The trends surrounding double-wide PC cases vary a lot these days—you can even find a few quirky double-motherboard models! But one manufacturer has had an outsize influence on current design trends for this kind of case, spawning a whole host of unabashed imitators. (Spoiler: Yeah, it’s Lian Li.) A few other manufacturers have tried putting their own spins on this genus of case, but budget brand Montech, in its $159.99 King 95 Pro, decided to throw them all a curve with a premium model that barely approaches premium pricing. It’s a spiffy value if you like the look and are willing to take a shot with a relative case unknown.Design: A Bend in the GlassWe’d classify the King 95 Pro a midrange-price case, even after adding the $10 “white paint tax” for its white-color version we received for review. (Montech’s black variant is cheaper, at $149.99 MSRP.) In addition to the ostensible premium paint, you get three 120mm and two 140mm reverse-flow ARGB intake fans. Two are standard-flow 120mm ARGB exhaust fans. You also get dust filters everywhere, and the curved-corner tempered-glass face panel that makes the usual tempered-glass side-panel seam look less abrupt.
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Slightly more than halfway up the front panel, connectors include a dual-link Type-C and two single-link Type-A ports that are all multi-generation USB 3.x compatible, plus separate headphone and microphone jacks. The two buttons above those connectors are for power and the ARGB mode. The power button features a clear logo covering a power-indicator LED, and the unmarked ARGB button selects among 14 programmed modes and external input, the latter enabled by holding in the button for a few seconds. The plastic portion of the panel features a faux-“brushed” finish and a curved edge to match the curved glass of the opposite corner.
(Credit: Thomas Soderstrom)
The King 95 Pro has the standard seven expansion slots of full-size (ATX and EATX) PC motherboards, four screw slots to add adjustability to its 120mm exhaust fan, and a drive-cage access panel and power-supply mount on the back. Its right panel is fully ventilated and backed with dust-filtering mesh, reinforced via a plastic panel. The power supply and externally accessible drive cage sit in a separate chamber between the vented side panel and the motherboard tray.
(Credit: Thomas Soderstrom)
A rear-accessible slide-out filter covers most of the bottom panel, including vents on both the power-supply and motherboard chambers. We expect the most dust to collect in the portions of the filter that are beneath the bottom intake fans.
(Credit: Thomas Soderstrom)
Unfortunately, the frames that keep the top and side dust filter tight against their outer panels also prevent those filters from being removed. We don’t recommend washing them, since the outer panel is steel. We’d instead recommend using compressed air, or a least the upholstery brush of a vacuum cleaner, to remove any accumulation.
(Credit: Thomas Soderstrom)
Both the top and bottom panels have mounts for twin-140mm or triple-120mm fan configurations. The top holes are slotted to make front-to-rear adjustment easier, while the bottoms are threaded to receive machine screws at fixed locations.
(Credit: Thomas Soderstrom)
Atop the power-supply chamber, the previously mentioned externally accessible drive cage has two 3.5-inch trays with secondary 2.5-inch holes, and Montech’s manual even points out that crafty builders could place a 2.5-inch drive on the back of the outer tray before adding its 3.5-inch drive to squeeze in an extra drive. A third 2.5-inch mount (on the outward-facing portion of the drive cage) has rubber grommets for vibration damping, for which Montech adds a special set of longer, larger flange M3 mounting screws. The fourth and fifth 2.5-inch mounts are on the inside of a swing-out tray that covers the mounted side fans.
(Credit: Thomas Soderstrom)
Design details turn a bit complex here. First of all, the removable mounting tray employed by the factory-installed fans is offset roughly 50mm (a hair less than 2 inches) behind the motherboard tray. A second set of fan-mounting holes is found on the hinged panel 1.75 inches (about 44mm) behind the inner tray, but one cannot simply add the 50mm to the 44mm to figure out the maximum cooler depth with the inner fan tray removed, because the two do not align. The forward end of the motherboard tray is bent at a 45-degree angle toward the hinged panel, and its angled portion ends inside the hinged panel’s fan area, leaving a measured 2.25 inches (around 57mm) of space between the hinged panel’s fan mount and the closest part of the motherboard tray. Phew!
