Thermaltake Level 10 GT review

[siopao1984]

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Thermaltake Level 10 GT review by VR-Zone.com

Most enthusiasts would remember the astonishing “Level 10” case which Thermaltake co-designed with BMW Group Design Works USA and released a couple of years ago. Whoever remembers the (otherwise remarkable) Level 10 case also remember the ludicrous price tag which kept the sales of the product very, very low. Thermaltake claims to have fixed that with their release of the newly released Level 10 GT case, a product sharing a similar design but much more functional and far more sensibly priced and which already won the reddot design award for 2011. Today we are having a thorough look at it.

Manufacturer’s features and specifications

• FrontSpeed 2: USB 3.0 SuperSpeed
• PitStop 5: EasySwap HDD bays
• VGA TripleMax 37: Ready for extra-long graphics card up to 14.2”/36 cm (eg., ATI Radeon HD 6870 & NVIDIA GTX 580)
• QuadFan: Maximum ventilation and cooling
• Triple ColorShift: Adjustable fan ambience colors
• CableClear: Advanced cable management
• S.S.S.: Smart-lock Security System
• CoolFlux: ready for powerful high-end liquid cooling systems
• Headset Holder

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Packaging and Bundle



Thermaltake supplies the Level 10 GT inside a huge, well designed cardboard box. The artwork on the box is focused on a picture of the case itself alongside with what appears to be a schematic drawing of a BMW 1 series car. The 1 series is the cheapest and smallest BMW but it still is a relatively expensive and luxurious vehicle, so perhaps Thermaltake wants to give us a hint.



Inside the box we found the large tower case protected by two thick polystyrene foam slabs. The Level 10 GT comes wrapped not inside a simple plastic bag but in a large synthetic cloth bag.



The bundle is relatively extensive and includes the necessary screws (all of which are black), a typical manual, an advertising leaflet on other products, five quality black plastic cable straps, a CPU EPS/ATX 12V extension cable and a headphones hanger.

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The case exterior



The design of the new Level 10 GT is clearly based on that of the original Level 10 case; however the new case is nothing like the original. Thermaltake got rid of the unique but hefty chassis and fully compartmentalized design, trading it for a mainstream core steel chassis for functionality and low production costs. The size of the new Level 10 GT is close to that of the original case albeit slightly smaller, with the case’s dimensions being 58.5 x 28.2 x 59.0 cm, but the weight has been reduced down to 12.5kg, nearly half the weight of the original Level 10 design. A carrying handle is being formed at the top of the case.



The faceplate of the Level 10 GT is a mix between a common tower case and the original Level 10 design. Most of it is made out of plastic with only the mesh being metallic. Much like many of the high performance cases currently available, Thermaltake made a very large portion of the Level 10 GT’s exterior a metallic mesh rather than solid material.



This case’s I/O has been divided to two parts. The first part can be seen placed vertically at the front of the case and consists of the power and reset buttons, four USB 2.0 ports, the typical two front audio 3.5”mm jacks and a HDD activity LED.



The second part of the I/O can be found at the left top side of the case and consists of two USB 3.0 ports, one eSATA port, a button which controls the LED lighting of the fans and two buttons which control the speed of the cooling fans.



All of the 5.25” covers and the 3.5” cover are made out of a metallic mesh and are externally removable. They are extremely easy to remove as well, you only need to push the plastic flaps seen at their sides together and pull the cover right off. A nickel plated company logo can be seen at the top left side of the faceplate.



The Level 10 GT can hold up to 5 disk drives, all of which are externally removable. The trays of the Level 10 GT are plastic, much like most of its body, unlike the drive trays of the original Level 10 case which were metallic. By simply pressing the button, the corresponding tray will eject. A lock is present which can forbid the removal of the drives if security is a necessity.



The trays feature anti-vibration rubber rings and can house either 3.5” or 2.5” disks, which means that using SSDs with the Level 10 GT will not be a problem.



At the meshed side of the case, Thermaltake placed a small hinge where the headphones hanger can be installed. Removing the rubber cover requires a thin tool, such as a small flat headed screwdriver or a knife.



We found the headphone hanger to be a very interesting and useful concept. Although it adds bulk to the already large case and requires the left side of the case to be free of obstructions, it will be very useful for those who are going to place the tower beneath or on their desks.

[siopao1984]

The case interior



Not a single screw is holding the side panel closed. In order to open the side panel all you have to do is press the small button beneath the case, pointed out by a small arrow at the lower right edge of the side panel; given that the panel is unlocked, of course.



The door feels very solid and the hinges are metallic and feel very reliable. They allow a door movement of a full 180° and the door can be removed if pulled upwards while fully opened.



The massive 200mm LED lighting fan of the side panel can be seen above, as well as the airflow direction flaps. The fan has no loose cable waiting to be connected; it is powered from a Molex connector found inside the case through a small PCB with three contacts found at the edge of the door, which also breaks connection once the door opens.



