KitGuru KitGuru.net – Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards
Thermaltake released one of the most stunning looking products in 2009, the spectacular Level 10 Chassis. Co-Designed with car manufacturer BMW it was a unique concept idea which caused many people to sit up and take notice. Sadly, the £500+ price point meant it was strictly for a small hard core audience of enthusiast user. Fast forward a couple of years and Thermaltake have revisited the design, dropping the price point while maintaining a similar compartmentalised design.
While the Level 10 was undoubtedly an eye dropping design it was rather huge, and it weighed a ton, often over 40kg with a full system build inside it. The Level 10 GT is smaller, lighter and most importantly, less than half the price. Is it any good however?
| Case Type | Full Tower |
| Material | SECC |
| Front Bezel Material | Plastic |
| Color | Exterior: BLACK Interior: BLACK |
| Side Panel | Window |
| Motherboard Support | Micro ATX ATX Extended ATX |
| Motherboard Tray | |
| 5.25″ Drive Bay | 4 |
| Ext. 3.5″ Drive Bay | 1 |
| Int. 3.5″ Drive Bay | 5 |
| Expansion Slots | 8 |
| Front I/O Ports | USB 3.0 x 2 USB 2.0 x 4 eSATA x 1 HD Audio x 1 |
| Cooling System | Front (intake): 200 x 200 x 20 mm ColorShift Fan x 1 (600~800RPM, 13~15dBA) Rear (exhaust): Top (exhaust): Side (intake): Bottom (intake): |
| Liquid Cooling Capable | Yes |
| Liquid Cooling Embedded | |
| Power Supply Supported | Standard PS2 |
| Power Supply Included | |
| Dimension (H*W*D) | 584 x 282 x 590 mm |
| Net Weight | 28.0 lbs |
| Security Lock | Front HDD Access Side Panel Rear peripherals |
| Application | High Performance Gaming |
The Level 10 GT arrives in a very large box with pictures of the case on the front. Thermaltake have also included an image of a BMW car, to highlight the partnership.
Inside, the case is very well packed, between heavy duty Styrofoam blocks and wrapped in a felt cloth bag.
There is an extensive bundle supplied inside the case, which includes an installation manual, cable tidies, literature on other products and a ‘certificate of ownership'. All the necessary mounting screws and cables are supplied.
The original design is clearly evident, even if it is dramatically changed. This case is designed to appeal to a mainstream audience, and the price reduction indicates a less complicated engineering process. There is a 200mm fan at the front which is used as an intake.
The original case measured 614mm x 318 mm x 666.3mm and the new GT is reduced to 584 mm x 282 mm x 590 mm. It has also has been reduced in weight from just under 22 kg to 12.7 kg. Its still substantial to move about, but certainly not in the same way as the first design. We certainly don't think it looks quite as dramatic as the original, but it isn't without charm.
Thermaltake have their name and logo branded into the case, top left. To the right is an interface panel, in a similar ‘vertical' design to the original. There is a power and reset button at the top, with 4 USB ports, next to a microphone and headset socket.
In the middle, there is a key lock, alongside the 3.5 inch drive bay. Underneath are the drive bays, which bear a slight resemblance to the first design, but work quite differently. They are no longer metal, but plastic. We will look at this more later in the review.
The GT isn't as dramatic in stature, with the shape following a more traditional design. That said, many might find it more accessible than its predecessor.
There is a plastic panel at the top which allows a view of the CPU cooler area. The other side is flat, without vents, with a large letter ‘T' sculpted into the material. The name of the case is bottom right and looks rather artistic. The carry handle is actually practical this time, as the overall weight is much reduced. We certainly don't feel it would be ‘portable' to a lan party for example, but it can at least be moved between rooms without breaking your back.
There is a 200mm fan mounted on the side panel, but we will look at this once we open it up shortly. This has a removable dust filter covering it.
The rear is very well designed, with three watercooling holes in a staggered layout across the top. One of these can be used to feed the USB 3.0 cables through to the backplate of the motherboard.
Eight tool free expansion slots are available. The power supply is mounted at the bottom and if you are concerned about security, there are two fastened hooks to allow cables to be attached to the chassis.
While most of the case is manufactured from plastic, the engineering standards are pretty good, no edges are left untreated or exposed, and there are no sharp corners. The side panel has a position for the optional ‘headphone' holder, which can be installed or removed when needed. This is hidden when not in use by a rubber cover.
