Level 10 GT Battle Internals

Instead of using black as an accent color, Thermaltake has given it a prominent role alongside the olive green and we're not sure how well it works. This is actually something we really dislike about the Show Edition cases as well, which really clash with the strong use of black parts. Thermaltake's choice in hue is also unattractive to me as it's a little too green, whereas Corsair opted for a slightly duller shade.

Getting inside the Level 10 GT Battle Edition is extremely easy as you simply need undo the "System Security Lock" then press in the button underneath the case and pull the door at the same time. Thermaltake has used its clever case door fan connector which allows the door to open with the fan connected.

The opposite case door opens in a more traditional manner as it is secured using a pair of thumbscrews at the back of the case before you can slide it off. We had a lot more trouble here as it was almost like the door was glued on. It was impossible to remove by hand as there is nowhere to gain leverage. I was forced to jimmy it off with a screwdriver and I felt like I was trying to steal someone's car.

Anyway, with both doors open, I was able to get a good look at how the Level 10 GT Battle Edition works inside and frankly, it is identical to the original in every way. The non-removable motherboard tray gives plenty of room to work with and features eight rubber grommets along with a massive hole that offers rear access to the motherboard's CPU mounting bracket. Thermaltake has ensured that the hole is large enough to cater for all kinds of AMD and Intel motherboards.

Like the original, Thermaltake has provided excellent cable management in the Level 10 GT Battle Edition, but the cables that come pre-installed have also been neatly routed through the case. The fact that Thermaltake has also used black wires for everything is awesome.

Another thing that really impressed us was the 3.5" hot-swappable bay setup. The five bays are powered via a single SATA power cable, and not just any SATA power cable. This is a custom-made cable that is designed to fit the Level 10 GT Battle Edition like a glove. You simply needs to connect the data cable to your motherboard and slide in some hard drives.

The 5.25" drive bays are almost as impressive, as the right side door hides the tool-less design that lets you snap up to four 5.25" devices into place in just seconds. Securing the drives from the opposite side of the case is not really an option unless you take apart half the case.

The power supply is meant to be installed in the bottom of the case and in front of that is a mount for an optional 120mm fan – both the PSU and the fan are protected by a removable dust filter.

Thermaltake has pre-installed four case fans: a 200mm intake on the front and side as well as 200mm and 140mm exhausts on top and in back. The 200mm fans are designed to operate at 600-800RPM generating 13-15dBA of noise, while the smaller rear fan spins at 1000RPM and makes 16dBA of noise.

The internals of the Level 10 GT Battle Edition are constructed from SECC, which brings the total weight up to 28lbs (12.7kg) – considerably less than the full size Level 10's 47lb body.