VIRTUAL REALITY: COMPUTER WORLDS INSPIRE DESIGN CONCEPT CREATED BY BMW GROUP DESIGNWORKSUSA FOR THE LATEST HIGH-END THERMALTAKE GAMING TOWER SHOW PIECE

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).

BMW Group DesignworksUSA- Perfect design beyond the spotlights.
BMW Group DesignworksUSA is a global design consultancy and subsidiary of the
BMW Group. The company, which was acquired by the BMW Group in 1995, now
operates globally from its locations in Europe, America and Asia. Clients turn
to DesignworksUSA for brand communications, strategy, research, design
development, engineering, modeling, and color, materials, and finish. Unique to
DesignworksUSA, they have both an automotive and industrial design studio,
enabling the transfer of collective knowledge and inspiration from automotive
design to product design and vice versa. The studio represents a guiding force
for the BMW Group brand design studios (BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars)
and simultaneously operates as an innovation driver for the most diverse
industries from IT to medical, lifestyle or aviation. Since 2004, Verena C.
Kloos has overseen the strategy and operations for the Munich, Los Angeles and
Singapore design studios. The designs consistently express the individual
identity of a brand, so each product devised by BMW Group DesignworksUSA gains
its specific uniqueness. Thanks to this approach the design studio stands out
significantly from its competitors, convincing big brand names - from Microsoft
and HP, Starbucks, Embraer, Advanced Medical Optics and Bavaria Yachts to
Boeing Business Jets.

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

For enquiries, further details regarding design or additional photographic
material please contact:

BMW Group DesignworksUSA
Birgit Pucklitzsch, Communications
Tel: +49 89 548 49361, Fax: +49 895 484 9399
E-mail: birgit.pucklitzsch@designworksUSA.com
Website: www.designworksUSA.com

BMW Group, Corporate Affairs
Karin Elvers, Product and Design Communications / General Interest Media
Tel: +49 89 382 23742, Fax: +49 89 382 28017, E-mail: presse@bmw.de
Media website: www.press.bmwgroup.com