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Maximum Noise Levels
In terms of maximum volume, the noise levels of Montech’s XR Wood can reach up to 47.2 dBA, on the higher end of the chart. One thing my charts can’t show you well, however, is the pitch of the fans, which isn’t particularly annoying (at least to me), so I would say that the noise doesn’t “feel” as loud as the dBA measurements would indicate. But your ears may give you a different opinion.
Maximum thermal performance – pre-installed fans noise-normalized to 38.9 dBA
This set of tests is designed to appeal to those who love quietly running PCs, with both system fans and the CPU fan noise normalized to 38.9 dBA. Consider this a measure of the case’s thermal efficiency when set to low noise levels using the pre-installed fans. As we’ve just updated our testing methodology, our first comparisons only feature four cases in total, but this will grow as we have time to test additional products.
As the design of this case is focused on providing the best thermal performance for your GPU, we’ll start by looking at graphics card-focused benchmarks. Montech’s HS02 Pro shows the best results we have out of the four cases we tested.
Now let’s take a look at the GPU’s performance in this test another way: the speed of the GPU’s fans. This is important because the slower the fans are running, generally, the quieter and more silent they operate. Running at only 1383 RPMs, Montech’s HS02 Pro results in our GPU running at the quietest speeds of any case tested here.
The next two charts cover CPU thermal performance, and you might look at this chart and think the HS02’s performance is underwhelming – after all, it is at the bottom of our charts!
But that’s kind of missing the point of this case, which is to keep your GPU running as cool and quietly as possible – an especially important feature if you’re using a power-hungry GPU like Nvidia’s RTX 5080 or stronger.
Another point to consider is that my testing is performed with an air cooler, but most users looking at this case will likely be considering liquid-cooled AIOs, which won’t need as much case airflow to be effective.
Maximum thermal performance – pre-installed fans at full speed
As with our previous set of benchmarks, we’re going to focus on GPU temperatures, as that is what this case is designed for.
As with our noise-normalized tests, Montech’s HS02 Pro takes the lead for the best GPU thermals out of the cases tested for this review.
Those lowered temps result in lower running GPU fan speeds. As a point of comparison, the GPU’s fans run over 20% faster in the APNX C1 case!
Below I’ve included CPU benchmarks, which again aren’t the greatest in comparison to competitors. Users who might find this concerning would be advised to install an AIO instead of an air cooler.
A reminder about how to improve performance
Just as a reminder: If you’re looking for stronger thermal performance than shown in the benchmarks above, the HS02 Pro supports additional fans at the top of the case. Users who are particularly concerned about CPU temperatures would be advised to install an AIO in this case for the best possible thermal performance.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for the best possible GPU thermals, Montech’s HR02 Pro is the case you’re looking for. Its bottom intake and dual exhaust fans provide chart-topping graphics card temperatures, which also means a quieter-running GPU.
