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Phantom 530 vs Thermaltake Level 10 GT Black Edition

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  • Thermaltake
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March 10, 2014 6:53:27 PM

I am looking to build my first computer and i want a case that will last me a long time. Both seem really good but i'm having trouble deciding. On one hand i have a sweet deal on a really good case and on the other hand i have a sleeker case. Maybe the answer is obvious to you guys but if there is any good reason that i should not buy the Thermaltake i would love to hear your opinions.

http://www.nzxt.com/product/detail/134-phantom-530.html
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005F7794S/ref=s9_simh...

More about : phantom 530 thermaltake level black edition

March 10, 2014 7:03:51 PM

Comes down to your opinion. Both are great cases made by reputable case manufacturers, that include the features you would expect from modern cases. Personally, I like the sleek, modern, metal style of cases, so other than what I just said my opinion won't help lol You might look at the Corsair 750D or the Fractal Design Define R4 too, but I don't know if you'll like them (they're my favorite :p  )
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March 10, 2014 7:34:27 PM

partial to the Fractal Design R4, Corsair Carbide 300R, 550D, 750D, NZXT Source 530, Cooler Master 690 III Advanced, Bitfenix Prodigy myself.
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March 10, 2014 8:27:16 PM

oh you see i'm looking at the level 10 case and i really like it...but if i can find a case that does the same in the way of cooling and usb ports then i would pick that over the level 10.
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March 10, 2014 8:57:47 PM

most of your better cases will have at least 2xusb2.0 and 2xusb3.0 ports in front/top so I'd not consider that something to look for. Cooling? most of the better brands like corsair, coolermaster, nzxt will have excellent cooling capability, up to you to use fans...
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March 10, 2014 9:15:53 PM

Side note, if you can see my build, after a full 4 he prime95 small fft run and 2 passes of furmark 11, my CPU @4.2GHz OC reached 63, gpu reached 80 and mobo reached 42 degrees C. For that little h-55 and Asus 660ti OC, that's not too shabby, or so I've been told. I believe a lot of that has to do with the great airflow in my cm 690 II case, which was $63 on sale when I got it.

Sorry, but I don't see the need for a case like the gt10 just for good airflow and the same 4 USB 2/3 ports.
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March 11, 2014 8:30:23 AM

what would you say are the perks of that case then that would make someone want to buy it? size, easy wiring, water cooling, and just the gadgets?
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March 11, 2014 9:24:21 AM

It's a cooler master case. That's a pretty good case builder. The cm 690 II is actually larger than most mid towers, its like 1/2 way in between a mid and full tower, so room is not an issue. Makes for better airflow. Cable management is pretty easy with this case. The only drawback wa the intake filter on the PSU, but that was all fixed on the cm 690 iii. The newer version even has upgraded fans, a 200mm intake in front. It will handle 280mm radiators top and bottom and a 140mm exhaust. You can even pop the top and mount fans from above, making for real easy push/pull configurations with a 240/280mm radiator that don't drop too far covering the top of the motherboard. Has 2x USB 2.0 and 3.0 in front, switch to turn off led etc. Last I checked, only thing it could have used was a fan controller, but I use bios/software anyways, so no worries.
Oh, and at idle or surfing, its dead silent, I mean you'll hear ringing in your ears before you'll hear my fans, but that's the way I used my pwm fans mainly. Most of the better cases like the fractal design r4, corsairs etc that I mentioned earlier will do the same, any good case will.

Given that, it'll be up to you to decide on taste, figure out what you need for your build, then go shopping for looks with a plan in mind. There are mini-itx that have great airflow, as well as full towers, and some that don't.
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March 11, 2014 2:07:19 PM

Karadjgne said:
It's a cooler master case. That's a pretty good case builder. The cm 690 II is actually larger than most mid towers, its like 1/2 way in between a mid and full tower, so room is not an issue. Makes for better airflow. Cable management is pretty easy with this case. The only drawback wa the intake filter on the PSU, but that was all fixed on the cm 690 iii. The newer version even has upgraded fans, a 200mm intake in front. It will handle 280mm radiators top and bottom and a 140mm exhaust. You can even pop the top and mount fans from above, making for real easy push/pull configurations with a 240/280mm radiator that don't drop too far covering the top of the motherboard. Has 2x USB 2.0 and 3.0 in front, switch to turn off led etc. Last I checked, only thing it could have used was a fan controller, but I use bios/software anyways, so no worries.
Oh, and at idle or surfing, its dead silent, I mean you'll hear ringing in your ears before you'll hear my fans, but that's the way I used my pwm fans mainly. Most of the better cases like the fractal design r4, corsairs etc that I mentioned earlier will do the same, any good case will.

