Thermaltake Level 10 review

Few computer case manufacturers would even dream of collaborating with one of the world’s leading automotive firms, but Thermaltake has taken the plunge. Working with designers from BMW, the Taiwanese firm has conjured up the Level 10: initially just a concept, now a retail reality, it’s simultaneously the oddest and most stunning chassis we’ve ever seen.

First impressions count for plenty, and the Level 10’s boundary-pushing design drew gasps on arrival in the Labs. It’s easy to see why: rather than a traditional ATX tower, Thermaltake and BMW have separated the component groups into individual enclosures. These boxes are attached to one side of a vertical slab of aluminium, and the layout is intended to aid airflow and PC management.

This means the motherboard – which can be an ATX or microATX model – CPU and GPU are contained in the main enclosure and the PSU sits separately above, while the optical drives are perched further forward in their own box. Each of the six hard disk bays (all of which include mounting holes for 3.5in and 2.5in disks) is contained within its own curved enclosure perpendicular to the main spine, with red lights to indicate occupation.

It’s an eye-catcher, too. The wide foot curves gently upwards into the main body, and every surface is constructed from brushed aluminium that feels rock-solid. The moody black is interrupted only by a red LED strip that bisects the front and a top edges, while the sheer presence of the case – it’s a mere 666mm tall and 614mm long, and weighs over 21kg empty – means it will be the focal point of any room it occupies.

Thermaltake has included several neat design touches to aid system builders. The removable motherboard tray – revealed by unlocking the rear of the chassis and sliding the door panel off – includes a handy hole for easy access to a heatsink or water-cooling block’s backplate. The optical drive cover lifts off its hinges easily, which allows for drives to be slid into place unimpaired, and the PSU bracket is also detachable.

It makes a spell-binding impression, then, but our opinion of the Level 10 soon began to sour when we delved inside to build a working test system. Take the motherboard area, for instance. The enclosure snagged on the top of the front 120mm case fan unless we gently bent it aside; then once open and clear of the supportive rear fan housing, it sagged uncomfortably, too heavy for its own hinges.

Due to the asymmetric design and sheer weight involved, the looming chassis leans very slightly to one side, and wobbles at the merest nudge. Plus, the dust filter over the vent at the front of the main enclosure was hung lazily from tiny hooks and kept falling off during installation.

We also found the Level 10’s cooling performance to be uninspiring. Our test system – which consisted of an Intel Core i7-920 overclocked to 3.6GHz, an Asus P6T SE motherboard and ATI Radeon HD 5970 graphics card – pushed the processor to a peak temperature of 91 degrees, with the GPU hitting 85 degrees in similar tests.

While it’s not an unsafe temperature on paper, it’s a bit too close to the maximum operating temperature of 100 degrees for our liking, indicating that the tiny vents and two fans perhaps aren’t pushing a huge amount of air across the main components. With Intel’s Core i7 chips proven to overclock to 4GHz and beyond, and this kind of case appealing primarily to the Ultimate PC crowd, it’s not an overly impressive performance.

And, while the Level 10 may include a few nods to system builders, it’s still not the easiest case to work with. Routing cables through the convoluted layout is tricky: wires emerge from the PSU, disappear behind the motherboard and then re-emerge through a multitude of holes that line up with the numerous enclosures. We also found some standard SATA cables and power connectors from the PSU weren’t long enough to reach the components, so you might have to order extra-long leads.

The final nail in the Thermaltake’s coffin is its £442 exc VAT price. Other best-selling chassis, such as the Antec Nine Hundred Two or Cooler Master Sileo, may not have the panache of the Level 10, but they’re easier to work with and cost less than £80. Even the best top-end gaming cases will leave you with change from £150 before VAT.

The Thermaltake Level 10 hardly bears comparison to any normal case, though. The manufacturer deserves rich praise for daring to team up with BMW and produce something far beyond the imagination of any other case we’ve seen. As a concept chassis it’s undeniably brilliant. But up close and personal its monumental stature, awkward design and eye-watering price mean it’s better left on the drawing board.

NOTE: This case was provided by Mesh as part of its Mesh 7 system (hence the branding). The full review will be online shortly.

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