Page 4 – Installation and Conclusion
The build process with the SAMA V60 was extremely enjoyable. The layout is intuitive and follows a mostly standard design other than the PSU placement, making it easy to work with from start to finish. Firstly, I installed a Thermaltake UX200 SE CPU cooler onto my Gigabyte GA-H170-D3HP motherboard. The motherboard tray cutout of the SAMA V60 aligned perfectly with the CPU socket, which made mounting the heatsink straightforward and hassle-free.
I then installed the power supply into the PSU bay behind the motherboard tray. This order is necessary, because you cannot access the cutout for your heatsink backplate on your motherboard once the PSU is installed. This is an intrinsic limitation to this layout style. For this build, I used the SilverStone Nightjar NJ700 700W. As a fanless unit, it relies heavily on case airflow, but thanks to the ventilation grille, sufficient natural airflow is provided to keep it running comfortably.
I did not have any hard drives to install for this build, as I was using a single M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD, the Western Digital Black SN750 NVMe SSD mounted directly on the motherboard. The rest of the installation process went very smoothly. With the seven 120mm fans already pre-installed and plugged into the hub, it was just a matter of plugging in the power and PWM connectors to get them running. The large cutout beside the motherboard tray proved to be very handy as well. As shown in the photo above, the thick motherboard power cable fit easily through the opening, with plenty of space left for additional cables.
With everything installed, it was finally time to press the power switch. Once powered on, the SAMA V60 delivers a striking ARGB LED lighting display. The glass front panel design allows the lighting effects to shine through with no obstruction, creating a clean and vibrant look. Personally, I place a lot of importance on noise levels in a PC build. In this setup, I had three fans running inside the case, and I was pleasantly surprised by how quiet the system was. Thanks in part to the thick tempered glass panel, which helps to dampen the sound. On a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 is completely silent and 10 is comparable to a jet taking off, I would rate this build at about 3.0/10 during normal operation. It is also worth noting that motherboard fan speed controls can reduce noise even further by lowering fan RPMs when the system is not under heavy load.
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After spending time with the SAMA V60, it is clear this case is built around one idea: Showcase first, and do it with style. The dual tempered glass setup, which has glass on the side and on the front, creates a display-window effect that most budget cases cannot match, and the glass-to-glass execution is clean. From the front angle, the panels visually merge without a chunky pillar or bracket breaking the view, while the curved front glass helps the design flow smoothly into the side panel, and the white accent strips neatly frame the transparency. Physically, the 285mm width and relatively low 398mm height makes it one of the widest mid-tower I have seen in a long time, and that extra width should make cable routing feel less cramped. The rear layout keeps the essentials familiar with seven expansion slots and lots of ventilation -- seven ARGB LED and PWM fans included -- while the side-mounted PSU layout explains the case’s distinctive proportions. Feature-wise, the front I/O is strong for the budget class, with an easy-to-hit power button, reset, two USB 3.0 ports, audio jacks, USB Type-C port, and an LED button tied to an internal lighting controller, though one small annoyance is the non-captive thumbscrews that are easy to drop when removing panels. Also, intrinsic to cases with power supplies behind the motherboard tray, you cannot access your heatsink backplate once the PSU is installed. There is also no dedicated dust filter for the front intake fans and PSU ventilation opening. At around $90 USD at press time, the price is amazing for what you get. Overall, if your priorities are ARGB LED effects, sleek 270-degree panoramic glass design, and a unique low-and-wide presence, the SAMA V60 delivers standout style and cooling for the money.
SAMA provided this product to APH Networks for the purposes of evaluation.
APH equal.balance Award | APH Networks Review Focus Summary:
8/10 means Definitely a very good product with drawbacks that are not likely going to matter to the end user.
7/10 means Great product with many advantages and certain insignificant drawbacks, but should be considered before purchasing.
-- Final APH Networks Numeric Rating is 7.4/10
Please note that the APH Networks Numeric Rating system is based off our proprietary guidelines in the Review Focus, and should not be compared to other publications.
The SAMA V60 is a low-and-wide ATX computer case that prioritizes a sleek, near-seamless 270-degree tempered glass design at an amazing price.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Outside
3. Physical Look - Inside
4. Installation and Conclusion
