Thermaltake Adds ARGB Model to Level 20 GT

By Thomas Soderstrom
published

Thermaltake today announced a new ARGB version of the Level 20 GT. Strangely enough, at $250 the new Level 20 GT ARGB costs $33 less than the Level 20 GT RGB Plus we reviewed last year ($283 at the time of writing). 

This PC case still has the 5mm-thick tempered glass panels, but the 200mm front fans have been replaced by ARGB versions, so the only reason we can think of for the price reduction is that Thermaltake might be getting more competitive. It's also possible the standard RGB version will see a price drop soon. After all, we said of the Level 20 GT RGB Plus that “the $289 (£ 227.13) price will likely be the deciding factor for most people considering this case.” That decision might have just gotten a little easier.

Thermaltake Level 20 GT ARGB Specs

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P/NCA-1K9-00F1WN-02
Case TypeFull Tower
Dimension  (H x W x D)22.9 x 11.6 x 23.3 inches
580 x 294 x 592mm
Net Weight44.31 pounds / 20.1kg
Side Panel4x 5mm Tempered Glass
ColorExterior & Interior : Black
MaterialSPCC
Cooling SstemFront (intake):
200 x 200 x 30mm Addressable RGB fan
2x (800rpm, 29.2dBA)
Rear (exhaust):
140 x 140 x 25mm fan
(1000rpm, 16dBA)
Drive BaysRow 14 - Cell 1
-Accessible2x 2.5 inches or 4x 3.5 inches (HDD rack)
-Hidden6x 2.5inches or 3x 3.5 inches
Expansion Slots8
Motherboards6.7 x 6.7 inches (Mini ITX), 9.6 x 9.6 inches (Micro ATX), 12 x 9.6 inches (ATX), 12 x 13 inches(E-ATX)
I/O Ports2x USB 3.0 2x USB 2.01x USB Type-C1x HD Audio
PSUStandard PS2 PSU (optional)
Fan SupportFront:
3x 120mm, 3x 140mm, 2x 200mm
Top:
3x 120mm, 3x 140mm, 2x 200mm
Rear:
1x 120mm, 1x 140mm
Bottom:
2x 120mm
Radiator SupportFront:
1x 360mm, 1  420mm, 1x 360mm (for 200mm fan)
Top:
1x 360mm, 1x 280mm, 1x 360mm (for 200mm fan)
Rear:
1x 120mm, 1x 140mm
Right:
1x 360mm, 1x 420mm (AIO: 1x 360mm, 1x 280mm)
Bottom:
1x 240mm
ClearanceCPU cooler height limitation:
200mm
VGA length limitation:
310mm (with HDD Rack)
410mm (without HDD Rack)
PSU length limitation:
220mm (without bottom fan)

Photo Credits: Thermaltake

Thomas Soderstrom
Thomas Soderstrom
Thomas Soderstrom is a Senior Staff Editor at Tom's Hardware US. He tests and reviews cases, cooling, memory and motherboards.
8 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Giroro
    What does ARGB mean and how is it different than RGB?
    Reply
  • Crashman
    Giroro said:
    What does ARGB mean and how is it different than RGB?
    Addressable RGB, which means it has a digital controller on the device and a data pin on the header. It allows you to do more with patterns and timing
    Reply
  • Ninjawithagun
    Yes, "Adressable RGB", which is the proprietary technology used by Thermaltake to sync their RGB equipped devices within a single system. I submitted feedback to the Thermaltake webmaster to have them add a better description of what "ARGB" stands for and not for customers to guess what it means. I found it spelled out once you select a case and scroll down to the section "Sync with Motherboard RGB Software" and is titled "Addressable RGB LED Header". The main selling point of ARGB is that it is capable of syncing several different vendors' RGB products (e.g., Asus Aura Sync, Gigabyte RGB Fusion, MSI Mystic Light Sync, and ASRock Polychrome) into one common interface ;)
    Reply
  • Giroro
    Crashman said:
    Addressable RGB, which means it has a digital controller on the device and a data pin on the header. It allows you to do more with patterns and timing
    Thanks for chiming in. Google was telling me "Alpha RGB" and I was thinking adding an alpha channel would be at best a minor convinience to whomever writes the driver that nobody else would notice.

    So I assume it uses a common WS2812B or similar?
    Reply
  • Crashman
    Giroro said:
    Thanks for chiming in. Google was telling me "Alpha RGB" and I was thinking adding an alpha channel would be at best a minor convinience to whomever writes the driver that nobody else would notice.

    So I assume it uses a common WS2812B or similar?
    I'm not sure, but you can find out what the related cables are using with a Google search, the long version of the name is "digitally addressable RGB LED", and the users fought over various names like DLED and ADD-LED until finally settling on ARGB as shorthand.
    Reply
  • branden_lucero
    ARGB has the issue of being limited to 5v only. Meaning if you do daisy chaining or have long strips, chances are not all your things will light up unless you have a second power source. So even though the ARGB variant is $30 cheaper, i would rather pay that $30 difference with a 12v controller that can connect up to 5 devices (or more if daisy chained with another controller - as they all only need one power source). Yes, i'll be stuck on the Thermaltake eco system only, but i actually enjoy it. Much better than Asus's Aura Sync. But alas, i'll continue to wait until the regular RGB variant drops to the $200 threshold, hopefully.
    Reply
  • cvora79
    You pay 200$ for case that comes with flawed controller. Cannot change fan speed, they are spinning @ 100% all the time !!!! Case sounds like hurricane!!!! They provide 6 pin fans that can be plugged only into provided controller, and there is only option to change colors!! So you basically get rainbow and hurricane at the same time !!!!
    Reply
  • cvora79
    AVOID AT ALL COSTS !!!! Believe me, if you dont want tornado sounding system, look somewhere else. Friendly neighbour ;)
    Reply