Thermaltake Level 10 Assailed by PC Gamer

There's no accounting for 'taste'.

People whose careers were in Design...be it graphic, industrial or architectural can and do appreciate 'good design'.

Nerds on a PC mag site wouldn't know 'good design' if it bit them on their bum.

The only issue with the Level 10 is it is not a 'universal case' like a generic 'ATX' but is more period-specific and doesn't handle more recent MoBo architecture without a little 'fiddling...;)

http://www.pcgamer.com/the-eight-ugliest-pc-gaming-cases-weve-ever-seen/  

Fixed the link.

BTW....that's the 'standard' Level 10.  Mine is the 'Titanium Limited Edition Level 10" which is quite a bit different.

Edit....or not....looks like something's screwy with the HTML.

Mine...

https://www.thermaltake.com.au/db/products/case/Level10_Titanium/main.jpg 

I have a Level 10 GT. My only gripe is that the 4 RGB LED fans default to blue on a hard boot. I have to change them to red manually.  Too bad they couldn't make it so that they remember the set color.

 

Small gripe, but the only one I have. Otherwise, the case is sweet!!!

 

Yeah, Jafo....a bit different...lol.

 

Mine:

 

 

 

 

It was an extreme hit piece by PC Gamer I only thought 2 of them looked pretty bad. 

I'll bet you'd find a market for all of those cases....not everyone's taste is the same [thankfully].

Once upon a time the ultimate 'poster porn' was a Countach ....seems everyone [teen] thought it was the greatest....but in reality it was wildly impractical...;)

Yeah, my Level 10 is the same as RND's pictured above at #4.... and the one I'm using now.  However, it is far from ugly and is a great case for space and ventilation.

As far as I could see, that was the only drawback with your version, but nonetheless it is a great case that looks great as well.  My version handles modern motherboards [without the bit of fiddling] because it has the larger interior, but I still love the original look regardless.

I find the case to be one of the most retarded things to ever grace computer magazines.  I prefer function to form, so I got an absolutely beautiful Nanoxia DS5, a superior case from every practical standard.  It's lined with sound dampening material, has sound dampening doors to shield the drives and fans, massive airflow potential and compatibility with water cooling systems, modular drive bays, loads of room and compatibility with anything I could want to put in it, quick access from both sides, and wasn't designed by some silly artist who thought my computer needed to be some modern art piece.  It's also durable and will outlast it's usefulness when computers shrink well beyond the need for a full size tower and still do everything we could need them to.

 

I also find myself wanting to sterilize humanity every time I check a new product line only to find that it's the same stuff, with stupid fucking LED's sprinkled all over it like Christmas decoration.  Having my glorious hardware market infested with pointless light shows makes me want to kill people before the breed and pass their stupid on to future generations.

Each to their own, I guess, but the Level 10 I have is very functional indeed, with more than enough interior space to do whatever I choose in terms of hardware, and the cooling/airflow is exceptional. 

However, I do agree with regard to over-the-top led lighting... not to mention the gaudy colours some cases come out in.  I'd never ever use a case that's shiny, bright blue, red, yellow, green, etc.  Plain black with a bit of chrome, but that's it. 

Another case I like - and have - is the Coolermaster Cosmos II.  Perhaps a tad flashy in appearance, but it is most practical and spacious inside, with ample room for the most modern hardware a largest GPU cards.  Furthermore, it is made of solid steel and also is very durable.  About the only drawback is that it does not fit into the regular pigeonhole space of most desks.  Mine is on a stand of its own beside my desk, well when I've finished alterations to my desk and room renovations, that is.

Yeah, I feel the same way about bankers; politicians; advertising execs; real estate moguls... so it breaks the chain of 'entitlement' and they don't pass on their greed to future generations.

i thought the whole point of that case was function over form?

If you ever get your hands on the LE Level 10 you'll wonder why you needed "sound dampening" etc....the case is made from 3mm aluminium plate and is thus its own 'sound deadener' AND heat-sink.

