance

The front panel of the Vinga Cobalt is generously perforated, so there will be no problems with cool air intake. Excellent airflow is complemented by the use of matte plastic, which is incomparable to gloss in terms of collecting scratches and fingerprints. It's especially pleasing that the same material is used throughout the construction. Decorative elements include a modest manufacturer logo and two LED strips at the top and bottom, which are illuminated. Behind the panel is a removable synthetic filter, so you don't have to worry about dust accumulation inside. Up to three 140/120 mm fans can blow air.

The rear panel allows you to appreciate the considerable width of the case - 231 mm. Thanks to it, we have enough space behind the tray and even appropriate perforation, and in addition to the 120-mm fan, a 140-mm solution with traditional height adjustment capabilities can be placed here. Eight reusable plugs (here's the advantage of a Full Tower) are secured with screws and have perforation. And where in 2018 without the bottom placement of the power supply unit. On this same plane, both side panels are fixed, for which convenient screws with plastic knurled heads are used.

The top panel looks very similar to the front. Given the presence of quite large perforation, it's nice to see a removable dust filter. There are slightly fewer fan mounting locations here - you can install two 140 or 120 mm solutions (there's enough space for a 280-mm CBO), as part of the area is allocated for interfaces. We have two USB 3.0 and 2.0 ports, audio ports, power and reset buttons, as well as a red LED indicator of moderate brightness. The only thing that gives a somewhat budget appearance are the plugs instead of control elements on the edges of the panel.

Another dust filter found its place on the bottom panel of the Vinga Cobalt. Quite high 22-mm plastic feet are located on the edges. Each of them has cushioning pads, but the quality of their attachment out of the box does not inspire admiration. Therefore, it's better not to move the system unit unnecessarily.

If the chassis uses steel with a thickness of 0.69-0.7 mm (with painting), then the side panels turned out even thicker - 0.8 mm. Additional rigidity is provided by ribs along the perimeter. The painting of the metal panels is matte, but they easily collect fingerprints. However, removing them will not be difficult.

The right side of the case is a solid sheet of steel with small perforation, which is more decorative and doesn't make much of a difference. Another design element occupies a large area of the left wall - a transparent acrylic window measuring 368 x 348 mm. Its dimensions will allow you to take a good look at all the components without the use of lighting.

Internal Device

Even relatively inexpensive solutions from Vinga can boast a modern layout without a drive cage and with a tunnel at the bottom, not to mention a Full Tower case. Compared to more budget solutions, it stands out with the presence of six soft curtains in the cable management holes.

The front part of the chassis is entirely allocated for fans or a CBO radiator up to 360 mm long. Unlike younger solutions, there are no rail guides here, but a solid sheet of steel with cutouts and holes only in the necessary places. This has a very positive effect on the reliability of the mounting and the rigidity of the structure.

Removing the front panel is very simple - like the top one, it is attached with six magnets around the perimeter, which will facilitate convenient installation and replacement of coolers.

The official website page indicates the presence of three mounting locations for hard drives and five for SSDs inside the Vinga Cobalt. And although we searched high and low, we couldn't find all the claimed mounts.

In the basket for 3.5" drives, you can place two devices of this or a smaller format using plastic trays. In the first case, the fixation is done without screws, thanks to the presence of a sliding mechanism.

With SSD mounting locations, things are also not so simple. Three drives will fit on the tray, to the right of the motherboard. During their fixation, both side panels will have to be removed. Another place is above the HDD basket. However, the total number does not reach the promised five.

The power supply unit has a full 270 mm of space under the tunnel. If 40 mm of them are used for cable laying, the device itself can be up to 230 mm long - meaning you will have no compatibility issues. If the source has a beautiful and impressive appearance, the cover above it can be removed so that the whole world can enjoy it - you will only need to unscrew 8 screws.

There are only two anti-vibration pads at the bottom, but thanks to their elongated shape, they can properly perform their function.

Traditionally, a few words should be said about the rear fan. There is no blade illumination, and in this regard, Vinga Cobalt is not at all like its counterparts. The fan rotates at a speed of 1200 rpm, which is a rather quiet operating mode for a 120-mm solution. For power, a 3-pin connector on the motherboard or a PATA connector on the power supply can be used.

Even the most bulky components will fit inside without any problems. These can include graphics cards up to 430 mm long, meaning top solutions from all manufacturers. There should also be no difficulties when choosing CPU coolers - the wide case can accommodate 181-mm "towers".

More space behind the tray allows you to hide cables and bring them out to the motherboard itself. There are holes for this purpose even on the tunnel above the power supply unit.

The cables coming from the front panel are long enough, so there should be no problems connecting its components. And the length of the fan wire with PATA connectors for powering the front LEDs is also quite sufficient.

Testing

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 applications (Stress CPU and FPU) and MSI Kombustor for 15 minutes. The case was tested with a single installed fan at a room temperature of 25°C.

The essence is not in quantity - we can boldly state, comparing the temperature indicators inside the tested solution with one fan and Vinga Barbarian, equipped with seven fans. Yes, the latter provides a lower CPU temperature (by 3-6°C), but at what cost! Meanwhile, Vinga Cobalt excels in airflow, showing results close to previously tested cases from various manufacturers. Thus, it is ready out of the box to create a powerful system with a single graphics card, and the installation of a second fan along with ample space and generous perforation will ensure a good microclimate even in the case of multi-graphics connections.

Conclusions

Thanks to modern layout, most Vinga cases can boast ample internal space, and the Full Tower solution Vinga Cobalt - even more so. Eight expansion slots, support for 430-mm graphics cards, 181-mm coolers, and 230-mm power supplies, radiators of 280 and 360 mm in length - all of this will find a place inside. To prevent the listed components from suffocating, the designers ensured ample perforation on the front, top, and rear panels. Our tests confirmed that even with one installed fan, a system with a powerful graphics card inside Vinga Cobalt will not feel uncomfortable.

Otherwise, we have a $70 case with a good set of features such as hidden cable management, air filters, removable panels with magnetic mounts, a transparent acrylic window, and modest LED lighting. The only drawback we found lies in the poorly synchronized informational content of the site and the box, which can mislead the buyer.

Advantages:

• strict and practical design with an acrylic window on the left panel;
• good build quality (except for the mounting of the foot covers);
• support for 430-mm graphics cards and 181-mm CPU coolers;
• support for up to six fans and radiators up to 360 mm in length;
• quiet rear 120-mm fan;
• ability to install two 3.5" and four 2.5" drives;
• eight expansion slots;
• dust filters on the front panel, bottom, and top panel, as well as soft feet;
• good options for hidden cable management;
• removable top and front panels with magnetic mounts;
• removable shroud;
• good airflow for components.

Author: Oles Paholok
Translation: Liliya Masyuk

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