TTGI-USA famous for making some the highest quality PSU's for the money, also makes some of the highest quality cases on the market, and their aluminum model rival or surpass the quality of Lian-Li. Certainly the price is much more affordable. Today were looking into TTGI's new X-Mask case. Personally I own their TT-261T2 brushed aluminum 5-fan model, and love it. My second rig is housed in their steel TT-561T2 and both are excellent cases, and possess some of the best airflow dynamics of any case I've owned. Albeit steel or aluminum, TTGI puts the same high quality craftsmanship into all their products. Their new X-Mask case has many of the same User-friendly features found in other TTGI models, and this particular unit is manufactured in steel.





One should think of their PC-case as very large heatsink, because that's exactly what it is. Every device within your case which requires a heatsink and fan (HSF) such as the CPU, North Bridge, and graphics card are all sources of heat. The heat these devices produce must go somewhere or the air-temperature within your case will continually rise. This would have a detrimental effect on system performance and eventually parts would overheat to the point of failure. If one’s case were simply an enclosure, what you would essentially have is a very expensive Easy Bake oven. Astute case design treats the case, and the components within it, as a symbiotic system. If a case is designed properly, it will constantly draw in cool air and expel the heat generated from system components. The volume of air within your case must be removed before the devices within the case begin to heat that air to dangerous temperatures.

And this ratio is what separates mediocre cases from great cases. The X-Mask allows placement of a rear 120mm fan which is much more effective at removing air then an 80mm or 60mm fan would. The fact the 120mm fan has larger blades means it doesn't have to work as hard as the smaller fan, it requires less RPM's to move more air, and RPM's equate to pitch, which is the primary source of noise in any system. The X-Mask utilizes twin 80mm front intake fans, and the end-user should place a rear 120mm fan for optimal cooling. When the case is sealed, an air-pressure is established, and it's this air-flow dynamic which will make all the difference. The idea is actually quite simple, the cooler your PC runs the better it performs.

The X-mask does its primary job well. When the unit is sealed, I found temps to be quite acceptable. I installed a Soltek 75FRN-L2, AMD Athlon 1700@2400Mhz, OCZ EL PC-4200, Asus V9950, WD HDD, TDK CD/RW, Thermalright SLK-800, Vantec Tornado 80mm. The ambient case temp peaked at about 28°C, my room temp was 21°C. The case "masked" (pardon the pun) the noise of the Vantec Tornado quite well, as this fan is very loud. What I'd originally thought wouldn't appeal to me, did, and that was the cases Spider theme. Perhaps most impressive ergonomically are the glowing eyes of the spider in the front door which continually cycles from green, to red, and blue. Definitely a cool look, and for Gamers this case would be ideal.







In usual TTGI fashion they're just as concerned about function as they are about form. Case dimensions read 500mm x 205mm x 445mm. The case features a front accessible push-open port containing two USB, one 1395, one Mic, and one S/P. The lighted X-mask door opens to reveal four 5.25" bays, two 3.5" bays, (there are also four hidden 3.5" bays).







The fan compliment includes front mounted twin 80mm, blue-LED illuminated intake fans, along with a filter, and a side mounted 80mm blue-LED illuminated fan. Unfortunately no rear fans were included, however the case will accommodate 120mm fans in the rear, and TTGI engineers understand the importance of airflow dynamics.

I've removed all panels to inspect every detail of the case. As usual TTGI supplies instructions, and extra mounting hardware. Another feature is the use of large hand fasteners, which not only allow you remove the panels without a screwdriver, they have aesthetic appeal. They can, however; be tightened with a Phillips-head;







The case color I chose was sky-blue, and the finish is top notch. The side mounted blue-LED fan throws a nice blue hue over the components within the case. A side mounted fan is almost mandatory these days as graphics cards run very warm. While most people wouldn't normally associate system performance with their PC case, they're overlooking a pertinent and active component in their system compliment. Drawing cool air in and forcing it directly over the video-cards memory will have a positive impact on the card's performance when overclocking.





Getting into the case below, TTGI chose to round the edges, which helps to prevent unnecessary cuts. The interior is clean and clutter free, with ample room for component placement. Looking up into the PSU, you can make out one of two aluminum heatsinks. The case comes standard with an Atlas 12CM-350W power supply. This PSU offers a large 12CM fan, which draws a tremendous amount of warm air from the case, and keeps things very cool.





If I have any criticism for this case it would be the power supply. TTGI makes excellent PSU's for the price, and I would have much rather seen a 14CM-450TS over the Atlas. However for $64.95 at Directron this case PSU combo is well worth the price. The case also comes in Silver Black.

In conclusion, TTGI-USA's X-Mask case is solidly constructed, well thought out, and looks great. The case keeps components cool, and is user friendly, such that a number of different fans can be substituted to optimize cooling. As I reviewed this case I purposely didn't research the price until the conclusion of the review. This disallows any bias on my behalf positive or negative. When I'd discovered this case/PSU combo was only $64 at Directron I was very impressed. The case alone would be worth $75, to get a PSU, and a case of this quality including three 80mm LED illuminated fans, is an excellent value. I applaud TTGI-USA's commitment to provide PC-enthusiasts with some of the best cases, and PSU's at an affordable price. The proof is in the photo above, as both my reference systems have been living in TTGI cases for the last 8-months.

I'd like to thank Tony at TTGI-USA for the sample.

Questions/Comments: forum thread