Nowadays, major brands focus on the innovation of computer cases in terms of functionality and design to meet users' demands for performance and aesthetics. Modular structures that are easy to disassemble and large side-window "sea view" cases with a panoramic view have garnered significant attention. These "sea view" cases with two sides of glass can better showcase the cool lighting effects of the internal hardware. As market demand increases, major brands have also launched similar products, making the choices more diverse. In the past two years, the price of "sea view" cases has generally been above 300 yuan, with relatively high prices limiting the choices of many users. However, with the intensification of market competition, it is now possible to purchase spacious and aesthetically pleasing "sea view" cases for around 200 yuan, such as the Tt (Thermaltake) Steel Shadow Transparent S.

Product Specifications:

Case Structure: ATX

Case Material: Tempered glass, SPCC steel

Compatible Motherboards: E-ATX/ATX/M-ATX/ITX

Maximum Graphics Card Length: 425mm (when no water cooling or fans with a thickness of ≤25mm are installed next to the motherboard position)

Maximum Cooler Height: 185mm

Power Supply Length: Supports standard ATX power supplies

Hard Drive Bays: 3.5-inch × 2 or 3.5-inch × 1 + 2.5-inch × 1

Expansion Slot Positions: 7Fan positions: Next to the motherboard 120mm x 2, top-mounted 140mm x 2 or 120mm x 3, rear-mounted 140mm x 1 or 120mm x 1, power supply bay 120mm x 3

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Water cooling support:

Top-mounted: 360mm/240mm water cooling

Next to the motherboard: 240mm water cooling

Interface types: USB 3.0 x 1, USB 2.0 x 1, 3.5mm audio x 2

Case dimensions: 435mm x 230mm x 456mm

Case weight: Approximately 5.8kg

Warranty period: 1 year

Reference price: 229 yuan

Covers from entry-level to high-endWe understand that Tt is a professional peripheral brand, with product lines such as cases, power supplies, and coolers being at the core of its business. Unlike some brands that focus solely on mid-to-high-end products, Tt offers a range of products from entry-level to high-end, catering to various consumer groups. Among them, the Tt Steel Shadow series of cases, positioned as mainstream products, mostly fall within the two to three hundred yuan price range. So, how does this Tt Steel Shadow Transparent S case fare in terms of design and material quality?

270° Panoramic Transparent Glass

The Tt Steel Shadow Transparent S is an ATX case that is compatible with E-ATX, ITX, and M-ATX motherboards. The dimensions of the case are 435mm (length) × 230mm (width) × 456mm (height). Although it is compatible with E-ATX motherboards, its volume is even slightly smaller than some ATX cases. This effect can only be achieved through a rational design of space, which is particularly commendable for a mainstream case priced around two hundred yuan. Additionally, the case weighs approximately 5.8kg, which typically indicates a solid build quality. Despite its affordable price, the materials used are not compromised. The internal frame is made of SPCC steel, with a measured thickness of about 0.8mm, a standard that many cases in the four to five hundred yuan range offer. The steel in the card area, which needs to bear weight, does not deform even when pressed hard, indicating a solid build. Furthermore, unlike many cases in this price range that usually use acrylic panels as side panels, the Tt Steel Shadow Transparent S still employs tempered glass, with a thickness of 3mm.

Currently, the "sea view rooms" on the market can be roughly divided into two types. One type uses two flat glass panels joined together to form a "sea view room." These products are relatively affordable, but the visual effect is not perfect due to the seam between the glasses. The other type uses curved glass to integrate the side and front glasses, characterized by an excellent visual effect. However, because curved glass is used, it requires a heat bending process, which makes the cost higher and the yield rate lower than flat glass. Moreover, there are fewer products available on the market. The 270° panoramic transparent glass equipped with the Tt Steel Shadow Transparent S case uses the former scheme. It is made up of two pieces of glass, and although it is assembled, it can still provide a broader visual experience.

To protect the safety of these two pieces of glass during transportation and use, a protective film is applied to the surface of the glass before it leaves the factory. Additionally, to ensure a more secure connection between the glass and the case body, steel is specially fixed to the glass at the upper and lower edges where it contacts the main body of the case. This not only strengthens the connection between the glass and the case but also allows the glass edges to withstand minor daily bumps and scrapes.

Latch Design

No visible glass fixing screws for a cleaner look

Although the Tt Steel Shadow Transparent S is priced at only around two hundred yuan, it still reflects Tt's professionalism as a major peripheral brand in its detailed design. For example, it enhances and innovates to meet users' visual experience needs. Unlike ordinary cases, there are no exposed fixing screws on the exterior of the Tt Steel Shadow Transparent S, presenting a cleaner appearance. To create this screw-free design, the Tt Steel Shadow Transparent S case uses a hidden fixing method. For instance, its two glass panels are secured to the case body with a latch mechanism, and the screws for the internal hardware connections are all located inside the case, maintaining the exterior's neatness. When it is necessary to disassemble the case, simply pull the handle at the back to easily remove the side panel, and you will find two hidden glass fixing screws on both the side and the top front. Additionally, this latch design also makes it more convenient for users to perform hardware maintenance in the future, allowing for quick disassembly of the side panel without the need for tools.Additionally, the other components of the Tt Steel Series 4.0 TG case also take into account the convenience of user operation, all adopting a hand-tightening screw design. For instance, its rear side panel and the PCI expansion slot cover are both equipped with hand-tightening screws, which can be removed without the need for tools. This design makes assembly and disassembly more convenient, as one can simply apply a bit of force to unscrew them, eliminating the need for cumbersome operation steps.

