XPG Valor Mesh PC Case Review

We are testing Valor Mesh from XPG arsenal after testing Levante X 360 AIO. This is a budget segment PC case that is a compact mid-tower that surprisingly packs more features in a small size package. It supports a full-size ATX motherboard with up to a 360mm size liquid cooler and a somewhat adequate storage solution. The salient features include:

• Comes in Black or White
• A perforated, magnetic front panel
• Magnetic front and top dust filters
• Versatile I/O Ports
• Adequate Airflow Design with 4x Pre-Installed Fans
• Supports Radiators of up to 360mm in the Front
• Tempered Glass Side Panel

Key Takeaways

• The XPG Valor Mesh PC Case impresses with its efficient cooling capabilities, boasting four pre-installed fans that ensure excellent airflow to keep your components running at optimal temperatures.
• The magnetic dust filters provide a hassle-free solution for maintaining a clean and dust-free interior, prolonging the life of your hardware.
• With its budget-friendly price point, the XPG Valor Mesh PC Case offers exceptional value for both novice and experienced PC builders.

Specifications

Take a look at the specs:

Packaging and Unboxing

The unit is shipped inside a standard brown color cardboard box. XPG has highlighted key features in a modular style over here like storage capabilities, removable dust filters, Versatile IO ports, etc.

The case comes tucked between two white-colored Styrofoam pads. One of the pads was broken. The transparent sheet was also torn.

Accessories

XPG has included the following:

• 1x HDD cage
• 1x User Guide
• Zip Ties
• Various Screws
• Socket Nut
• Motherboard Standoffs

Design

Let’s start with the statement from XPG about this case. “XPG VALOR MESH is a compact, highly compatible case with an easy access steel front panel and a 3mm tempered-glass side panel. It comes with four pre-installed 120mm fans and supports up to six fans total, for excellent airflow and cooling. The magnetic front panel makes it easy to enter and clean the system from all sides”.

The XPG VALOR MESH is a compact mid-tower chassis that comes in two colors; white and black. It has a dimension of 460x210x371mm. It is made of SPCC steel and tempered glass. The gross weight of the package is 5.85Kg so you can tell how compact and lightweight this case is.

Let’s start taking a closer look, starting with the front panel.

XPG has opted for a perforated steel-made front panel, which makes sense because the very name of Mesh needs to be served accordingly. This perforation would serve the purpose, and steel fabrication would provide rigidity with solid build quality. What is more stunning is the magnetic handling of this front panel. Two strong magnets are pasted at the base of this panel in the plastic body. There is also a thumb screw at the bottom of the case that is securing this panel. This is to secure the panel during shipping. Once on the table, you may skip this screw and rely on the magnetic handling. There is an XPG branding in silver color at the base of this panel.

This panel has an angular curve towards the left and right sides, providing form and function at the same time in this case.

The above picture shows the front panel removed. We have placed the thumb screw in the middle just to show that it is part of this panel. The main body is made of plastic, whereas the perforation is made of steel. Look towards the base. One magnet is there, whereas the other was left on the case on the steel side due to its sheer magnetic power.

Now that we have removed the front panel, we are showing a fine-grade dust filter. This dust filter is also magnetic, and we appreciate the XPG design team for this user-friendly design at this price point. Look towards the bottom of the case towards the right side. The circular magnet is there. It came off the plastic frame of the front panel.

The above picture shows a fine-grade dust filter from its backside. There are 6x magnets that secure this filter on the main housing.

Now that we have removed the front panel and dust filter, we can see that there are three 120mm pre-installed fans up front. These fans have 3-pin connectors and they spin between 1500 to 1600 RPM speed. There is a rail mount design that is a permanent feature of this case. The user can also install 140mm fans here. In terms of fans and radiators, the following provision is possible on the front:

• Up to 3x 120mm fans
• Up to 2x 140mm fans
• Up to 1x 360mm radiator
• Up to 1x 280mm radiator

The XPG Valor Mesh is 210mm wide. Looking at the top, we can spot a dust filter. It is magnetic as well. There is an IO port there as well on the far end.

The dust filter is magnetic, which is a wise design. The magnetic strips run down on all four borders of the filter. The filter is perforated.