The interior of the Thermaltake Level 10 GT case is all black, down to the case cables and screws, with the exception of the 200mm fans which are clear. The motherboard tray is cut behind the CPU area, allowing the installation of large CPU coolers without having to remove the motherboard from the case. There are many holes covered by rubber grommets for routing cables from and to the back of the tray.

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The case interior (continued)...



The rear of the motherboard’s tray is very roomy and cable holders have been installed, giving the users ample room and options to route and manage the cables of their systems. All of the case’s stock cables have been carefully routed already.



At the rear of the drive bays, the five SATA connectors can be seen waiting for cables to be installed. The entire row of the 5 drives is being powered by a single SATA power cable, which is nice and very tidy.



Here we can see the top clear 200mm LED exhaust fan and the rear black 140mm exhaust fan. The top fan is powered by the same Molex powering the side panel fan. The rear 140mm fan has its own 3-pin power cable, which is nicely sleeved.



Most of the case’s bottom has been perforated to allow the PSU to draw cool air from the bottom of the case and for the installation of the optional 120mm fan. Interestingly, the PSU is being seated on metallic stands without any soft sheathing which are almost certainly going to scratch the PSU’s surface.



Our ICTT system easily fits in the Thermaltake Level 10 GT case and plenty of room is being left to work and to route cables. Long PCIe cards of up to 36cm in length will fit inside the Level 10 GT, as well as CPU coolers of up to 19cm tall. Because of the compartmentalized design, the first installation might take you a little more time than it would with a common tower case but the end result will definitely worth it.

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Test system setup and results

In order to assess the thermal performance of the case we will be using our Integrated Casing Torture Test (ICTT) system to take readings over a period of one and a half hour. All of the case fans are operating at their maximum speed during the test and both side panels are closed. The airflow direction flaps are facing straight ahead. The exhaust temperature probe was placed above the rear fan of the case.



The Thermaltake Level 10 GT case delivers good thermal performance but not out of the ordinary either, being similar to that of many high performance cases. The temperature of our HDD sensor went noticeably warmer, a side effect of having drives installed in quick-removal trays which will block direct contact with the air intake and reduce the cooling performance of the intake fan, even if only partially. The large 200mm cooling fans have a large area of effect without generating too much noise, especially the side panel intake fan which will help reducing the temperatures of almost the entire system.

The acoustics performance of the Level 10 GT case is above average, although it could have been better. The fans of the Level 10 GT case generate 36.1dB(A) while running at their maximum speed, which is not bad but it is clearly audible. It should not be loud enough to bother most users but the option to reduce the speed of the fans down to half is available, at which setting the sound coming from the case fans becomes almost unnoticeable in a quiet room.

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Final words and conclusion

Quality (30% of the total score)

Thermaltake took care designing and manufacturing the Level 10 GT, the quality of which is well above average. The chassis is well made, with no imperfections and/or weak spots. All plastic parts are well made and thick, they should last for several years. While we cannot complain about the quality of the Level 10 GT case, fans of the original Level 10 design might be disappointed by the extensive use of plastic which is to blame for the massive reduction in weight; it is just way too much plastic being used on an otherwise grand case.

Quality Score 8.5/10



Performance (30% of the total score)

Without a doubt the new Level 10 GT offers great thermal performance; at least much better performance than the original design which, despite being extremely expensive, lacked any serious cooling capabilities. Thermaltake solved the problem by installing three massive 200mm fans and one 140mm exhaust fan, with the Level 10 GT being able to accommodate another 120mm intake fan at its bottom. The many cooling fans do not have a dramatic impact on the acoustic performance of the case and the speed of the 200mm fans can be cut down to half by simply pressing a button. The new design might not be as good looking as the original Level 10 case, it is however much more practical and functional, although the installation of expansion cards and disk drives takes more time than with a common case and it could become frustrating for people who upgrade/swap hardware often.

Performance Score 9.0/10



Aesthetics (30% of the total score)

The original Level 10 design was nothing short of majestic and for most it will always be an imposing product, a work of art, despite its ludicrous retail price. Those who loved the original Level 10 design will be disappointed by the Level 10 GT. It is not a bad looking product, not at all; it is an attractive and unique design with far improved functionality which costs less than half than the original product. It also features a 5 settings lighting system, with the fan LEDs being adjustable between only red, only green, only blue, all colors always on or rotation between the three colors. On the other hand, behind its very tidy cabling and the side panel door it is not much more than a common tower case designed to look like a Level 10. Almost the entire case exterior is made out of plastic, including the drive trays, giving the Level 10 GT a very common and cheap appearance which cannot come close to the grandiose appearance of the original Level 10.

Aesthetics Score 8.5/10



Value (10% of the total score)

Thermaltake promised to make the Level 10 GT much cheaper than the original Level 10 and that they did. The Level 10 GT currently retails for about 250$ USD / 300$ SGD, which is about one third the price of the original Level 10. However, despite the much reduced retail price, the Level 10 GT is still not a cheap case and it will certainly face massive competition from many other classy products. It definitely is not as grand as the original Level 10 but it still is a unique design and certainly much more functional for everyday use.

Value Score 9.0/10

[eXpLoDe]

i have been reading this review early this year. i thought its there old model case. hehehe