(Credit: Thomas Soderstrom)
The King 95 Pro features separate ARGB and fan hubs, each supporting up to 10 devices. The ARGB hub also has its own controller, though users whose motherboard have an ARGB header can use the hub’s input cable to repeat its data to 10 devices in that manner.
(Credit: Thomas Soderstrom)
Note: After unscrewing the hinged inner panel to see how easy it would be to remove, we noticed two screws with white gunk sticking to our fingers. Could this be uncured paint? We peeled it, only to find that the screws were no longer large enough to engage the holes when we tried to put it back together. It appeared that the loose fit had originally been “fixed” with something similar to white brush-on vinyl solution (like “liquid electrical tape”).
(Credit: Thomas Soderstrom)
Replacing these screws with standard M3 parts from our spare-parts bin solved the issue.Building With the Montech King 95 ProThe King 95 Pro includes two option panels to replace the factory parts: The first is a vented mesh to replace the factory-curved tempered glass, and the second a triple 2.5-inch/3.5-inch drive adapter to replace the bottom panel’s fan mount. It also includes a hardware installation guide and an organizer box filled with screws, straps, and ties.
(Credit: Thomas Soderstrom)
Remember when we noted that the ARGB and powered fan hubs were separate components? Each has its own input power cable and signal feed cable, the latter following consumer PC industry ARGB and PWM standards. Other cables include a combined front-panel power button and indicator LED block, HD Audio, a 19-pin USB 3.x for the two Type-A ports, and a Gen 2×2 Type-E to connect the front-panel Type-C port.
(Credit: Thomas Soderstrom)
Our full-ATX components fit easily, and we’re happy to note that there’s far more clearance than one can see from this angle. For example, remember the approximately 50mm offset for the inner side fan mount? Add 6mm for the motherboard standoffs and subtract 26mm for the included fans, and you’d still be left with roughly 30mm of clearance behind any oversize motherboard you’d like to place there. So the occasional 10.7-inch-deep enthusiast boards that arbitrarily get the “EATX” label will fit without a problem, though server-size 13-inch-deep boards that carry the same label would be left with the front edge flapping in the wind.
(Credit: Thomas Soderstrom)
We’re not going to test the King 95 Pro with its bottom fans replaced by a drive mount that few readers will need, but we did test it with the stock fans in turn with the glass and mesh face panels.
(Credit: Thomas Soderstrom)
Testing the Montech King 95 ProHere’s a summary of the standard test parts we use for ATX-size cases…
With three intake fans blowing up from the bottom and two more blowing in from the side, we’re not at all surprised to see matching performance from the mesh and glass face panels in our CPU thermal test, nor are we surprised to see the King 95 Pro lead the less fan-dense NZXT H9 Elite, Hyte Y40, and ADATA XPG Invader X.
Likewise, we saw just a 1-degree C difference in voltage-regulator temperature between the mesh- and glass-face tests of the King 95 Pro.
A bigger surprise came when the GPU temperatures of NZXT’s H9 Elite and Hyte’s Y40 both beat the King 95 Pro.
With so little performance difference between the mesh-faced King 95 Pro and its glass-faced configuration, is there really any reason to bother taking the glass off? Our noise tests tell us to leave it on…
Verdict: Almost an Editors’ ChoiceThe King 95 Pro looks like a remarkably good case from a company with so humble a market share, but the design, placement, and fitment of its hinged secondary side fan mount has us a bit baffled. If you’re willing to look past that odd design choice, the King 95 Pro is a credible, slick-looking, and fine-performing twist on the Lian Li O11 brigade and its legion of imitators, with the added spice of curved glass. The case’s other design quirks ar e minor and offset by the inclusion of a host of RGB fans.
Pros
Striking curved side glass
Supports two 360mm radiators, plus a 280mm
Expansive feature set for the price
The Bottom Line
Curved glass, a deep feature set, and solid thermal performance make the King 95 Pro a juicy PC-case bargain for high-end builders, as long as you’re willing to overlook a few assembly quirks.
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