The case's interface is designed on the top side edge, featuring 1 USB 3.0 port, 1 USB 2.0 port, and 2 3.5mm audio jacks.

Space Magician

Compatible with E-ATX motherboards

Due to the Tt Steel Series 4.0 TG's two glass side panels, it is not possible to design ventilation holes on the front and side, and relying solely on the gap between the two side panels does not provide much ventilation. Therefore, the ventilation holes are strategically placed on the top, rear, bottom, and the side of the back of the case. Considering side ventilation, the other side panel of the case is equipped with a large area of dense mesh holes to enhance the case's ventilation effect.

The Tt Steel Series 4.0 TG comes with 9 fan mounting positions, with the top capable of accommodating 3 120mm (or 2 140mm) fans, or a 360mm or 240mm liquid cooler, the side can mount 2 120mm fans or a 240mm liquid cooler, the rear can mount 1 120mm (or 1 140mm) fan, and the bottom power supply compartment can accommodate 3 120mm fans. The multi-directional fan layout forms a three-dimensional cooling structure.

The Tt Steel Series 4.0 TG supports the installation of four types of motherboards: E-ATX, ATX, M-ATX, and ITX. Cases that typically support E-ATX large motherboards have high requirements for space optimization. It should be noted that if an E-ATX motherboard is installed, fans and back cabling cannot be installed in the fan mounting positions next to the motherboard. Its back cabling space has a depth of 24mm, which can fully meet the needs of back cabling. The hard drive bay at the bottom of the case can accommodate 2 3.5-inch SSDs, or a combination of 1 2.5-inch SSD and 1 3.5-inch HDD. Although it may seem that there are not many hard drive bays, most motherboards now come with integrated M.2 SSD slots, and the two hard drive bays of the case can fully meet daily usage needs, and even RAID can be set up.

This case has 7 PCI expansion slots, and typically, installing a graphics card will occupy two slots in the case (some high-end graphics cards may occupy more than three). The Tt Steel Series 4.0 TG has a maximum graphics card length of 425mm, provided that no liquid cooler is installed next to the motherboard position or if the installed fan thickness is ≤25mm, which can accommodate the installation of top-tier graphics cards like the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090. If a liquid cooler is installed in the fan position next to the motherboard, the maximum graphics card length is reduced to 280mm. Additionally, the case has a CPU cooler height limit of 185mm, giving consumers ample space even for flagship 8-heat pipe tower coolers like the Tt TOUGHAIR 710, the Super Flower RZ820, or the Scythe Big Shuriken, among others. Moreover, it can also accommodate standard ATX power supplies.Spacious interior

Compatible with flagship air cooling and top-tier graphics cards

We randomly selected a Gigabyte Z790 AORUS PRO X gaming motherboard, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 graphics card, and Tt TOUGHAIR 710 air cooler as the main hardware for a hands-on experience with the Tt Steel Series 410S case.

In terms of the assembly process, if using air cooling, it is recommended that users first pre-install the processor, cooler, and memory on the motherboard before installing the motherboard into the case. We used the Tt TOUGHAIR 710 air cooler, which is a large tower-style air cooler with a height of 165mm. If you install memory with a heatsink, the fan will protrude about 15mm above the cooler tower, which is right within the 185mm limit of the Tt Steel Series 410S. After installing the cooler, you can see that the top of the fan has a certain gap from the glass side panel, indicating that the Tt Steel Series 410S has a high compatibility with air coolers. Of course, we would recommend using an all-in-one liquid cooler with even better compatibility.

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 graphics card we used is 304mm in length, occupying 3 PCI slots. After installation, there is still a 125mm distance from the end of the graphics card to the front glass panel of the case, which is actually longer than the officially claimed 425mm installation space of the Tt Steel Series 410S. The Tt Steel Series 410S case can easily accommodate top-tier graphics cards, even those from non-reference designs, as the length of most top-tier graphics cards on the market is generally within 400mm. Additionally, there is no need to worry about conflicts between the graphics card and the case's side fan positions; in fact, after the graphics card, there is just enough space on the side of the case to install a cooling fan with a width of 25mm.

In conclusion,

A more affordable choiceThe daily selling price of the Tt Steel Series 3.0 Full-Tower Chassis is 229 yuan, which is positioned in a range where many second and third-tier brand cases have fierce competition and concentrated products. As a first-tier brand, Tt has not compromised on workmanship and materials for the Steel Series 3.0 due to its selling price, making it highly competitive among products at the same price point. For instance, the internal steel thickness reaches 0.8mm, and the tempered glass thickness also reaches 3mm. Additionally, it features a dust filter at the ventilation holes on the back side panel, a feature that many products at the same price rarely offer. Moreover, it boasts a spacious internal space, which is not only compatible with E-ATX motherboards but also meets the installation requirements for flagship dual-tower air coolers and top-tier graphics cards. From the pricing of the Steel Series 3.0, it can be seen that Tt has positioned it as a volume-selling case. It caters to the market's hottest demand for "ocean view" cases, allowing users with limited budgets to also purchase an ocean view case from a first-tier brand.