Given that, it'll be up to you to decide on taste, figure out what you need for your build, then go shopping for looks with a plan in mind. There are mini-itx that have great airflow, as well as full towers, and some that don't.


What do you think about the cm storm series from cooler master? As in cooling and how quiet it is? do you think it's worth it or do you think i should choose a another cheaper case? And final question. what would make people choose the level 10 case by thermaltank? What does it have that might be good besides the wire control and the air flow.? Is it all just based on the bells and whistles it has?
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March 11, 2014 3:48:21 PM

The CM Storm series is quite popular, especialy with the LAN party crowd, as most have easy carry handles. Very good thermals and an aggressive style without being over the top. They are Cooler Masters, and CM doesn't make a 'bad' case. Also very popular and has very good thermals is the HAF series.

As far as sound goes, with the right choices in fans, cpu cooler, gpu you can have a silent system. At idle or surfing, it will be very, very quiet. When pushed, no system is silent, however, there are some cases with built in silencing that do a respectable job of that too.

Go to www.pcpartpicker.com, that website has a huge selection of cases and other components. If you view by list you will see pictures of the cases, but this takes a minute, there are hundreds. If you view by detailed list you will see the ratings, and numbers of people who rated the case. This is a good clue as to what is good and what is recommended, and what is not. A lot easier than surfing Amazon or Newegg one by one.

As to why people buy the TT Level10? Because they like it, can afford it, and want something that performs well and looks different than every other case their friends have. Best guess...
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March 11, 2014 4:04:10 PM

Karadjgne said:
The CM Storm series is quite popular, especialy with the LAN party crowd, as most have easy carry handles. Very good thermals and an aggressive style without being over the top. They are Cooler Masters, and CM doesn't make a 'bad' case. Also very popular and has very good thermals is the HAF series.

As far as sound goes, with the right choices in fans, cpu cooler, gpu you can have a silent system. At idle or surfing, it will be very, very quiet. When pushed, no system is silent, however, there are some cases with built in silencing that do a respectable job of that too.

Go to www.pcpartpicker.com, that website has a huge selection of cases and other components. If you view by list you will see pictures of the cases, but this takes a minute, there are hundreds. If you view by detailed list you will see the ratings, and numbers of people who rated the case. This is a good clue as to what is good and what is recommended, and what is not. A lot easier than surfing Amazon or Newegg one by one.

As to why people buy the TT Level10? Because they like it, can afford it, and want something that performs well and looks different than every other case their friends have. Best guess...


hmmmm ok so i kind of want to get the cm trooper but one last question. so you're saying it depends on the kind of fans i get. if i try and max out the trooper with fans will it be quieter because it will take less energy to cool or louder because it has more fans? And i'm not looking to overclock so do i really need a cpu specific fan? (i do render videos though)
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March 11, 2014 5:06:12 PM