Underneath the case is a removable dust filter which helps ensure the case receives adequate airflow, a problem associated with the initial design. The four feet can be rotated 90 degrees to offer added stability if desired.
At the top of the case there is an I/O panel with two high speed USB 3.0 connectors, an eSATA port, and three buttons which control fan speed and colour – red, blue, green and mixed colour modes are offered. Thankfully these can be totally disabled. As noted earlier, the power and reset buttons reside at the front.
Behind the I/O panel is another supersilent 200mm fan, which acts as an exhaust unit.
The side door can be locked with a key, two of which are supplied. To open the door, this has to be unlocked, then a button is pressed on the underside of the case.
The GT door opens to reveal the inner chamber.
The door hinges are really heavy duty and allow for a wide range of movement. It can be ‘lifted off' once it clears past the rear beam.
Another fan is positioned at the rear, a 140mm unit which acts as an exhaust.
There is another silent 200mm fan on the side door which features an adjustable fin section to help direct airflow. This is controllable from the outside via a lever.
Thermaltake deserve some credit for some of the internal touches. As we said, the side door can be removed, but what about the power cable from the 200mm fan here? Cleverly, this is attached to the internal cable by a small circuit board, which breaks the connection when the door is open or disconnected. All cables are neatly run along the edges of the case for connection to the power supply.
An inside view of the top mounted 200mm silent exhaust fan. This can be swapped out for a 120mm x 240mm liquid cooled radiator if so desired.
The hard drives are slotted into the front bay section, we will look when we come to install our system on the next page.
The bottom of the chassis is vented, behind a removable dust filter. Another 120mm fan can be attached here for intake duties, but this is the only fan area which isn't supplied.
Removing the other door requires the removal of two thumbscrews. There are plenty of positions for routing cables, with a large recessed area at the front of the case. All of the holes are rubber mounted to ensure the final build looks as impressive as possible. There is a large hole cut into the motherboard area for access to rear mounted CPU plates.
Installing the drives is straightforward. There is another key lock at the front of the case, when this is in the ‘open' position, the buttons at the front of the case can be used to access the drive bays.
Each of these drive bays can house a hard drive or SSD drive. SSD's are locked in place with screws from the underside of the bay. Mechanical drives are mounted from the sides.
These are then slid into the trays and make connection with the rear docking bay.
The row of drive bays can be powered from a single sata connector. All of the case fans are also powered from a single molex connector which is miles ahead of any other design we have seen before.
Equally as impressive is the power supply installation. There is a little tray at the bottom, you simply slide the PSU in from the front then lock it in place with four screws.
The only aspect of the internal build that we didn't like was the fitting of the expansion cards and graphics cards. The Level 10 GT uses a convoluted system requiring the removal of a locking section then fiddling about with thumbscrews from the rear of the case. I didn't like it at all and it marred an otherwise fantastic build experience for me.
CPU coolers up to 190mm in height can be used, above is a Thermaltake Frio OCK fitted (review soon). The case can also accept graphics cards up to 360mm in length which is more than enough to accommodate the HD6990 (310mm).
For the test today we are using an Intel Core i7 990x processor which is connected into the stunning new Asus Rampage III Black Edition motherboard, which we reviewed last week.
Processor: Intel Core i7 990x
Motherboard: Asus Rampage III Black Edition X58
Cooler: Antec Kuhler Liquid Cooler
Memory: Kingston T1 12GB 1600mhz DDR3
Storage: Corsair F40 SSD
Graphics: eVGA GTX460 SC
Power Supply: ADATA 1200W
Windows 7 Enterprise Edition 64bit
Thermal Diodes
Raytek Laser Temp Gun 3i LSRC/MT4 Mini Temp
Digital Sound Level Noise Decibel Meter Style 2
Firstly let us have a look at the chassis design and airflow, as it comes ‘out of the box’.
The Thermaltake Level 10 GT is a cooling powerhouse and considerably better than the original model which needed some user modifications to handle hotter running systems. A 200mm intake fan is positioned at the front, which is passed over the components then exhausted from the top, rear and side panels.
We have placed thermal diodes in 5 positions – 1; top optical drive bay position and fan intake position. 2; lower bay area. 3; close to CPU. 4; motherboard/GFX area. 5; above PSU. Ambient room temperatures were maintained at 23c throughout.
