Review: Is ThermalTake's shiny new GT case a dumbed down Level10, or a perfect mix of design and function?
Despite it’s incredible cost, we really liked Thermaltake’s first Level10 case. Hell, we liked it so much that we gave it a Hot Award! The thing is, assuming you can get around the idiosyncratic looks – and it’s not a case that’s going to appeal to everyone –you get a lot of bang for your cash. Each part was thermally isolated in its own little chamber, making for great operating temperatures and a truly unique design footprint.
In the new GT version of the case, the design’s still much the same, but the price has dropped by well over a $500! So what are we missing out on, and does it compromise the case’s form and function at all?
GT stands for... The GT moniker is a continuing riff on the Level10’s roots. The original design was courtesy of BMW, so GT makes sense in that whole car lover way. If you’re into that sort of thing... However, it could also easily stand of GIANT TOWER, as the GT is easily one of the biggest cases we’ve looked at – it almost collapsed our testing bench! However, with great case size, to brutally mangle one of the greatest comic-book truisms of all time, comes great features.
Starting from the GT’s front fascia, we can see four external 5.25in bays covered by easily-removed mesh slot-covers, and a single 3.5in bay. Below these are a number of vents that cool the side-facing HDD bays. Also on the front, along the main superstructure/spine of the case, are IO ports – four USB 2.0 ports, audio, and power/reset buttons. There’s also the first of two locks, which secures the HDD bays.
Secures? Well, yes, because each one of the side-facing bays is actually hot-swappable. The HDDs are mounted in handy caddies with cleverly designed slide-out handles; engage the lock on the front and these caddies remain secure. The GT, like its predecessor, features a large handle running along the main structure of the case, so it’s assumed by Thermaltake that people will actually do this, and maybe take the GT to a LAN. Not likely, given the weight of the GT (and even more unlikely with the original – it’s practically made of dwarf star matter!), but it’s the thought that counts.
The left-hand panel also features a window to gaze upon the wonderful, magical innards of your rig, and a mesh-covered 200mm fan mounting. This mount’s pretty neat – it stands proud of the panel, so that interior space is compromised by the presence of the large fan, and it features a pop-out filter for simple cleaning of cat-hair and dust-bunnies. This fan also features a small lever for adjusting a series of louvers behind it, so that you can direct its flow up or down – a neat touch. Even neater, rather than have a cable run loose from the side-fan to the mobo, there’s a capacitive contact just near the hinge that keeps cabling neat and tidy.
The other side panel is pretty plain, while the rear holds eight expansions slots, water-cooling grommets and access to the PSU bracket. The top, however, boasts some interesting buttons and ports, as well as another fan. In fact, this is the control center for the GT’s four fans – here, you can control fan speed (fast or slow, kind of like whacking snakes), and cycle through five pre-set lighting models for the fans. In addition, there’s also two USB 3.0 ports, for getting stuff off USB3 devices faster than you can say lickety-split.
Rounding out the external features are four sturdy, fold out feet that give the case a lot of floor clearance, and handy little add-on headset-rest that’ll save you hanging your good gaming ‘phones on the back of your chair or passing girlfriends.
Issue: 137 | June, 2012