Articles, Featured Articles, Industrial Design, Technology

Who would have thought that a computer case would be the object of so much design attention.  However, the Thermaltake Level10 is no ordinary computer case.  Rather, just about every single element of it is quite extraordinary.  Long gone are the days of simple beige cases that are a rat’s nest of cables.  BMW Design Works USA has helped usher in a new level of design for computer cases.  Although seemingly a bizarre partnership, and an obtuse venture for BMW Design Works USA, the end result is no less intricate than and inspiring than a BMW car to some computer lovers.

Thermaltake Level 10 Case

The case is made entirely of heavy duty aluminum, and a lot of it.  Based around a main vertical spine with compartments attatched to said spine for easy seperation and organization, the case achieves a level of cleanliness and openess that is rarely seen.  Even closed, there are indicators for the enthusiast (and make no mistake, this is aimed squarely at the enthusiast market with a ~$900 USD price tag) to know what is happening beneath the metal skin just due to the honesty with regards to the shapes of the compartments.  Each section is removable for easy access for adding new hardware, or replacing existing hardware and tweaking the setup.  The sheer amount of design consideration encased within is rather astonishing and certainly admirable.  BMW Design Works USA has tackled projects from Yacht and Luxury Airplane design, to concept car design, to projects for Microsoft and now a computer case for Thermaltake, and has demonstrated a thorough understanding of each area, despite the wildly differing knowledge for each.  While this is indicative of the quality of personnel working on the BMW Design Works USA group, it is also a tell tale sign of a group of designers that has a firm grasp on the design process as a whole, which is what allows them to move seamlessly into virtually unrelated fields with success.

Click the Image to see a Youtube Video of the Level 10 Case and it's Features

As the video shows, it is fairly easy to access any and all parts of the case, something of critical importance to someone building their own PC.  All reviews thus far have been extremely positive, taking issue with only 2 things with the case.  The first being the hefty price tag, which is roughly $900 USD as mentioned.  This can be a gamestopper, however, if one looks at this case as being the only case they will likely need for the next 10+ years, the price seems a little less daunting (although not much).  The next issue is harder to explain away however, and that is an issue with the provided cables being too short for some configurations.  For a computer that is built with expandability, and versatility in mind, it is a little dumbfounding to see that something as simple as cable length is becoming an issue.  That notwithstanding, the case is probably one of the more unique products on the PC market to debut in a long time.  While PC manufacturers are putting more effort into intricate and elegant designs, none can match the sheer design thought behind the Level 10, nor the unique visual style.  I can only imagine the number of knock-offs this will inspire…