
Our Verdict
Pros
- Build quality
- Includes five ARGB 120mm fans
- BTF compatible
- Vertical GPU option
- Inverted layout option
Cons
- Additional internal covers are not required/need changes
- Front I/O labels for audio ports
- Build experience could be a touch better
- Bottom dust filter access
Should you buy it?
AvoidConsiderShortlistBuyIntroduction, Specifications, and Pricing
Montech has recently released the HS Series of cases. The dual-chamber lineup includes the HS01, which arrives with a full mesh front and a tempered glass side panel, while the HS02 comes wrapped with glass on both the front and the side. Each model is also available in a Pro version, which throws in five PWM ARGB fans for a little bit more cash.
Today, we are taking a look at the black version of the Montech HS02 Pro, with white also available in all variants. Montech has been causing a little bit of a shake-up to the case market in recent years, with their Sky range offering good value for money, so it will be interesting to see how the HS series stacks up to the competitors.
The mid-tower HS series is introduced to the market with the HS01 at $99.90, the HS02 at $109.90, the HS01 Pro at $129.90, and finally, the HS02 Pro at $139.90. It's worth noting that, unlike some manufacturers, there's no additional charge for the white version. The Montech HS series features vertical ventilation and allows for a reversible layout, meaning that the system can be viewed regardless of which side of your desk you have it on.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Model | Montech HS02 Pro |
| Form Factor | ATX Mid-Tower |
| Dimensions | (D) 480mm x (W) 235mm x (H) 368mm |
| Weight | 11kg / 24.25lbs |
| Materials | Steel, Tempered Glass, Plastic |
| Color | Black or White |
| Motherboard support | Mini-ITX, Micro-ATX, ATX |
| BTF Motherboard Support | Fully compatible with MSI Project Zero, ASUS BTF motherboards and more |
| Cooling Compatibility | Top: 3 x 120mm or 120mm/240mm/360mm Radiator | Rear: 2x 120mm (Included) or 120mm Radiator | Bottom: 3 x 120mm (Included) or 120mm/240mm Radiator |
| ARGB / FAN Hub | Included |
| Drive Support | Behind Motherboard (Cutout Area Bracket): 2 x 2.5" SSD or 1x 3.5" HDD | Power Supply Shroud: 2 x 2.5" SSD or 1x 3.5" HDD |
| Front I/O | 1x Power Button | 2x USB 3.0 Type-A | 1x USB Type-C | 1x Mic | 1x Audio | 1x LED Button |
| CPU cooler height (max.) | 170mm |
| PSU Length (max.) | 165mm ATX/SFX |
| GPU Card Length (max.) | 400mm |
| Warranty | 1 Year |
I'm excited to see what the Montech HS02 Pro has to offer, so let's finish the unboxing.

Packaging

The packaging is understated. It arrives in a plain brown box printed with the Montech HS02 Pro image and branding on both the front and back. We also have "The Best Value" and "The Art of Seamless Design" printed to the edges. One side of the packaging displays product specifications, while the other provides additional details about the case's features.

The case arrives adequately packed and secure, with foam pieces on each end. It is also wrapped in a plastic bag to keep it dust-free.
Our Latest Mid-Tower Cases Review Coverage

With all the packaging removed, we have protective film on the tempered glass front and side panels that will help keep fingerprints and marks at bay until we finish our build.
Outside the Montech HS02 Pro
My initial impression is that the Montech HS02 Pro is a lovely looking case; it sits proudly without going over the top in terms of aggressive lines or wacky add-ons. Montech has designed the HS series with the structural integrity of the case relying on the corners, with pillars extending to the top of the case. This also comes into play if you wish to reverse the layout. Simply remove the feet from the bottom, fit them to the top, swap the panels, and it's good to go. We are starting to see more and more manufacturers offer a simplified way of inverting a case, like be quiet! has done with the Light Base series. This process used to take ages, but modern designs have reduced it to just a few minutes.

The top features a magnetic full-cover vent panel with a fabric pull tab to the rear. It snaps into place nicely, too.

With the top panel removed, we can install three 120mm fans or a 360mm AIO to the top of the case. This isn't a removable top bracket, but there is plenty of space to access everything.

We have a vented section at the back of the case for the internals to breathe. The power supply sits at the top, behind the vent, with the hard drive mounting below, as we will see in the case internals. Again, this panel can be removed once the top cover is out of the way.

The Montech HS02 features a subtle 8-degree curve to the front glass panel that helps to provide uninterrupted, seamless views into the case. It's a small touch, but one I like, with black banding to the top and bottom of the glass panels. While Montech calls it 8 degrees, that might be the radius, but for me, it's a 90-degree curved bend towards the side panel.

The glass is divided into two sections to reduce production costs. Just below the front and side glass panels is an ARGB strip, which is only separated from the front and side by the corner of the case. The lighting provides 29 presets to match your colour scheme; it can be integrated into your own theme or turned off altogether.


Both the front and side glass panels are held in place with press stud connections and can be removed once the top panel is released. Below the front glass panel is our IO, with a Power Button, Reset Button, Headset Audio Jack x1, Type-C (20G) x1, and USB 3.0 x2. While the IO has a nice, symmetrical look, it is hard to distinguish which audio jack is input or output without consulting the manual.

