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First Look At Wild New "Level 10" Concept PC Case

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the definite-style-points dept.

notthatwillsmith writes "Maximum PC just posted an exclusive hands on with Thermaltake's unique Level 10 case. This concept design features individual compartments for different components (each with dedicated cooling) all mounted on a black steel frame. The case looks like a prop from 2001, rendered in black steel instead of white plastic. It's absolutely unlike anything I've ever seen before."

12 of 287 comments (clear)

  1. Re:very pretty by 0racle · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Cases like this are aimed at the hobbyist, not at corporate desks or people only interested in a tool.

    Personally, I kinda like it.

    --
    "I use a Mac because I'm just better than you are."
  2. Ok. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Cool? Yes. $700 cool? No.

  3. Pretty but still not perfect by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If you look at the drive bay covers they are not perfectly aligned. For $700, you would expect Jobsian OCD attention to detail, regardless in shortcomings to the other design elements.

  4. Re:very pretty by sadness203 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    47 pounds case ? It's for no hobbyist, it's for body builder. No normal geek could even think of moving this behemoth.
    And I find it rather ugly.

  5. The bottom line: $700 by steveha · · Score: 4, Insightful

    That's all I really need to know. It looks interesting, it might be cool, but I'll never buy one.

    steveha

    --
    lf(1): it's like ls(1) but sorts filenames by extension, tersely
  6. Terrible by ShooterNeo · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Why this case is a bad idea :

    1. $700. That would buy a whole generation of core component upgrades (CPU/video card/RAM)
    2. It uses small, noisy fans rather than larger, quiet ones like this case : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811103011
    3. Having a sweet looking computer case isn't going to impress anyone any more than having a sweet comic book collection. Save the money for spending things on stuff that actually (theoretically) have a chance of getting you laid, like better clothes or a nicer car.
    4. You could buy a vapor chill cooler instead and overclock like mad. This case won't give you any more performance than a standard case.

    In short, $700? No Wi Fi? Less space than a server case? Lame.

    1. Re:Terrible by Stevecrox · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Why does everyone assume fancy cars or superbikes will get you laid. When I bought my £4k superbike every person (men and women) all thought the said the same thing. The problem is if you pull up outside a crowded pub in a top class Mercedes/ Audi A4 controvertible or a superbike all that happens is 10 guys come up to have a look at it and tell you how awesome it is. Then they tell you how they'd love to own one and ask you how it drives/rides.

      It's like the myth that owning a motorcyle makes you cool to the opposite sex. Honestly in 7 years of riding I've met three random girls who liked the idea. Every other woman I've met when it comes up in conversation has used this exact phrase "Thats so cool, but I could never ride a bike its too scary." I ride a bike because its a joy, not because it makes me "cool". As for the Mecredes and the Audi pure luck from work rentals off of Hertz.

      My point? Buy what makes you happy, if its a superbike or a massive comic collection. Just because you have a particular possession you won't magically become more attractive to the opposite sex. For me this case seems like a massive waste of money, but then I think iPhones are massive wastes of money.

    2. Re:Terrible by schon · · Score: 3, Insightful

      It's like the myth that owning a motorcyle makes you cool to the opposite sex.

      How is it a myth again? The rest of that paragraph even shows it:

      in 7 years of riding I've met three random girls who liked the idea. Every other woman I've met when it comes up in conversation has used this exact phrase "Thats so cool, but I could never ride a bike its too scary."

      See? By your own words, every woman you've met thinks it's cool. (We assume that the three random ones that like it think it's cool.)

      Incidentally, the ones who say "it's too scary" are waiting for you to convince them it's perfectly safe, so that you'll take them for a ride. :)

      I ride a bike because its a joy, not because it makes me "cool".

      Agreed. There is *nothing* like the freedom of a motorcycle.. the women are just a bonus.. (although not so much since I got married, but it's still a stroke of the ego when you're in your late 30's, get off the bike and a hot 19 year-old comes over to talk to you about it :)

  7. no Firewire ports by arizonagroovejet · · Score: 3, Insightful

    For $700 I'd expect at least one FW800 port on the front.

  8. Dumb. by rAiNsT0rm · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I've been a system builder since the 486DX2 66MHz days and of all the case designs I've seen come, go, and be claimed to be the next coming, the only one to ever be a perfect blend of form and function is the Mac Pro cases by Apple. I'm not even a fanboy, and most of those cases probably were never even cracked, but there is no denying them. This thing is just dumb.

    --
    http://teasphere.wordpress.com - A little spot of tea
  9. Cables length? by tlhIngan · · Score: 4, Insightful

    One of the strengths and unfortunate weaknesses of PCs is that components are interchangable. This is a plus, since it means anyone can replace a part, but the downside is, the replacement parts may not fit the "concept" quite wel.

    In this case, it appears that while there's the central stand for wire routing, I'm not sure if it comes with the requisite power supply and cables trimmed to the right length. Too much cable is OK, you can hide the slack in the tower, but more often than not, cables are just a wee bit too short.

    A design like the old G4 towers where one side flips down with the motherboard exposed and all the cables running along the edge is what I envision a good case to be, but even in OEM PC designs from Dell and the like, they incorporate such "flip open" design. Unfortunately, it fails as some cable is too short, meaning it flips open a little bit, you disconnect it, open it more, disconnect the next too-short cable, etc. A real mess that spoils the nice servicability.

    My one concern is that - what happens if the power supply you bought doesn't have cables that reach? You have to invest in extensions? Or is that vertical stand contain a backplane, and all you do is plug the power/sata/IDE/etc cables into it, where they will go to the right component?

  10. Re:very pretty by PitaBred · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Just saying "any normal geek" already excludes Mac users. It has nothing to do with when Apple stopped using CRTs.

    /me dons asbestos undies

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