Thermaltake Level 10 And SilverStone Fortress 2: Contemporary Cases?

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The Fortress isn't just a computer case, it's a piece of office furniture. As such, it looks great. For a business computer, the comments about drive options or mounting multiple GPUs just won't matter; it probably has no better than a HD4550 in it, just to "be sure the guy could run his projector" off of it. The price isn't even too bad considering it as part of the decor. It isn't for me, but would be nice in executive's offices.
The Level 10 is a statement case. It says "Look, everybody, I've got more money than sense!" It's too big and heavy to be a LAN Party case, and way overpriced. It looks rickety; I'd be VERY concerned about fit and finish with all those swing-out boxes.
 
Both are no great looking in my opinion. They look like part of some office furniture. The 10 is functional but fancy and not good creative design. I have been looking for a new case and even in a small form factor, I have seen some simple elegant designs I like but nothing to get crazy and this ones are not for me.
 
The Level 10 case has been out for a while now and is completely modular and was designed primarily for the LAN party enthusiast.

I'm just surprised that it has taken this long for Tom's to take notice of this particular case which first came out something like a year ago.
Click to expand...

Tom's got it when it was new and it took a while to find anything else "new" to compare it to.
 
The Level 10 case wasn't designed with Aesthetics in mind.

It was designed to be portable hence the large handle at the top, yet at the same time allow you to have a powerful computer system in the case to take with you to LAN parties.

One of the biggest problems users are faced with LAN parties is taking their systems with them and carrying everything.

The Level 10 just simplifies this.
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They say it's designed for gamers. You say it's designed for portability. If those are the qualifications, the Level 10 is a complete failure. It's enormous and weighs 48 pounds, with the brackets and so forth. You won't be carrying a complete system around using this case.

Period.

It makes more sense as a piece of furniture than it does as a portable enclosure. You say it wasn't designed with aesthetics in mind, well I have new for you: Aesthetics are the only possible excuse for designing such an inefficient product.
 
Well folks if your card is longer than 10 and a half inches it won't fit in the level 10.I know because I was about to buy it.
So this is an Epic Fail when you can't use any video card you want to.Plus it costs an arm and a leg for something unusable if you want say a 5970.
I went with the Cosair 800D.
 
Thermaltake
Level 10

Also does that $700 case work much better than a larger $100 case? If it does work better, does it work $600 better or 6 times better.

My current CPU temperature is 31C and the case temperature is 22C, GPU temperature is 35C

will that $700 case make my temperatures 1/6th the current temperature?

For $700 will it include a shrink ray that will make the parts smaller so my videocard will fit?

For $700 will it include a high end (cleanroom style) filter system to prevent dust buildup?

for $700 will the case cook dinner for me so I don't have to leave the room while gaming?

That case probably cost about $20 to make

Will the case use magic in order to install a liquid cooling system?

Will the case stop a bullet because for that money I can build my self a bullet proof case.

 
[citation][nom]xsamitt[/nom]Well folks if your card is longer than 10 and a half inches it won't fit in the level 10.I know because I was about to buy it.So this is an Epic Fail when you can't use any video card you want to.Plus it costs an arm and a leg for something unusable if you want say a 5970.I went with the Cosair 800D.[/citation]

The photos of the hardware installation use an 11" card. The chart even tells you cards over 12" are supported, that's an actual measurement.

thermaltake_level-10_filled.jpg


In other words, you're lying and I'm calling you out on it.
 


Is there a specific part you had in mind or are you simply feeding off the lie told by xsamitt? It's not like you said anything specific like "no place to mount a radiator" and we aren't mind readers.
 
[citation][nom]Crashman[/nom]They say it's designed for gamers. You say it's designed for portability. If those are the qualifications, the Level 10 is a complete failure.[/citation]
You missed the point here entirely.

Gamers and LAN Parties go together Hand in Hand as the LAN Party can't really exist without Gamers.

For years, Gamers have lugged heavy systems along with their monitors and everything they feel they need to have with them for the LAN Party in question that they may be attending.

So a 48 pound case wouldn't really mean much of anything, especially if it's easy to carry what with the extra large handle at the top and if I recall correctly, the external drive cases along the side are removable, which would mean that they could leave behind any drives they don't feel they need for the party which would mean reduced weight.

