Tom's Hardware Verdict
A sleek, sturdy, and reasonably priced alternative to glass-heavy cases from NZXT and Lian Li, the Montech King 65 Pro’s main downside is lackluster thermal performance.
Pros
- +
Sturdy and attractive
- +
Support for seven fans (nine fans, unofficially)
- +
Storage options aplenty
- +
Reasonable $99 USD price
Cons
- -
Moderate thermal performance
Why you can trust Tom's Hardware
10/14/2024 Update: This review originally listed pricing as $89.99, but a Montech representative has informed us that U.S. pricing is, in fact, $99.99. We have corrected pricing in the review and tweaked our verdict slightly. Our score has not changed.
The latest PC case on our test bench is the King 65 Pro, a mid-tower model from Taiwanese manufacturer Montech PC. We’ve previously looked at the company’s Hyperflow AIO Liquid coolers and found them to offer top-end performance at budget prices.
The King 65 Pro is a successor to the previously released King 95 Pro. The chief difference between the two is that there’s less SATA storage supported (2+5) on the new model versus the larger Pro (5+8). Will the K65 Pro make our list of best PC cases? Let’s take a look at the specifications of the PC case straight from Montech, then we’ll go over the features and wrap up our review with thermal and acoustic benchmarks.
Product Specifications
Motherboard Support | ATX, Micro ATX, Mini-ITX |
Color | Black or white |
Type | Mid-tower |
Case Dimensions | 475mm (L) x 453mm (H) x 300mm (W) (18.7 x 17.8 x 11.8 inches) |
2.5-inch Drive Support | Up to 5 |
3.5-inch Drive Support | Up to 2 |
PCI-E Expansion Slots | 7 |
Pre-Installed fans | 2x reversed 140mm intake, 1x 120mm exhaust |
CPU Cooler Clearance | 175mm (6.89 inches) |
GPU Clearance | 420mm (16.5 inches) |
PSU Length | 185mm (7.28 inches) ATX |
Radiator Support | Up to 360mm |
MSRP | $99 USD for black model, $95 for white model |
Features of Montech’s King 65 Pro Computer Case
*️⃣ Tinted tempered glass combined with diffused ARGB lighting
The case features black metal for the body of the unit, with darkly tinted tempered glass on the front and sides. When the ARGB is turned on, it delivers a sleek illuminated look that isn’t quite properly captured by my photos, despite my best efforts.
*️⃣ Build Quality
The overall build quality is sturdy and solid, with no apparent structural weaknesses.
*️⃣ Side view and customization options
The case features a relatively standard layout on the inside, with lots of room for big GPUs (up to 16.5 inches).
*️⃣ Radiator and fan support
At the top of the case, you can install up to a 360mm radiator for custom or AIO liquid cooling.
If you want to replace the side intake fans, up to a 240mm AIO is supported there, vertically.
*️⃣ IO Panel
The IO Panel is located on the front right side of the case. At the top are power and reset buttons, followed by audio and microphone jacks, two USB-A ports, and one USB-C port.
*️⃣ Rear side view and cable management features
The back of the King 65 Pro features pathways for cable routing and multiple strap points with pre-installed Montech-branded Velcro straps.
*️⃣ Storage support and unofficial extra fan support
There are multiple places to install storage on the back of the case. Above the power supply rests a drive bay that supports up to three drives.
Near the front of the case, behind the fans, is a panel that can house an additional two 2.5-inch drives. If you use both the drive bay and the panel, you can have up to five drives in total installed.
This panel features an adjustable hinge for easy opening. While not officially supported, it can also support an additional two fans for increased airflow – as demonstrated with an Akasa fan below.
*️⃣ Hardware ARGB and PWM fan hub
Pre-installed on the backside of the case is a hardware hub, supporting up to six PWM fans and six ARGB lighting connections. This is especially useful for folks who want to add extra fans to their system.
*️⃣ Front view
In a design that’s quite similar to Lian Li’s O11 line, the front of the Montech King 65 Pro ships with darkly tinted tempered glass next to a brushed metal bar that houses the front IO panel.
*️⃣ Rear view
*️⃣ Bottom
At the bottom of the case lives a giant dust filter and four rubber-bottomed feet to support the case and facilitate airflow. The dust filter pulls out from the back, though, which means if you put the case near a wall, you’ll have to move your PC every time you clean the filter.
Thermal Tests, Test Setup, and testing methodology
CPU | Intel i9-14900K |
CPU Cooler | Akasa Soho H4 Plus |
Motherboard | ASUS Z790-P Prime Wifi |
GPU | ASRock Steel Legend Radeon RX 7900 GRE |
These thermal tests are presented to give you more information about the product’s performance but aren’t intended as the sole judgment of the chassis. The style, price, features, and noise levels of a case should also be considered – and we all have different preferences. What I might like in a case, you might not - and vice versa. That’s OK. My goal with these reviews is to give everyone, no matter their preferences, enough information to decide whether or not a product is right for them.
The measurements I’ve benchmarked this case against focus on:
- Maximum cooling performance on the CPU when fans are normalized to a moderately low noise level; the GPU is idle for this test. This primarily shows the efficiency of the fans included with a computer case.
- System fan noise levels
- Maximum cooling and thermal performance in a worst-case-scenario test that fully stresses both the GPU and CPU. We’ll cover the temperature of the motherboard VRMs, CPU, and GPU in separate charts.
- Comparing CPU and GPU temperatures in a workload that is similar in power consumption to Far Cry V. This stresses both the CPU (approximately 150W) and GPU (275W).
MORE: Best PC Cases
MORE: Best Mini-ITX Cases
Albert Thomas is a contributor for Tom’s Hardware, primarily covering CPU cooling reviews.
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