Getting Inside:

With the use of thumbscrews on the side panels getting inside the case is a breeze. The side panels slide back about an inch and then come off and you'll have to remove both to install drives into the case. Each side panel has a small handle to make pulling them off easier.

Thumbscrews.

Side panel removed.

With the side panel removed you can better see the 80mm side LED fan, which has been mounted to exhaust air from the case. As mentioned before, it might be better to set this as an intake since the rear 120mm fan already provides exhaust. The interior of the case is fairly spartan and not very flashy. Looking at the accessories you get, things are similar: only a power cord, manual and small bag of screws. You don't really need a lot of screws for this case since many of its aspects are tool-less.

Accessories.

Inside view.

The drive bays show case the same tool-less system as seen in the Sigma Luna case. With this system, you don't need to use any screws to secure the drives. Instead, you simply slide the drive into position and then lock a latch down; the latch inserts a peg into the screw hole to keep the drive from moving. It's quick and secure, but as we'll see, there are problems with this system when used to secure HDDs.

HDD bays.

Front 5.25" drive bays.

Side fan set to exhaust.

The HDD bays are positioned at the bottom of the case and the cage is sideways as compared to the rest of the drive bays. Any HDDs you put here will be right behind an optional 120mm fan, should you choose to fill that fan mount. However, installing a 120mm fan there is a bit tedious as you'll have to completely remove the front panel in order to accomplish that, but at least it is possible, unlike with the earlier Sigma Luna case.

500w PSU ratings.

PSU connectors.

PSU fan.

The PSU is nothing to write home about and though it's probably okay for a basic system, most people will want to replace it with something that doesn't look so generic or feel so light weight. Nonetheless, it does have an ATX 20/24 pin connector, 4-pin ATX +12V, one 6-pin PCI-E and 2xSATA connectors. Near the motherboard area you can see the rear 120mm exhaust fan and coupled with the PSU fan you can see that there will be a decent amount of exhaust. That's why I recommend perhaps switching the side fan to be intake.

Motherboard area.

Drive latches.

The other side of the case is unremarkable but you need to remove this side panel if you want to install external drives, since there are latches here that you have to use to secure the drives to the case. Additionally, you'll have to remove the other side if you want to remove the motherboard tray for installation.

Other side of case.

Front panel connectors.

Mobo tray screws.

The motherboard tray is nothing fancy, as it's one that doesn't slide out and support expansion cards as well. Instead, it only allows for mounting of the motherboard and you must put the tray back in the case before you install expansion cards. This is not to say that it's not helpful; on the contrary it's much easier to attach the motherboard screws on a removeable tray rather than inside the potentially cramped interior of a case.

Mobo tray swings out.

Mobo tray removed.

Same tear-out I/O panel.

Unfortunately, the Sigma La Vie has the same tear-out I/O shield that you must almost certainly remove. Having this makes absolutely no sense, as in 99% of the cases, your motherboard won't match up with it and you'll just have to use the motherboard-provided I/O shield. Having to tear out the one that comes with the case is just one more added trouble that you don't need.

120mm fan will fit up front.

Bottom interior.

As noted in the Sigma Luna review, one of the biggest disappointments was the inability to fit a 120mm fan in the front position despite the mounting holes being present. Thankfully, the La Vie doesn't suffer from this, as a 120mm fan will fit in place, though the front panel needs to be removed in order to put the screws in position.

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