But for a gamer attending LAN Parties, this would be a good case as it carries much like a suit case.
 
It's bizarre that people claim the Level 10 is "an old case" that's "been out for a year", when it's actually been on the market about four months. I know things move fast in the tech world, but c'mon...

As another poster noted, it's a very large, very heavy case. The handle on top is essentially useless. When I have to move mine (which weighs about 75 pounds with components), I grab the front and read vertical sections. Remember, lift with your legs, not your back.
 
[citation][nom]Crashman[/nom]The photos of the hardware installation use an 11" card. The chart even tells you cards over 12" are supported, that's an actual measurement.In other words, you're lying and I'm calling you out on it.[/citation]

I emailed thermailtake.Perhaps I was told wrong.But perhaps you could go on their site like I did and ask the very same question I did and see what they say.

I was all set to buy it infact when I got that info it threw my plans off.Now if it really can take a 5970 that would be very strange given the info I was given.

And yes I'm calling you on it to shoot off an email just like I did.

 
What I don't understand is why they flip the internals friom left to right. Nearly all desks that have a case shelf, has it on the right and we are long used to having windows showing off the good stuff inside on the left side of the case from the front. But these rotated cases from SilverStone do not, they would have the window on the right side meaning that the window faces away from you. This is the real reason I would never have this case although I love everything else about it.
 
Seriously, though,

If I were more successful, as a professional event videographer, it WOuLD be nice to sport a Level 10 case prominently, in my edit suite ...

... I already heve both an Ergocraft "Phantom" Operator's Contract Chair and also a Commercial Vehicle Group Executive model "Client Chair" (Aircraft Controller's) and 2x21U racks which flank a 52" LG5250 120Hz LCD/HDTV ... Both of those chairs cost ~$1000+ and they ARE also most impressive.

So ... If I had enough cash flow and was building a new Socket 1366 edit rig ... I would consider the Level 10 for pinache' and ethos, for the sake of the Client's perception ... because they may be paying up to $5K for multicam wedding coverage (no .. not synched) ... And, they may wish to visit the edit suite in order to "post-direct" their production.

= Alvin =
 
[citation][nom]user-one[/nom]pulling air straight from the floor like that is a terrible idea. it is going to get so dirty in such a short amount of time.[/citation]
Do you think this is a Vacuum cleaner or something?
 
[citation][nom]xsamitt[/nom]I emailed thermailtake.Perhaps I was told wrong.But perhaps you could go on their site like I did and ask the very same question I did and see what they say.I was all set to buy it infact when I got that info it threw my plans off.Now if it really can take a 5970 that would be very strange given the info I was given.And yes I'm calling you on it to shoot off an email just like I did.[/citation]

So Thermaltake is spreading disinformation to hurt their own sales? That's possible if the marketing department is completely out of touch, I guess. But I took those measurements, so I know that any card that fits between the intake fan and the back slots, a 12.26" distance, will fit.
[citation][nom]msdt[/nom]For $700, thermaltake had better include all the backplanes, not cheap out with 2.[/citation]
My thoughts exactly!
 
[citation][nom]nicklasd87[/nom]Do you think this is a Vacuum cleaner or something?[/citation]

His comment was correct, however the case is too short to sit on a floor "properly". It really needs its own shelf, several inches above the floor, for convenient reach.
 
[citation][nom]Crashman[/nom]however the case is too short to sit on a floor "properly". It really needs its own shelf, several inches above the floor, for convenient reach.[/citation]

19" is approximately the standard hight for the seat pad on any chair and with the Power buttons, USB Sockets among other things at the front/top, what the hell are you reaching down for?
 
[citation][nom]SchizoFrog[/nom]19" is approximately the standard hight for the seat pad on any chair and with the Power buttons, USB Sockets among other things at the front/top, what the hell are you reaching down for?[/citation]

Anything below the height of my arm rest?
 
Can you really call a 48 lbs case a great 'portable' device for LAN parties? Only if it is at YOUR house!
I wonder how much it weighs AFTER loading all the hardware?
 
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