Intel CPUs run cooler than AMD for the most part, and the stock Intel cooler works a little better than the AMD. However, when the CPU is pushed, both tend to get loud, quickly. At best I would rate them as satisfactory. But that's not really all that good. CPUs work better and last a lot longer if kept cooler, especially a lot cooler than their thermal limits. Depending on exactly what software is usef, your video rendering could be highly cou intensive, and push it hard on its thermal limits. This would not be all that good for the CPU and your CPU fan will probably go ballistic. A decent aftermarket cooler will do a much better job of cooling the CPU, consequently, when idle/surfing the fan will spin slower, creating less noise. My radiator cooling fan spins @ 300 rpm, and still keeps my CPU @ 32 at idle. It's dead silent. It's also a Noctua NF-F12 pwm radiator fan, about the best there is.
Maxing out fans does not alway equate to good airflow, as too many fans pushing in weird directions, and end up circulating the heat instead of alleviating it. Care must be taken to arrange any fans in a definate direction, usually this being from lower intake to upper exhaust, heat tends to rise, and good airflow will help that happen better. Having 5 huge intake fans and only 1 tiny exhaust isn't a good exchange of heat, or vice-verse.
I have 2x 140mm intakes and 1x 140mm + 1x120mm radiator exhaust. The 140mm exhaust is top mounted next to the radiator, and never spins up unless the mobo temp reaches 38*C, so usually only the CPU radiator fan is my only exhaust. I have no rear. My airflow is from bottom front to top back. It works for me. I have 3 unused fan mounts. Don't need them. More fans means more potential, for cooling as well as noise. Since my cooling is good, don't need them.

Whatever case you end up deciding on, check the thermals out on it. Run your stress tests, see how things heat up. Then do some homework on good fans, for airflow you want higher CFM, for radiators you want high pressure. Look at reviews for performance, bearing types, noise, reliability. Only then buy what you need to solve any heat issues you may have.

Build your computer with your tastes and needs in mind, as well as budget, because in the end it should be something you should be proud of, unlike something bought off a store shelf.
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March 11, 2014 8:38:08 PM

Karadjgne said:
Intel CPUs run cooler than AMD for the most part, and the stock Intel cooler works a little better than the AMD. However, when the CPU is pushed, both tend to get loud, quickly. At best I would rate them as satisfactory. But that's not really all that good. CPUs work better and last a lot longer if kept cooler, especially a lot cooler than their thermal limits. Depending on exactly what software is usef, your video rendering could be highly cou intensive, and push it hard on its thermal limits. This would not be all that good for the CPU and your CPU fan will probably go ballistic. A decent aftermarket cooler will do a much better job of cooling the CPU, consequently, when idle/surfing the fan will spin slower, creating less noise. My radiator cooling fan spins @ 300 rpm, and still keeps my CPU @ 32 at idle. It's dead silent. It's also a Noctua NF-F12 pwm radiator fan, about the best there is.
Maxing out fans does not alway equate to good airflow, as too many fans pushing in weird directions, and end up circulating the heat instead of alleviating it. Care must be taken to arrange any fans in a definate direction, usually this being from lower intake to upper exhaust, heat tends to rise, and good airflow will help that happen better. Having 5 huge intake fans and only 1 tiny exhaust isn't a good exchange of heat, or vice-verse.
I have 2x 140mm intakes and 1x 140mm + 1x120mm radiator exhaust. The 140mm exhaust is top mounted next to the radiator, and never spins up unless the mobo temp reaches 38*C, so usually only the CPU radiator fan is my only exhaust. I have no rear. My airflow is from bottom front to top back. It works for me. I have 3 unused fan mounts. Don't need them. More fans means more potential, for cooling as well as noise. Since my cooling is good, don't need them.

Whatever case you end up deciding on, check the thermals out on it. Run your stress tests, see how things heat up. Then do some homework on good fans, for airflow you want higher CFM, for radiators you want high pressure. Look at reviews for performance, bearing types, noise, reliability. Only then buy what you need to solve any heat issues you may have.

Build your computer with your tastes and needs in mind, as well as budget, because in the end it should be something you should be proud of, unlike something bought off a store shelf.


what kinds of stress tests do you mean? like opening up 3 projects on sony vegas?
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March 11, 2014 9:03:16 PM

Intel BurnIn Test on max, prime95 small fft (its a weird program, but it works the cpu great), furmark will test the gpu hard, Aida64 (free trial).

These are what overclockers use to stress test their OverClocks, used to find if they are stable or not, so test the cpu/gpu to the max, well beyond any normal usage.

If your gpu goes above 80ish, time to look for maybe a fan to help blow over the heatsinks (usually one mounted to the side panel is good.
If your cpu gets anywhere close to rated thermal limit, time to look for better cooling option of some sort (liquid or air, your choice, either works well).
If your motherboard starts showing excessive heat, gets unstable, drops voltage, time to look for better airflow, especially across the stuff next to the cpu (Voltage Regulator Modules), Northbridge/Southbridge chips (that's the 760G,970,990 stuff in an AMD board). Couple of fans, 1 or 2 intake, and exhaust will help with that.

