Sama V60 Gaming Build and Review

It is not very often that I do builds as part of my articles and reviews and I actually enjoyed putting this computer together.  The Sama V60 chassis is extremely compact making the case rather short for a tower and yet pretty wide but, not so much that you’ll need to buy a new desk.

In terms of a total ecosystem Sama has done quite well at making sure the components they offer slot together without too much trouble.  It is really difficult to mess up a PSU installation and the G1000 is one of the smaller form factors and fit in the V60 with room to spare for cable routing.  In fact, I installed the PSU first and then routed all of the cables to the appropriate connector.

For cooling the Sama L70 was used.  This is a very strange cooler not only is the pump block taller than most but the end tanks on the radiator extend the overall length quite a bit.  To install this cooler, I needed to install it at an angle and then wedge it towards the top between the case sides and top of the motherboard.  Not a difficult task and actually quite common.

The build process was not without its annoyances.  Maybe the highest on my list was not being able to install the CPU power with the radiator installed.  There was plenty of room to access both the access hole and the power socket but, the split CPU power connector made it difficult to line up the individual parts and install them correctly.  Of course, removing the radiator freed up plenty of space and yet I still cursed the cables.

When using a full size ATX motherboard in the V60 you will need to contend with connections at the bottom of the case.  There are three 120mm reverse airflow fans preinstalled and intended to push cool air to your graphics card.  These fans also block access to install cables at the bottom of the board and will require removing a fan or two to complete the task. 

Of course, what is nice is that the fans then do obscure the various cables making it a bit of a catch 22.

Despite some minor annoyances the build does look really good once everything has been installed and the power turned on.  The built in controller has several patterns to choose from and provide a good amount of light inside and surrounding the build.  You will find a nice mirror effect on the L70 pump block adding to the overall aesthetic if not being a little subdued.

There are plenty of dual chamber cases out there and the Sama V60 is not only extremely light but also very compact giving users plenty of build options that not only look good but go together quick.