Vivo V10G ATX Case Review: Tempered Glass On The Cheap

Tom's Hardware Verdict

This Vivo chassis can get you into a tempered-glass PC for a low price, but the interior design has some real shortfalls, including a drive-cage layout that you won't want to show off very much in the first place.

Pros

  • +

    Low price

  • +

    Tempered-glass panels

Cons

  • -

    Decades-old interior design, with non-removable drive racks

  • -

    Overall build quality, with thin-metal construction

  • -

    No stabilizing pins for side panel

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    No exhaust fan or fan filters

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    Lack of space for cable management

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Features & Specifications

Got glass on the brain for your next PC build-out? If you are in the market for an inexpensive PC chassis that offers a bit of bling and a tempered-glass side panel, Vivo has a solution. The budget-friendly V10G is as easy on the eyes as it is your wallet, and it brings a reasonable mix of features to the table for its low asking price. (The MSRP was $51.99, and we saw the chassis selling for a few bucks less than that from some resellers when we wrote this.) We had some quibbles with the design, though.

An entry-level chassis of steel, plastic, and tempered-glass construction that's painted black inside and out, the V10G is just a bit smaller than the average mid-tower ATX case. It measures 16.6x7.7x16.7" (HWD) and tips the scales at just over 10 lbs.

The steel top panel is featureless and held in place by rivets. At the top of the front panel, you will find the power and reset buttons, as well as two USB 2.0 ports and a single USB 3.0. The front-panel connectivity is rounded out by the usual headphone and microphone jacks and the power LED and hard drive activity lights.

Specifications

Swipe to scroll horizontally
TypeMid-Tower
Motherboard SupportATX, mATX, Mini-ITX
Dimensions (HxWxD)16.7 x 7.7 x 16.6" (421 x 196 x 423mm)
Space Above Motherboard0.5” (12.7mm)
Card Length350mm
Power Supply FormatStandard ATX PS2-Style PSU
Weight4.63 kg
External Bays(0) 5.25"
Internal Bays(2) 3.5", (2) 2.5"
Card Slots7
Ports/Jacks(2) USB 2.0, (1) USB 3.0, audio/mic jacks
OtherTempered-glass front and side panel
Front Fans3x 120mm LED
Rear Fans
Top Fans
Bottom Fans
Side Fans
Dampening

Devoid of features and drive-bay openings, the entire front of the chassis is covered by a plastic fascia with a built-in tempered glass panel. Removing this panel is a simple matter of grabbing the lower edge and pulling outward, away from the chassis, but you'll need to take care to avoid twisting the panel and breaking the glass insert. Ventilation into the chassis is provided by a row of vents that runs down both sides of this front face.

Around back is a standard I/O cutout, seven expansion slots with punch-out covers, a spot for a top-mounted PSU, and an exhaust-fan-mounting location for 120mm or 80mm fans. This chassis is not outfitted with an exhaust fan from the factory. According to the owner's manual, the case is designed so that your PSU's ventilation acts as an exhaust fan. The bottom of the chassis is bare, apart from four round plastic feet. 

The tempered-glass side panel is held in place by rubber-coated thumbscrews. Unfortunately, this chassis is not equipped with locating pins or other stays, so there is nothing keeping this panel from falling to the desk once the last screw is removed. You'll want to take extra care when removing the glass. The steel panel on the opposite side of the chassis is plain and secured with plastic-coated thumbscrews.

We were more than a little concerned to discover that the Vivo V10G is not equipped with a single fan filter. The owner's manual instructs users to "clean filters using compressed air," but no filters are included with this case. Obviously, this can be remedied with an aftermarket magnetic filter, but at least one should have been included by default for an intake fan.

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  • gosubuilder
    20954065 said:
    Vivo brings a bit of bling with the tempered-glass panel of its inexpensive V10G. Is it the DIY chassis value you've been seeking?

    Vivo V10G ATX Case Review: Tempered Glass On The Cheap : Read more

    spend a lil more, and get S340 elite for $69.99
    Reply
  • jcwbnimble
    You compared this to the Phanteks P300, which is the same price but has far more modern features. If you absolutely are stuck at $60 for your case expenditure, then go with the Phanteks.

    Basically the Vivo is your Dad's old computer case with tempered glass. It's like putting 20" wheels on '77 Grand Prix; Old design, no modern features, and just plain FUGLY!
    Reply
  • Co BIY
    I think that case reviews need to cover the quality of the switches.

    My current case is a major brand nice case that I picked based on favorable reviews but the switches are horrible. They really belong on a $10 harbor freight angle grinder but at least a cheap power tool has rough vibration and terrible noise to let you know the switch has been flipped.

    My other computer is a gutless big box HP desktop but it has great switch. It has tactile feed back and positive action with subtle illumination.
    Reply
  • lanceperez94
    I got an Armageddon Nanotron T1x matx case for $32.. looks better than this. (nzxt phantom ripoff)..
    Reply
  • VIVO-US
    It may not have measured up as well as we'd hoped, but we greatly appreciate the Steven's honesty with the review! If it weren't for honest reviews like this, manufacturers like us wouldn't be able to improve. So, thanks again for the review!

    Considering the cooling performance is about as good as some of those others that are $30 to $40 more, we did get at least one thing right with this case. :)
    Reply
  • funnydavid99
    i would just buy something else, not worth the price.
    Reply
  • zodiacfml
    This is fraud. In my country, we have a similar case design but with a modern interior around 45 USD
    Reply
  • VIVO-US
    20965610 said:
    This is fraud. In my country, we have a similar case design but with a modern interior around 45 USD

    If we were based in another country, we might be able to sell this case for $45 or lower.
    Reply