Removing the top dust filter, we can spot the perforated steel frame over the top. There are cut-to-size rail mounts there for 120mm and 140mm fans. In terms of fans and radiators, the following provision is possible on the top:

• Up to 2x 120mm fans
• Up to 2x 140mm fans
• Up to 1x 240mm radiator

There are:

• 2x USB 3.2 Gen1 Ports
• 1x Combined Audio Port
• 1x Reset Button
• 1x Power Button

The power button has a nice click to it and does not wobble. Seems like XPG was paying attention.

We have a standard layout on the rear. There is a cutout for the IO shield of the motherboard. On its right, there is a vented area for the 120mm fan mount. One 120mm fan is preinstalled. We can adjust the height of the rear fan since there is a rail mount. These are minute details that XPG has paid attention to, and I appreciate their design team for that. There are 7x PCIe slots in the center with reusable slot covers. These slots are implemented with raised ends outside of the chassis. There is a standard ATX PSU mount on the bottom.

There is a PCIe bracket/cover secured using a screw. You would need to remove the bracket to install/remove the PCIe devices.

Looking at the bottom or underside of the XPG Valor Mesh, we can see a non-magnetic dust filter under the PSU bay. I wish they had made this a magnetic filter as well! There are cutouts on which the HDD cage can be installed. The HDD cage does not come pre-installed. Looking at the rightmost side towards the front, we can spot a thumb screw. This screw secures the front panel with the main frame. We have rounded case feet that give enough lift to the case for effective ventilation from the surface on which the case will be placed.

The PSU bay has a perforated area for air intake. Given that the bay has a perforation on the bottom as well as on the top, one can install PSU in either direction, though I would still go with the fan side down.

The XPG VALOR MESH comes with a 3mm thick tempered glass panel. Since this case is a dual-chamber design, the glass panel covers the main chamber only, and it flushes with the main frame fully. It slides in between the frame and does not fall off even if we remove two thumb screws. It is light-tinted and shows the build though you would need some sort of lighting inside the build for full illumination. The panel is secured using two thumb screws on the rear.

We have shown the inner side of the glass panel. There are two rubber pads on the top and bottom to avoid scratching. This is smart thinking because this panel slides in and out between the main frame and rests on the frame. The front side has two latches that lock onto the main frame.

Now, we are looking inside the XPG Valor Mesh. This case has a basic and standard tooling. We have mentioned that this is a compact, mid-tower. This picture is exactly an illustration of our statement. But don’t underestimate it. We have assembled a test build using upper mid-range hardware just to show the amazing capacity of this PC case to handle anything within its realm. Let’s start exploring the main area of interest.

We are looking at the motherboard tray. We have measured the area to be 314x283mm (HxL). This does not include the raised or protruded portions. The motherboard tray does not have any flex in it and is quite rigid. XPG has installed 6x standoffs from the factory. Each mounting hole is labeled, and the index is embossed on the tray as well. I don’t know why they did not install all 9x standoffs. Anyhow, it is still better than those PC Cases that came with 4x pre-installed standoffs or none and users are required to install these on their own. In Valor’s case, a user would need to install 3x standoffs for a regular ATX-size motherboard. Speaking of motherboard sizes, this case has support for:

• Mini-ITX
• Micro-ATX
• ATX

XPG has provided a socket wrench, so you don’t need to worry about how to install those standoffs. There are two cutouts on the top for EPS connectors and other cables for the motherboard’s top headers. There are main cutouts on the right of the tray for the 24-pin ATX, PEG, and other cables. None of these cutouts have a rubber grommet. There is a single large-size cutout on the tray to install the CPU cooler. This case can house a cooler having a height of up to 166mm. There is a displacement of 40mm approximately from the top of the case to the top of the motherboard which makes the installation of a 240mm up top almost difficult. Also, there is a displacement of approximately 14mm for the RAM height clearance concerning the radiator. Keep these in mind.

There are 3x 120mm fans pre-installed on the front to provide airflow to the front side of the case. It is nice to see a manufacturer going at length in this price range in the provision of rich features. These are XPG VENTRO 120mm fans.

There is a cutout on the front side of the PSU shroud. The length of this gap is approximately 59 to 60mm. This would mean one can easily install a regular or standard AIO over here because a regular or a standard AIO has a 27mm thick radiator with 25mm thick fans making a 54mm thickness of the complete unit, including the heads of the screws. Push-pull is only possible with a 240mm AIO. However, keep in mind that going push-pull would further limit the already limited graphics card’s length in this case. Speaking of which, this card provides a 305mm length for the graphics card with pre-installed fans, and it is 335mm after removing these fans or a central fan. Also, keep in mind that a 360mm or a 280mm AIO would affect the placement of the HDD cage and, consequently, the PSU length and its cables. We will cover that shortly.

