Thermaltake Level 10 : The latest high-end gaming tower show piece...

VIRTUAL REALITY: COMPUTER WORLDS INSPIRE DESIGN CONCEPT CREATED BY BMW GROUP DESIGNWORKSUSA FOR THE LATEST HIGH-END THERMALTAKE GAMING TOWER SHOW PIECE
03/13/2009
 
The gaming industry - a sector that can deservedly adorn itself with attributes such as visionary creativity, innovation and progressiveness. However, who inspires the gaming industry and how does one set trends in a sector that is in itself the embodiment of progressive thinking and imaginativeness? One answer to that question is currently being given by BMW Group DesignworksUSA, with the presentation of a design concept for a high-end gaming tower prototype that was inspired by the gaming world itself.
BMW Group DesignworksUSA, a 100% subsidiary of the BMW Group, has for many years shaped the global design landscape working for a multitude of industries. In addition to creating yachts, trains, aircraft, lifestyle and IT products, the three studios in Munich, California and Singapore are also engaged with design concepts aimed at transforming visions into reality. One of these concepts is named “Level 10” for Thermaltake, a manufacturer of computer housings and components for individually configurable high-end computers.

Design concept from another world.
The “Level 10” concept allows gamers to experience the power of their high-end computers through the design itself. In order to achieve this, iconic design is combined with optimum functionality and innovative details. By rendering the inside components visible, the design concept focuses on the architectural aesthetics which are inherent in the computers and result from each individually configurable component. The inspiration for this approach the design team took right from the computer worlds themselves – expressiveness, virtual townscapes and futuristic game components served as orientation for the arrangement and the look of individual components. These appear within the overall design in the form of an open modular structure that visually appeals to users, offering them additional functional benefits. Each high-quality component featured by the “Level 10” concept is enclosed within its own protective case, rendering it not only an integral part of the design but also guaranteeing interchangeability and transportability. Thus the design concept makes considerable allowances for the behaviour of users who wish to use their equipment in many different places and are eager to get it there safely. The concept also has an aesthetical answer to the physical necessity for best possible cooling, this also being associated with the virtual world of the gamer. The asymmetric arrangement of the robust vertical heatsink and the horizontally located individual components creates a strong architectural statement, clearly revealing the powerful cooling characteristics of the Thermaltake Gaming Tower.

Decisive game factor: Cleverly designed details.
Whilst the design concept initially appeals visually to gamers, clever detail solutions do justice to their high demands on the applications. A smart lock system facilitates the blocking of access in order to protect the valuable modules. A USB memory key was designed as an extractable “power button” that not only activates the system, but also secures personal system data, rendering it suitable for flexible use. Two ergonomically well-positioned, integrated handles allow safe and convenient transportation of the tower, a highly relevant feature in the high-end gaming tower sector. The design is rounded off by a cleverly devised cable conduit system and light features which communicate a multitude of tower functions such as temperature and memory volumes. Since the computer worlds themselves supply the context for the conceptual idea, an authentic design has been created that significantly emphasises the functionality of the Thermaltake housing and no longer needs to be concealed inside the chassis. The prototype of the “Level 10” tower can be seen from the 3rd to 8th of March at the CEBIT in Hannover. (Thermaltake stand hall 24 / C02).

Design studio: BMW Group DesignworksUSA, Munich Studio
Client: Thermaltake, Taipeh, Taiwan
Project name: Design concept “Level 10”

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