Preview: Thermaltake Level 10 By Blueonblack
A new story entry has been added:
[drupal=382]Preview: Thermaltake Level 10 By Blueonblack[/drupal]
Like everyone, I’ve got my own tastes and my own needs when it comes to computer cases. I’ve seen some absolutely gorgeous cases from companies like Zalman, Lian Li, Hiper, and NZXT; cases that I would be proud to own and to put my hard-earned hardware into. It looks like the folks at Thermaltake have raised the bar with what, to my eye at least, is the best-looking and most functional chassis I have seen to date.
There are a LOT of computer cases out there. We’ve all seen the huge variety, from dozens of manufacturers, with features geared toward the modder, from the simplest side window to chrome to LCD screens to lighting in every color of the rainbow (and some that aren’t found in nature). Call me jaded, but it’s not often something comes along any more that really excites me. As some of you have read in my previous scribblings, I’ve had my love affair with shiny, sleek and blue. I’m an extremist, as anyone who knows me will agree, so when that affair was over, I went to the other extreme, looking for function with a smooth sleek, low-profile unobtrusive design that still had style. Those are harder to find, let me tell you.
Guys, I’m excited. The team at Thermaltake has once again captured my eye, and they have outdone themselves. Thermaltake has been around the industry since 1999, and since their inception they have made some awesome products. Who hasn’t heard of the Armor series? They’ve got other names you’ve probably heard. The Golden Orb (and it’s siblings Max, Blue, Ruby and Du). The Toughpower series of PSUs. The Kandalf and Lanbox series of cases. The BigWater water-cooling systems. How many of those names did you know before I listed them? Well, they’re about to add another.
To celebrate their 10th anniversary, the engineers at Thermaltake have teamed up with the people at BMW Designworks to create what I can only describe as an example of function in art: the Level 10.
Yes, that’s a full-tower computer case, with all the goodies we’re used to (and some we’re not), nestled into this beautiful package. While the Level 10 isn’t due for release until mid-October, we’ve landed some outstanding photos, which show the things that make the Level 10 what it is. (Click on the "Hi-Res" link below each photo for a real close-up view.)
Obviously entirely different from the standard case design, the Level 10 is a modular concept, each major portion of your machine fitting into its own section. The PSU, the optical drives, the hard drives and the motherboard each have their own place in the scheme, and one entire side is dedicated to cable management.
Each of the three main modules (mainboard, PSU and optical drives) swings open on hinges and the cover of the module is completely removable, allowing easy access to your hardware.
The hard drives are also easily removed, each one being housed in its own individual hot-swappable enclosure, which slides out toward the left side. No screws to worry about here. In addition, when a hard drive is fully installed, it depresses a button inside the mounting area, which in turn lights a red LED on the front of the enclosure. That's right, red. There is not a single blue LED on this case. A huge plus in my book.
The designers haven’t forgotten about security, either. Each of the modules is held shut with a lock on the right side of the case. Locking them isn’t required to secure them, but it’s an excellent option for your expensive gear.
Unlocking these also allows the entire right side of the level 10 to be removed for access and cable management. No unsightly cables inside the modules when you show off your machine.
By now you’re probably wondering about cooling. That was one of the first things I thought of, too. With each major component enclosed in its own tiny space, what about the heat? I haven’t tested it, obviously, but the solutions look effective to me.
The PSU compartment is generously vented front, rear and bottom, to allow fresh airflow through the unit.
The main compartment for the motherboard (ATX or microATX) and primary hardware is vented front and rear, with a 140mm intake and a 120mm exhaust fan included, positioned to flow from the bottom of your mainboard, where most heat-generating video hardware is located, to the top, where it will carry away the heat from your CPU. With these two large fans creating airflow in this small space I would think the cooling would be more than effective. The cover for this module also has extra space directly over the CPU socket, to allow for larger air coolers.
Looking at the hard drive cradles, you can see the vents in the bottom. These are to allow airflow from the dedicated hard drive fans that the Level 10 features.
In the above photo, you can see the hole for airflow. This hole is present between each hard drive, and allows easy airflow up the shaft, provided by the two 60mm fans included. This combined with the solid aluminium extruded heatsink that runs along the column the hard drives mount into should be more than adequate to cool the hottest drives.
And just for the sheer beauty of the thing, here are a few "glamor shots":
I won’t say any more except to say that you should go to www.ttlevel10.com and see this thing for yourself. Granted, the Level 10 is a radical design, but that’s not a bad thing. It seems most of the cases that I really like are all-or-none pieces; either you'll love it like I do or you'll hate it completely. The Level 10 is the most extreme example I've seen. Like any radical design, the Level 10 isn’t for everyone, but I for one am sold. It’s beautiful, it’s functional, it’s easy to work with, and it’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen. I wonder how well saliva comes off of that slick black finish?
The Thermaltake name, TT starburst, Level 10 name , and all images on this page are copyright Thermaltake USA.
Reply With Quote
.
.
Originally Posted by Mitternacht