There is another 120mm fan on the rear. A user can install a 120mm size radiator here as well. We can use 7x PCIe slots with vented covers. These are reusable slot covers which is a rare feature in this price range. These covers sit flush with the chassis frame.

The above picture shows the top area from the inside of the case.

The above picture shows the PSU shroud, which is a part of the main frame. That is, it is fixed. It has perforation for effective ventilation. Looking closely, it has mounting holes that conform to 120mm fan size. However, there is no mention of this area housing any fans in the specifications or features of the brand. There are two cutouts near the motherboard tray through which the cables can be passed for bottom headers connectivity on the motherboard. You can see a protruding area from the main frame. This is where the glass panel is rested.

Let’s take a look at the other side of the chassis.

The back panel is made of steel, and it is quite a fingerprint magnet, so handle it with care.

The above picture shows the default or factory layout of the chase. The front panel cables are tucked on the side. The fan cables are daisy-chained and routed. The bottom chamber is empty.

We have tried to move the cables out of the way to provide maximum exposure to the backside of this case. There are 9x cable tied points, which are plenty given the compact design of this case. There are two 2.5” drive caddies behind the motherboard tray. There is a recessed area towards the front side, which one can use to hide the cables. The angular cutouts on the side provide cable tie points on the border of the recessed area.

Now, we are showing a bottom chamber. There is a PSU bay towards the right side with 4x anti-vibration rubber feet. There is a provision to slide in the HDD cage towards the left side. The HDD cage can be adjusted in two locations, which is a wise move and provides flexibility as per the build’s requirement. The user can skip it altogether if storage requirements can be met from 2.5” and M.2 drives.

The above picture shows critical information. The total available area in the bottom chamber with fans is 311mm for the PSU and cables. This area becomes 278mm for the PSU and its cables if we install a 360mm or a 280mm AIO on the front without an HDD cage. If the HDD tray is installed with the fans and no AIO, then we have a 180mm area available for the PSU and cables. If move the HDD cage towards the PSU bay then the total area available for the PSU and its cables is 160mm.

The above picture shows the HDD cage. It is not pre-installed, and it is not a tool-less design. I can give it a pass, given a low price tag. The user can install a 2x 3.5” or 2x 2.5” drive or a combination of these in this cage.

Installing an HDD cage in this location will give the PSU a clearance of 160mm.

Installing an HDD cage in this location will give the PSU a clearance of 180mm.

Please note that there is a 1-2mm difference between our measurement and XPG-stated measurements, which, in my opinion, is within the margin of error.

The above picture shows the front panel system panel connectors.

The above picture shows the USB 3.2 Gen 1 connector and an HD Audio connector.

Test Build and Experience

We have used the following configuration for testing of this case:

• Intel i7 12700k
• GIGABYTE Z690 AERO G
• Noctua NH-U12A
• XPG Lancer RGB 32GB DDR5 @ 6000MHz kit
• GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 3070 VISION OC
• Sabrent Rocket Q 500GB NVMe SSD [OS]
• Fractal Design ION+ 2P 860W PSU

The cooler and RAM were installed outside of the case since this has become our habit. However, we checked that one can install a cooler after installing the motherboard in this case first without running into any issues, particularly the hindrance to the backplate of the cooler. The cable of the rear fan was carefully moved out of the way so that the motherboard could be placed inside the case. We had to install the 3x standoffs as well. So far, so good.

We then installed the PSU. Since it is a modular PSU, we only had to deal with three cables which are EPS, PEG, and an ATX cable. We did not face any issues with the cable routing. Before installing the graphics card, the HD audio and front panel connectors were routed and installed. The graphics card was installed. Afterward, all necessary cables were connected and routed. We did minimal cable management, and it still came out clean. However, if you don’t have a modular PSU and you are going to use an HDD cage, you would need to be creative with this case for cable management, particularly handling unwanted cables.

Installation

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Above are a few pictures from the installation process.