It's not just the separation of heat sources...or the full-panel access to the 'back side' wiring ...but also so well done there's no fan noise at all...GPU and PSU fans don't bother running at all...;)

And 'durable' ...it'll outlast me...;)

A silent system vs a true silent system based on air cooling can be quite different.
I once owned a GT[FLE]X670 which was rated silent by the good folks in the US, to keep it short I bought it based on the references and tests that the card received - turned out to be a vacuum cleaner under load.
Same with the optical perception of a case, tastes also differ when it comes to sound and noise.
In the end all that matters is performance which im quite sure Thermaltake is able to bring to the table since it is made out of alluminium therefore has "good" cooling based on room temps. I also like the "modular" design of it.
Currently thinking about getting a phantek enthoo evolv because it looks neat running a silent base 800 currently with additional Noctua fans, which is standing on my desk and about 12 inches away from me. 
All i hear is a very very light breeze from the air passing through the rear under load.

My case is on the desk....sideways to me behind the monitor...which means it's level to my ears and about 18" away....and I can't hear a thing.

The GPU and PSU fans fire at boot but then shut down [inaudible IF they are actually spinning].

The CPU is a Noctua...so it's about as good as fans get.

The HD stack is more SSD than platter...and is vented by a piddly little fan you'd likely need a stethoscope to notice.

Bottom line....any noise it might be making is lost in room ambients....thus it's 'silent'...;)

 

I should add....every machine I'd made prior always sounded like  prototype Hoover....without a hose.....;)

 

Bit like the 2 SAABs I own....one...a '91 2.3 litre 4cyl 9000 Turbo [200hp] that wants to idle [just] at 1000...and you know it....

The other...an '07 2.8 Litre V6 Aero [also Turbo] with 276hp that's happy at 700...and if it weren't for the lights/gauges you'd think it wasn't running...;)

Ha, just saw this. I have this case just like starkers does. I like it. Could care less about the lights and would like them to stay at what I set them also! I've like Thermaltake cases. Hell, I still have a couple old ones in my garage, one monster watercooled aluminum heatsink jobber (forgot the model and name...) and an even older one with a red X over the Thermaltake logo with a control module for all the fans with a knob to adjust their speed. Was very cool and geeky at the time I bought it. Ah... the memories...

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Same here, and I like it a lot.  When I first saw it on show at a computer shop near me I just had to have it, and not just for its looks, which I think are great even if others don't.  Thing is, I took a good look inside before making my mind up 100%, and I liked what I saw. 

Apart from plenty of room and ventilation, with the side door fan being louvered to direct airflow to where you need it most, the cable management options are fantastic compared to other cases I've owned.  I recall somebody saying it was the tidiest build they had ever seen when I posted piccies, and yeah, I do take a lot of pride in my builds, but it was made all the easier with the cable management options of the Level 10. 

My Coolermaster Cosmos II is even better for cable management options, with very few cables showing at all.  Most are hidden behind the back panel, and those inside are well concealed to create a neat and tidy look.   I've had quite a few people ask why it matters when the case is closed and nobody can see the inner workings, and I always say that it matters to me, that the tidier the cables the better the airflow and ventilation.  I'm doing some work on it and waiting for parts to complete what I want to achieve, but when it's done I'll post some pics to show off the potential of this case.

 

For those with Level 10 cases, I just found this Thermaltake storage bay that's based on the original Level 10 PC case, though it wouldn't look at all out of place with the latter version.

The above link is to an Australian online PC store, but I'm sure there are places in the US, UK and Europe, etc, that would also stock it.

I didn't post pics cos I don't have an 'image hosting' account anywhere and wasn't going through the rigmarol of setting one up today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yup, just ordered mine... AU$94 with shipping.  Is on special for AU$75... don't know the original price but Aussies should probably order sooner rather than later if they want one.

Well after some confusion regarding payment at the seller's end, my Thermaltake Level 10 Miniature HDD bay arrived today.  It is a bit smaller than I imagined but it looks real neat and does the job I purchased it for, so I'm rather happy with it.

It has been slow going due to health issues and waiting for parts, etc, but my new desk, PC and room setup is nearing completion.  When I'm done I'll have to post some pics and maybe even a video of my efforts.