Disassembly

Disassembly of the Thermaltake Level 20 GT RGB keyboard is fairly easy with multiple countersunk screws underneath specific keycaps keeping the metal frame connected to the bottom plastic case panel, and some more that are hidden under the rubber pads on the back in addition to those accessible in exposed screw holes. A precision Phillips head screwdriver comes in handy here, and I will note that two screws had nearly stripped heads already, which made my life harder. A total of 17 screws later, we can separate the two main pieces of the keyboard, although not completely just yet.


There is a daughter PCB on the plastic case panel with an internal USB cable connecting the I/O on the daughter PCB and the primary PCB to the external cable itself. Dislodging the connector on the primary PCB helps completely separate the two pieces, which now confirms ABS plastic usage for the case panel as expected. The primary PCB, as with the daughter PCBs, is white in color, and solder quality is really good throughout except for a spot where they went overboard with solder flux.


There is a foam liner to prevent electrical shorting due to the metal frame being in close proximity to the PCB. Powering the keyboard is a Holtek HT50F52352 USB microcontroller; a data sheet of it was not available online. I have seen it used with other backlit keyboards from Vortex, Ducky and Cooler Master to good effect. It is likely a special version of Holtek's HT32F ARM Cortex-M0/+ USB microcontroller and works fine as far as this keyboard is concerned. There are also four separate Macroblock MBIA045GP LED drivers for the RGB lighting control, and a dedicated 256 KB onboard flash memory module to store all the onboard functionality and customization options. All components, including the switches, LEDs, and capacitors, are soldered to a multi-layered PCB.

Before we move on, be advised that disassembly may void the warranty and that TechPowerUp is not liable for any damages incurred if you decide to go ahead and do so anyway.