Testing

We have locked P-Cores at 4.8GHz and E-Cores at 3.8GHz using 1.220V using Intel XTU. We have used Noctua NT-H1 thermal paste. We have used AIDA64 FPU and GPU Load tests at the same time. The 4x XPG pre-installed fans were running at full speed. The Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM fans on the NH-U12A were running at full speed. The graphics card was operating at its stock settings. XPM was loaded from the UEFI BIOS. The rest of the settings were on Auto and Stock in the UEFI/BIOS. The system was put on idle for a minimum of 5 minutes. The ambient temperature was between 27°C and 28°C. Let’s take a look at the results.

We have a good all-round performance in the thermals department from XPG Valor Mesh.

Acoustic

The overall noise level was at 52~53 dBA on ambient 33 dBA, which is fine.

Conclusion

The XPG Valor Mesh is a compact mid-tower PC Case that comes in black and white editions. This case has a dimension of 460x210x371mm (LxWxH). Despite being a compact mid-tower, XPG has made the depth of this case 210mm, which is a smart move. This case is made of SPCC steel, plastic, and glass materials. Its gross weight is approximately 5.85 kg or so. This case has support for motherboards of the following sizes:

• Mini-ITX
• Micro-ATX
• ATX

However, it comes with only 6x pre-installed standoffs. You would need to install 3x standoffs if going for an ATX-size motherboard for which there is a socket wrench provided in the accessory container. The case has a 3mm thick tempered glass with a light tint. It has a sliding mechanism and does not fall when two thumb screws are removed.

The front panel is perforated and has a magnetic attachment. There is a magnetic dust filter as well on the front, and a third eye-catcher on the front is 3x 120mm pre-installed fans. There is a 4th 120mm fan on the rear, making a count of 4x 120mm fans that come pre-installed. The top also has a magnetic dust filter and a rail mount system for fans. The IO panel is located on top at the far end. XPG has taken full advantage of the 210mm width.

There is a perforated PSU shroud as well, and the base of the PSU is perforated. There is a non-magnetic dust filter under the PSU bay as well. There is a gap towards the front on the PSU shroud that measures roughly 59mm and is sufficient for a standard AIO cooler up front. Having a perforation all around makes this case an excellent candidate for sufficient airflow, hence the name MESH.

There is nothing fancy shrill like RGB lighting in this case, which is understandable and, in my opinion, a wise design because XPG has focused on function. The front IO provides 2x USB 3.2 Gen1 connectivity in addition to combined audio and HD audio ports. The reset and power buttons have a nice click to them without any wobbling. The tooling is standard, and the build quality is fine. We have no complaints in this regard.

Enough with the chit-chat. How about the build experience? Well, for me, it was a walk in the park. It was a buttery smooth experience. I was a bit out of touch due to two surgeries and almost being out of this work for a year, and this build is bringing me back on track again. Despite being a compact mid-tower, my large-sized hands have handled it pretty easily, and I have no complaints about it. Of course, one’s mileage would vary. I have used an air cooler to test this case, and I have also used a modular PSU.

If you are working with a non-modular PSU and HDD cage at the same time, then you would need to be creative for cable management. Other than that, there is nothing difficult to build in this case. The thermal performance is also good. Our core i7 was doing 76°C under heavy workload, and GeForce RTX 3070 was doing 74°C. Noise output was also good despite having a total of 6x fans in the build.

The XPG Valor Mesh, coming at USD 49.90, is aimed at entry-level gamers and PC users, but this is not all. This case is so well built, and the internals are so well laid out that this case is also applicable to system integrators, LAN shows, home media use, Gaming Lounge, etc. XPG has provided an almost complete feature set at this price point that is not easy to match. The only thing that is lacking is a 2-year warranty. However, this is a PC case, not a cooler or an SSD, and I should be complaining about the warranty.

Nauman Siddique

[Hardware Reviewer & Editor]

Meet Nauman Siddique, a highly experienced computer science graduate with more than 15 years of knowledge in technology. Nauman is an expert in the field known for his deep understanding of computer hardware.

As a tech tester, insightful reviewer, and skilled hardware editor, Nauman carefully breaks down important parts like motherboards, graphics cards, processors, PC cases, CPU coolers, and more.

• 15+ years of PC Building Experience
• 10+ years of first-hand knowledge of technology
• 7+ years of doing in-depth testing of PC Hardware
• A motivated individual with a keen interest in tech testing from multiple angles.
• I majored in Computer Science with a Masters in Marketing
• Previously worked at eXputer, EnosTech, and Appuals.

Get In Touch: [email protected]