PC Case Vinga Sage

Most often, when choosing components for a new system, the least attention and money are allocated to the case, for example, budget Chinese noname models are ordered. Especially when it comes to PCs in the lower price range. However, this is not always wise, as manufacturers of such models often save a lot on materials and their processing. In such cases, it is said that the case is "made of foil" or you can easily cut yourself during assembly. It is in such situations that time-tested brands come to the rescue, specializing in the production of affordable and quality solutions. We will introduce you to one of them today.

Let's clarify right away that Vinga Sage is not the most affordable in the manufacturer's lineup for several reasons. But it is a spacious and interesting model with a viewing window on the side panel and good airflow. Its cost remains quite reasonable and currently stands at about $45 (1187 UAH). Let's take a look at what features the manufacturer offers in this price segment.

Specification

Packaging and contents

Vinga Sage is sealed in a standard cardboard box with simple design. On its sides, you can find a schematic image of the case, its name, and specifications in English and Ukrainian. There are cutouts on the sides for easy transportation.

The package includes only a set of screws for mounting the motherboard, power supply, and drives.

Appearance

In the best traditions of the manufacturer, the quality and affordable Vinga Sage case is made without any special frills to keep the final cost low for the consumer. It features a simple rectangular chassis shape that looks winning in any situation, especially considering the classic black color scheme. Perhaps the only interesting design element is the glass side panel.

The external ports are located on the top panel. Here you will find two USB 2.0, one USB 3.0, and a pair of 3.5-mm audio jacks for a microphone and headphones. Next to them are the power and reset buttons. They are different sizes, so you won't confuse them.

They are separated by two light indicators with comfortable brightness, which are the only illuminated elements of the case.

Another important element of the top panel is the perforation, covered by a dust filter on a magnetic mount. Under it, you can secure a pair of 120 or 140-mm fans or a 240 mm liquid cooling radiator.

The front panel is made of plastic with a mesh insert for better air circulation. Behind it are mounting locations for three 120- or 140-mm fans. Instead of them, you can secure a radiator for water cooling up to 360 mm in size.

The rear part of the case features seven horizontal expansion slots with disposable covers. There is a common pressure plate that is secured with one screw. Next to it is a cutout for the motherboard's interface panel and a mounting space for a 120mm fan with adjustable height.

At the bottom of the case, there is a mounting bracket for the drive cage and a ventilation hole for cold air access to the PSU, which is covered by a dust filter. It is easy to remove, blow out, and wash.

There are also two pairs of 17mm high plastic feet with rubber pads. They provide good stability on different types of surfaces and sufficient airflow for the power supply.

The left side is a slightly tinted glass panel (although the official website states acrylic) measuring 440x370x3.83 mm. It allows you to admire the internal components. It is held in place by four knurled head screws.

On the opposite side is a 0.75 mm thick metal panel. It is secured in the standard way with two knurled screws and has a small protrusion for easy removal.

Regarding the practicality of the materials used, fingerprints are almost invisible on the matte paint, while the glass is more prone to smudges and requires appropriate care.

Internal Structure

The Vinga Sage case uses a layout with a bottom-mounted power supply. It, along with the drive cage, is separated from the main space by a metal shroud. The motherboard compartment is located at the top. There are no standoffs in the front, allowing for the installation of large components and improving system airflow due to free air circulation.

The motherboard tray has a very large cutout for easy installation and removal of the CPU cooler with a backplate. Several holes and a whole array of tie mounts are provided for hidden cable routing, so there should be no problems with neat cable management behind the tray.

The mounting space for the power supply is not equipped with anti-vibration pads. According to our measurements, the maximum PSU length is 225 mm.

For installing drives, you have a couple of mounting spaces for 2.5-inch models on the tray and a cage for two 3.5-inch HDDs next to the power supply.

Moving on to the assembly process. The Vinga Sage supports motherboards in E-ATX, ATX, microATX, and Mini-ITX formats. For testing, we used the ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming SLI model in ATX format. The length of the graphics cards should not exceed 340 mm according to our measurements, although the manufacturer claims support for 350 mm models. The height of the CPU cooler is limited to 160 mm.

The cables coming from the front panel are long enough to be neatly routed to the motherboard.

In the end, there were no issues with the assembly. There is enough space behind the motherboard tray for cable management, allowing you to assemble and organize the interior of the case as neatly as possible.

Testing

The case comes without fans, so for testing, we used three fans from the Vinga Wanderer 360 AIO, initially installing one for exhaust on the rear panel, and then two more for intake at the front.

For testing in AIDA64, the case fan speed was set at 1400 rpm with a comfortable noise level (below average).

However, during the Kombustor test, the graphics card heated up significantly and affected the overall temperature inside the case, so the case fan speed was increased to 1800 rpm, with a high noise level. The room temperature was 21°C.

Under maximum load, created by a combination of MSI Kombustor and FurMark stress tests, the largest difference between an open stand and a case without fans reached 18°C for the graphics card, 22°C for the processor, 20°C for the motherboard, and 13°C for the SSD.

Installing one exhaust fan can reduce this significant difference, but for such a powerful gaming system, it is still not enough. However, with three fans, the situation noticeably improves. With them, the difference compared to the open stand was 11°C for the graphics card, 2°C for the processor, and 8°C for the motherboard.

In conclusion, we recommend equipping the case with fans yourself if you plan to build a powerful gaming system, as it has good airflow due to the perforated front panel. In this case, there will definitely be no overheating problems.

Conclusion

Vinga Sage left a good impression primarily due to the excellent balance between build quality and cost. It is a relatively inexpensive case, and you should not look for designer frills, LED lighting, or original engineering solutions in it.

A pleasant bonus is the presence of a mesh insert at the front and dust filters on the top and bottom panels. Thanks to this, the case is well-ventilated. Without fans, the temperatures are high but not critical. After installing 2-3 fans, they become much more comfortable. This will allow the components to work faster, quieter, and longer.

Overall, Vinga Sage is an excellent choice for users who want to purchase a quality, spacious, and inexpensive case with a transparent side panel and good airflow.

Advantages:

• strict design;
• transparent side panel;
• magnetic mounting of the top filter;
• good build quality of the chassis, edge processing of panels, and case painting;
• good compatibility with large graphics cards and coolers;
• good options for installing additional fans and liquid cooling radiators;
• presence of two dust filters;
• good options for hidden cable management.

Features:

• no fans included;
• screw mounting for drives.

Author: Kostyantyn Shorokhov
Translation: Liliya Masyuk 

Link to the review on gecid.com