Step 1. build.
Step 2. breakin then test.
Step 3. Start another topic, and ask about the results/recommendations
Step 4. Really think about the results, your taste, your budget, ask if what you decided will work.
Step 5. Go get it, build it, fix it.
Step 6. Repeat step 3+ until alls good, thumbs up and you are happy.
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March 11, 2014 9:56:00 PM

good case, all kinds of gadgets and stuff to play with, good thermals, I prefer the looks of the windowed version. Its a full tower, all kinds of space in there for just about any cooler/radiator option. Not a big fan of its looks, but that's a personal opinion/choice.
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March 12, 2014 9:05:31 AM

sorry i should have said specifics. how do you like it for it's sound?
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March 12, 2014 9:10:47 AM

or do you think fractal designs would be better for low sound:airflow.
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March 12, 2014 2:48:09 PM

the Fractal Designs R4 is an excellent case, and I love its looks. Sound wise, it blows the Storm Trooper away, while still having decent airflow. Its also a lot smaller than the Trooper, being a mid tower. I like the looks with the window. Unfortunately the Full Tower R2 XL, doesn't have a window, but is a better case than the Trooper all round except for airflow, where the Trooper has a slight advantage of not having a door in front of the fans. I'd take an R4 window over a Storm Trooper any day.
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March 12, 2014 2:54:29 PM

would you take an r4 over the define xl?
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March 12, 2014 3:45:55 PM

yep. I prefer the look of the window. They are pretty much the same case except the R2 is a full tower, and the R4 is a mid tower. I don't have a huge air cooler or multiple gpu's and HDD's so a full tower is wasted on me, mid suits me just fine and most cord assemblies are built around mid towers. Some full towers you need cable extensions to be able to route them nice and neat and hidden and still have enough to reach. Didn't want that added expense either lol
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March 12, 2014 6:27:14 PM

ok i just need to clarify on this. does the cooler master have more cooling than the r2?
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March 12, 2014 9:08:21 PM

Because of its open mesh front and large amounts of space, its only natural that the CM will have better cooling potential than the smaller R4, however, that said, its entirely possible to make the r4 have better cooling than the CM because its easier to fill a smaller space with air than it is a larger space. You get 2x fans pushing air into 1 cubic foot of airspace in the R4, and same 2 fans pushing air into 3 cubic airspace in the CM.
Understand? The CM may have more potential, but it will take 2x as many fans.
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March 13, 2014 9:39:56 AM

hmmmm alright. well i think i might chose the cm just because i'm going to college next year and i may have to move my case alot (don't want a xl case that will be a drag to move). So instead i'm getting the cm for the next four years. when i have a more permanent place to live ill invest in a fractal. but i have one question. I have an audio technica at2020 mic and i was wondering if the noise from my pc would pick up on the mic.
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March 13, 2014 9:43:32 AM

and how about the stryker? it looks like the same thing but the side has a window. now because of this window i am assuming that it will create more sound than the trooper.
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March 13, 2014 3:14:59 PM

windows are decently thick pieces of plexiglass. quite a bit of the sound you do hear is resonance coming off the metal side panels, so a window doesn't make the sound worse. I prefer the stryker to the Trooper, but not by much. Still rather have either the case I have now or the R4
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March 13, 2014 4:22:17 PM

the nzxt H440 is a fantastic case. 3 fans in front give it better airflow than the trooper or stryker by far, as well as a great design and good looks. I'd love to have that case, however, it has 1 drawback to me. No optical drive slot. That slot was repurposed as a fan slot in the H440, and I use my dvd burner quite a bit, so that case wouldn't work for me, much as I may love it. Its a very, very well built case.
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April 3, 2014 4:56:04 AM

good...because that's what i got XD and now i have to wait a month before i can actually get it.
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April 3, 2014 11:19:36 AM

Congrats, and have fun with your build, its gonna be nice.
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!