Fans were set to high.
Now we overclock the 990x to 4.8ghz by increasing the core voltage to 1.48v.
The GT cooling system is significantly better than the Level 10 design from a few years ago, dropping temperatures by 2-6c+ across the board.
Today to test the chassis we have taken it into our acoustics room environment and have set our Digital Sound Level Noise Decibel Meter Style 2 one meter away from the case. The room rates as 21dBa before powering on the system (air conditioning unit in the far corner of the room causes this).
As this can be a little confusing for people, here are various dBa ratings in with real world situations to help describe the various levels.
KitGuru noise guide
10dBA – Normal Breathing/Rustling Leaves
20-25dBA – Whisper
30dBA – High Quality Computer fan
40dBA – A Bubbling Brook, or a Refridgerator
50dBA – Normal Conversation
60dBA – Laughter
70dBA – Vacuum Cleaner or Hairdryer
80dBA – City Traffic or a Garbage Disposal
90dBA – Motorcycle or Lawnmower
100dBA – MP3 player at maximum output
110dBA – Orchestra
120dBA – Front row rock concert/Jet Engine
130dBA – Threshold of Pain
140dBA – Military Jet takeoff/Gunshot (close range)
160dBA – Instant Perforation of eardrum
We have replaced the graphics card with a Sapphire HD5670 Ultimate edition.
With the fans on low settings the system is quiet, and on high the fan noise rises so it is clearly audible.
The Thermaltake Level 10 GT certainly doesn't deliver the same level of bling as the first release a few years ago. The original case was a talking point for almost a year, with the enthusiast community debating not only the appearance, but the price. You have to admire ThermalTake for working with BMW in releasing something so radical, daring and different. At £500 it was out of reach to many, which is why they have revisited the design.
Without question, the Level 10 GT doesn't instantly demand your attention, gone are the intense lines and compartments. What we are left with is a more modest product which actually improves on the original concept in a few key areas.
When the Level 10 hit the market, people commented on the poor cooling. I use several myself and I have both of them modded with improved fans, and a bracket inside the motherboard compartment which is home to a 140mm fan to improve on the air flow circulation. On a cooling level it pales dramatically when compared to the exquisite Lian Li X2000.
The GT has rectified the cooling problems, by including three huge 200mm fans and a 140mm fan it creates a more practical air flow pattern inside the case. It still isn't as good as the Lian Li X2000, but it is only a couple of degrees behind.
The build quality is very good, with strong side panels and well engineered sections all fitting together in the way we expect from a quality product. The only real negative for me is the bizzare expansion slot locking mechanism which requires the fitting and removal of a seperate panel block, with thumbscrews fitted on the outside of the case. As a user who is constantly changing graphics cards, this would seriously try my patience but perhaps as a ‘fit once and forget' solution it wouldn't generate the same frustration.
Is it worth the money? If you like the appearance, then I would say yes. It is attractive enough to merit interest, and the improvements finally include a good cooling system. There are alternatives which bear attention, and if I was being totally honest I would pay the extra to get the Lian Li X2000F, but do I have very specific tastes.
Pros:
- Plenty of space inside
- Build quality is high
- Cooling system is excellent
- security locks are handy
- hot swappable drive bays
- lighting is effective
- much lighter than the original design
Cons:
- Expansion slot system is over complicated
- Doesn't have the same ‘wow' factor as original
- Costs over £200 in the UK meaning competition is high
KitGuru says: An acquired taste, but Thermaltake have improved on the cooling and lowered the price. I hope they continue with the Level 10 franchise. We hope to see a ‘Level 10 Turbo' like the original design but with improved cooling.
I really like it. very nice looking and much lighter. The cost is still a bit high for me, but i think this is a win.
Original was a stand out product, this doesnt look like much to me. I really do like the insides though, the little board on the door for disconnection. I friggin hate connecting up fans to motherboards all the time when I do something inside.
I dont know, I saw the hexus review a wee while ago and thought it lacked a bit of detail. This seems more even handed to me.
Still wouldnt buy it, but there are some redeeming features.
Damn, I think this is brilliant. the design is great. the I/O on top and bottom, all the fans as standard (worth £40 for the fans alone). the trays, the door fan system. the looks.
Im buying it.