Whilst the previous cases in Thermaltake’s Level 20 range we have reviewed have been aimed at the more premium side of the pricing scale, the Level 20 MT ARGB is set at a much more affordable level, coming in at around £80 in the UK at the time of writing.
Thermaltake Level 20 MT ARGB Specifications & Features
| P/N | CA-1M7-00M1WN-00 |
| Case Type | Mid Tower |
| Dimension (H x W x D) | 455 x 204 x 471mm (17.9 x 8.0 x 18.54 inch) |
| Net Weight | 6.75 kg / 14.88 lb |
| Side Panel | 4mm Tempered Glass x 2 (Left & Front) |
| Color | Exterior & Interior : Black |
| Material | SPCC |
| Cooling System | Front (Intake): 120 x 120 x 25mm Addressable RGB fan (1000rpm, 27.2 dBA) x 3 Rear (exhaust): 120 x 120 x 25 mm fan (1000rpm, 26 dBA) x 1 |
| Drive Bays -Accessible -Hidden |
1 x 2.5’’(HDD Bracket); 2 x 2.5” 2 x 3.5’’ or 2.5”(HDD Cage); 1 x 2.5”(HDD Bracket) |
| Expansion Slots | 7 |
| Motherboards | 6.7” x 6.7” (Mini ITX), 9.6” x 9.6” (Micro ATX), 12” x 9.6” (ATX) |
| I/O Port | USB 3.0 x 2, HD Audio x 1, RGB Switch x 1 |
| PSU | Standard PS2 PSU (optional) |
| Fan Support | Front: 3 x 120mm Top: 2 x 120mm, 1 x 140mm Rear: 1 x 120mm Right Side(In front of M/B Tray): 2 x 120mm Bottom(On the power cover): 2 x 120mm |
| Radiator Support | Front: 1 x 360mm Rear: 1 x 120mm Right Side(In front of M/B Tray): 1 x 240mm |
| Clearance | CPU cooler height limitation: 170mm PSD length limitation: 170mm VGA length limitation: 260mm(With radiator on the right side) 366mm(Without radiator on the right side) |
Thermaltake Level 20 MT ARGB Closer Look
The first evidence of this being at the more affordable end of the range is the weight of the unit… whilst its predecessors tip the scales around the 20kg mark, the MT ARGB comes in at a much more manageable 6.75kg. This makes unboxing and general handling of the chassis a much easier proposition.
At first glance, the MT ARGB shares many of its design cues from the other models in the Level 20 range. Tempered glass side panels adorn the front and left side, with the silver accented curved edges framing the front aspect of the case.
That’s pretty much where the outer design elements end though, with a fairly unremarkable top & rear panel giving us our first idea how Thermaltake have started to make this Level 20 variant much more affordable.
The front IO is reasonably well equipped, and simply laid out. The standard features are all here, including two USB 3.0 headers plus an RGB button to controller the built-in lighting features. Further back on the top of the chassis, we have a magnetic dust filter covering mounting points for two 120mm fans… and only fans! There is no clearance for a radiator up top, so only fans will fit.
Removing the front panel gives us a closer look at the MT ARGB’s biggest feature, namely three pre-installed addressable RGB fans. With the front consisting of mainly glass, these will be on full show when the build is finished. One strange “feature” I spotted immediately though, is that there is no dust filtration to the front of the chassis. There are what looks like strips of filter on the front panel, but these sit next to the fans, not in front of them!
The tempered glass side panel comes off in the more traditional way than most other glass panels. As the glass is framed on two sides in steel, thumbscrews are located at the back of the case, and the panel can then be removed.
The main chamber includes everything you would expect to find in a case at this price point. The PSU shroud is perforated to the top and has a cut-out for you to “show off” your PSU of choice. An SSD mount sits towards the front, next to a further cut-out, this time should you wish to mount a 360mm radiator up front. To the right of the motherboard mounts we have space for a 240mm radiator, which vents out of the rear panel.
Removing the rear panel, and we find that the 240mm radiator mount that we just mentioned, is somewhat blocked by the included controller. It’s easily removed, but it feels like its inclusion was an afterthought, as opposed to having been designed around it.
The controller is a bonus addition though and includes spare ports to add additional fans as well as connect it directly to your motherboard. The perforated rear panel has a magnetic dust filter to the interior, like the one situated on the roof of the case.
Thermaltake Level 20 MT ARGB Build
- CPU – Intel Core i3-8350k
- CPU Cooler – Thermaltake Floe Riing 240
- Motherboard – Asus ROG Strix Z370-F Gaming
- PSU – Thermaltake Toughpower Grand RGB 850W
- GPU – GeForce GTX 1050 TI 4GT OC
- Memory – Micron Ballistix Tactical Tracer RGB
The build for the most part went without a hitch, with the exception of decent cable management. Yes, during a test build I don’t take anywhere near as much time & effort to tidy up excess cables, but there is literally nowhere to stash cables easily. There is very little clearance between the motherboard tray and the side panel, and with the drive cages installed, space under PSU shroud doesn’t help much.
The end result does look good however, and when I forced on the rear panel, no one sees the cables anyway!
The Thermaltake Level 20 MT ARGB Review: The Verdict
The Thermaltake Level 20 MT ARGB is somewhat of a strange addition to the range. Whilst it brings a Level 20 looks to a more affordable price point, £80 still isn’t budget by any means. For that price though, you get three addressable RGB fans included… something that was lacking from the higher priced premium cases. On the other hand, underneath the glitz is a pretty basic chassis, that lacks any kind of progressive features at all.
The MT ARGB isn’t a bad case, and when built it looks very nice. At the £80 price point it has lots of competition, but if you are in the market for such a case, I wouldn’t rule it out.
What’s hot:
- Three addressable RGB fans included
- Controller allows you to sync up all your lighting
- Has the looks of the Level 20 range
What’s not:
- Underneath the glass, ARGB & design elements, it’s a fairly basic chassis
- Front intake has no useful dust filtration
Thanks to Thermaltake for sending a sample of the Level 20 MT ARGB in for review.
Not a good case for dust management and cooling. I had to replace the stock fans (front and back), move the (replaced) front fans in behind the chassis to increase frontal intake space, and I installed an AIO cooler. If you’re not prepared to buy better fans to improve this case, I’d buy something else. Plenty of cases on the market at this price or lower, with better temperature management.
FYI, I tried 9 different fan / radiator setups for maximum cooling efficiency.
Thanks for sharing your experience Brendan. It’s great to hear real-world experience for the products that we review as it often reinforces the points that we make for our audience, of course sometimes it also points out areas that we haven’t devoted much attention to in a review. When it comes to enclosed front panels there will always be a tradeoff with airflow and I’m glad you were able to achieve a workaround to get the case working to your liking, it sounds like you put a lot of effort in to get to that point.
Can this take a 280mm radiator on top?
How did you remove the feont panel??!