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Mark O.

Mark O.

Joined on 03/03/05

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Product Reviews
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product reviews
  • 9
Most Favorable Review

It's a show stopper!

SAMA 2851 ATX Mid-Tower PC Gaming Case, High-Airflow, Sturdy Curved Tempered Glass Front, 4 ARGB PWM Fan Pre-installed with Fan Hub, White
SAMA 2851 ATX Mid-Tower PC Gaming Case, High-Airflow, Sturdy Curved Tempered Glass Front, 4 ARGB PWM Fan Pre-installed with Fan Hub, White

Pros: Great looking case Accepts extra fans, various AIO sizes Includes a basic Fan/aRGB controller Enough room to expand storage behind the motherboard

Cons: Really should be some rubberized grommets for the wires to snake through. There are large openings that are visible on the PSU side of the motherboard that exposes a potential of mess of cables behind the motherboard. Careful though of cable routing must take place if a super clean look is desired.

Overall Review: I've built dozens of systems, and the SAMA 2851 really does look like a premium case, but on a budget. There will be compromises, especially in the cable routing and management area. If it's your first time building a system, maybe not my recommended case to start with. Documentation is basic, as is the fan controller. An experienced PC builder won't need to look twice, but a beginner may get a bit lost. Overall, I get nothing but compliments with the look of this case.

Most Critical Review

Beautiful case - with some issues to overcome

SAMA V-play ATX Mid Tower High-end Gaming Computer PC Case With 8-inch LCD Display, Tempered Glass Side Panels, Supports Multiple Cooling Configurations White
SAMA V-play ATX Mid Tower High-end Gaming Computer PC Case With 8-inch LCD Display, Tempered Glass Side Panels, Supports Multiple Cooling Configurations White

Pros: Gorgeous design Lots of room for fans Pretty 8" display

Cons: Display has a LOT of hiccups - see below for the good fix All 3 fans included in this case were noisy and I had to change them out Cable management was only OK Shipped without an SSD tray

Overall Review: It's an easy case to build in if you have experience building computers. If you're a rookie, I'd stay away. It really is a pretty design, holds up to 12 fans, and the software to drive the display is adequate. The included RGB controller is adequate if you know how to daisy chain your fans. All three fans included in my case had a clicking noise when run on low RPM. Absolutely intolerable. I had to swap them all out. The cable management is only OK. It could definitely use a few white rubber grommets for the cable to go through, and a few more eyelets for zip ties. Let's talk about the display. There's something simply wrong with the firmware included on the display when using the supplied USB 2.0 cable. Read the other reviews, I had ALL the same issues. I tried the Bios mod of enabling ErP, and it helped slightly. If you started the computer from a cold start, the display worked. If you used sleep, or hibernate, or restarted the computer, the display was now dead, with an error in Windows. The ONLY fix, using the existing cable, was pulling the cable out of the motherboard and plugging it back in. Unacceptable. I was on the verge of returning this case, but noticed that the display also has a female USB-c connector. So I tried a USB-C cable instead of the supplied USB 2.0 cable, and ALL of the issues were solved. The display was all of a sudden responsive, had no trouble on restarts, waking from sleep, etc. But I didn't want to give up my USB-C header on my mobo to the display, so I found a USB-2.0 motherboard header to USB-C cable online to plug into the display, and it worked! So bottom line, if you really want this case, be prepared to buy the additional usb 2.0 to usb-c cable to avoid all the nonsense issues associated with this case. Be prepared to possibly junk the included fans I was missing an SSD mounting plate. Not a big deal for me, but might be for you.

Great product

Phanteks Premium GEN4 Vertical GPU Bracket, DRGB Lighting, Adjustable tilt position 15 to 30 degrees, Black
Phanteks Premium GEN4 Vertical GPU Bracket, DRGB Lighting, Adjustable tilt position 15 to 30 degrees, Black

Pros: This should fit any case, but it matched my Phateks View XT perfectly. The wiring even came ready to match up with my cases wiring, or an adapter for standard 3 pin aRGB header.

Cons: Slightly complicated, and over engineered. But it does have thorough instructions.

Overall Review: Thumbs up, it's a real conversation starter

Worked well enough - Not Silent

RAIDMAX XT Series RX-400XT 400 W ATX12V / EPS12V Non-Modular Power Supply (Brown Box)
RAIDMAX XT Series RX-400XT 400 W ATX12V / EPS12V Non-Modular Power Supply (Brown Box)

Pros: Worked well enough for my system that drew only 200 W.

Cons: Something wrong with my unit, the PSU fan was spinning super fast and loud, it sounded like a hair dryer. Then If I started a game, after a few minutes of getting warm, the fan reached another level, and I thought it was gonna fly outta the room. Too bad tho, it really fit my needs.

Overall Review: You get what you pay for. I paid $20 for it, and it came in a brown box. I'm guessing it was a return. Which is what I am now doing.

Great Case

SAMA 3509 Tempered Glass Open Door Gaming ATX Computer PC Case Mid Tower Black with 4 Addressable RGB Fans Pre-installed
SAMA 3509 Tempered Glass Open Door Gaming ATX Computer PC Case Mid Tower Black with 4 Addressable RGB Fans Pre-installed

Pros: - Love the Swing out glass door - Looks great with a vertical GPU (see the Cons) - Easy to build in for those that are experienced - Good case for the price.

Cons: - The Vertical GPU mount, or necessary hardware is NOT included, or really mentioned anywhere, so you are left to figure out your own mounting solution. - Instructions are lacking - No USB-C header - Simple 4 port RGB/FAN header - Included fans do not allow daisy chaining. If you'd like to add more fans, make sure the new fans allow daisy chain, so you can connect the included fans to those.

Overall Review: Needed to drop an egg because this case is featured by SAMA for having a Vertical GPU mount, and it's never clear that in fact the hardware to mount your GPU you need to source it yourself, Nothing is included for that feature, not even the standoffs necessary to make it work. Not an insurmountable problem for the experienced, but a big deal if you're new to the system building game and you got sold by the MFGs pics of this case.

Becoming on of my go-to cases!

SAMA SV02 Dual USB3.0 and Type C Tempered Glass ATX Mid Tower Gaming PC Computer Case, 3 Addressable RGB Fans Pre-Installed, Support BTF Back Plug Motherboard
SAMA SV02 Dual USB3.0 and Type C Tempered Glass ATX Mid Tower Gaming PC Computer Case, 3 Addressable RGB Fans Pre-Installed, Support BTF Back Plug Motherboard

Pros: - Straightforward design - Sexy dual glass design - Includes RGB/FAN hub with LED button - Includes USB-Type C and two USB 3.0 headers - Good rear layout for cable management - Supports 9 Fans, Liquid Cooling - Supports very large GPUs - Great Airflow

Cons: - Lightweight metal - be gentle with the torque on your screws - It can be a little difficult to remove the glass panels/rear panel, but it is tool-less so that's a plus - While a 360mm AIO fits very well, he aesthetic of this case is designed for air cooling. Not a con, just a comment. - Bare bones packing material - leaves the case vulnerable to shipping damage. This goes for nearly all SAMA cases.

Overall Review: Great case for the money for experienced system builders. For newer builders, the included instruction manual leaves much to the imagination, and skips on the details. I've had the pleasure now of doing 4 different builds in this case, each with its own unique features, and this case does not disappoint, it is very adaptable. The included Infinity mirror fans look spectacular, and the ability to purchase more fans from SAMA to fill out the case is a grand slam.