At the rear of the case, we find our expansion slots, each with an individual PCIe cover, and a panel to cover them. This panel can be removed by undoing two screws. Above, there are dual 120mm fans in a push configuration; these are externally mounted with a cover, while the wiring is passed through into the case. Gaining access to this means unscrewing the cover, should you wish to change out the included fans. To the top, we have the PSU pass-through cable as the power supply is mounted toward the front of the case.

Underneath, the feet help to keep the bottom fans supplied with fresh air, lifting the bottom-mounted magnetic dust filter 20mm from the floor. The dust filter cannot be slid out, so cleaning it will mean tilting the case to gain access. The feet can also be removed for the inverted layout I mentioned earlier.
Inside the Montech HS02 Pro

The case internals feature a diamond grid vent pattern around the recessed motherboard tray, allowing ventilation for the power supply and other rear-mounted components. This does mean that you can see any wires tucked behind it, which may detract from the overall aesthetic cleanliness of the system.

With the angles and panels featured here on the motherboard surround, it seems Montech is investing heavily in tooling. The design is different from most interiors we see in PC cases right now. The motherboard tray also supports back-connect motherboards as they continue to come into the market.
The case has enough cable tie-down points and smooth, rounded edges for cables to pass through; there are no grommets throughout. There are six threaded holes for the included GPU support bracket. It's a nice inclusion but very basic, with only a small amount of vertical adjustment and no horizontal movement at all.

Montech has installed the bottom cover bar, so the Montech HS02 will support mATX boards out of the box, but you have to remove this to install an ATX board. The 7-slot PCIe bracket can also be rotated for a vertical GPU layout; no riser cable is included.

To the back of the motherboard tray, we have a sled for two 2.5" SSDs or a single 3.5"HDD. Above this, there is a plastic cover to keep our wiring tucked away. With this removed, you have access to the included fan and ARGB controller.

To the side of the motherboard tray is the PSU cover, which also includes an additional mount for two 2.5" SSDs or a single 3.5"HDD. However, I can see this starting to bulge out if you start packing it full of cables and drives.


The floor of the chassis includes the Montech "sink-in design" for the bottom three 120mm reversed-blade fans. These will help with the vertical ventilation that Montech is marketing for this case and drive air up towards the graphics card. This also helps keep the aesthetics clean, with your attention drawn to components rather than the cooling setup. The rear exhaust fans are also neatly tucked away, again to keep attention on the hardware.
In terms of potentially water cooling this case, the Montech HS02 supports a range of configurations, but notably, only a maximum 240 mm radiator can be installed in the sunken area at the bottom of the chassis. If you are considering AIO options, the best bet would be to use a top mount that can accommodate a 360mm variant. Montech also states that the rear can accommodate a 120mm radiator, but given the enclosure design, I would not bother with this.

Finally, the Montech HS02 Pro includes a small assortment of accessories, including the GPU support bracket, screws, zip ties, and Montech-branded Velcro ties.
Installation, Testing, Finished Product, and Final Thoughts
Kris' Test System Specifications
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 5 9600X (Buy at Amazon) |
| Motherboard | MSI MAG B850 Tomahawk MAX WiFi (Buy at Amazon) |
| GPU | ASUS Prime GeForce RTX 4070 Super OC (Buy at Amazon) |
| RAM | Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 16GB (2x8GB) (Buy at Amazon) |
| SSD | Corsair MP700 Elite 1TB (Buy at Amazon) |
| Cooler | be quiet! Dark Rock Elite (Buy at Amazon) |
| Power Supply | be quiet! Dark Power 13 1000W (Buy at Amazon) |
| Monitor | Acer VG272U V3 (Buy at Amazon) |
| OS | Microsoft Windows 11 Pro (Buy at Amazon) |

Building in the Montech HS02 Pro wasn't the best experience I have ever had, but don't get me wrong; it certainly wasn't the worst. There are a few things that I came across that could have been better, especially for beginners who may be looking for a case in which to build their first PC. The Montech HS02 Pro could be a bit daunting for them.
The sunken motherboard tray makes it harder to connect some cables, as the pins are tucked away further. Your fingers may get in the way, making it impossible to see what you are doing.

Installing the power supply involved removing the cover panel and the support bracket, attaching the support to the PSU, reinstalling it, and refitting the cover panel. The power supply cover and the plastic one next to it for the ARGB controller just make the process more drawn out than it perhaps needs to be.
If Montech releases a revision, I would like to see these either modified in terms of design or removed altogether. Regarding the power supply, the fan faces out towards the side panel, so it has to draw air through both the cover and the side panel. Finally, my other small bug is the dust filters, or should I say filter. With only one included at the bottom of the case, gaining access to this means tilting your system over to clean it out.
These are all small niggles, and I am being a little picky here, but I want to point them out not to detract from the effort Montech has made with the HS02 Pro, but so that moving forward, hopefully, they will take note to make building your system an even better experience.
The system I have built for testing includes an AMD Ryzen 5 9600X CPU housed in an MSI B850 Tomahawk Max Wi-Fi Motherboard paired with two sticks of 16GB Corsair Vengeance DDR5-6000. Our CPU is kept cool using the be quiet! Dark Rock Elite. For storage, I am using a Corsair MP700 Elite 1TB NVMe M.2 drive. Finally, for graphics, I have an ASUS Prime RTX 4070 12 GB Super. All testing is completed with PBO enabled, AXMP1, and MSI Smart fan configuration.

The Montech HS02 Pro performed well, with an ambient temperature of approximately 28 °C during testing. The AMD 9600X reached a maximum temperature of 85 °C, while the RTX 4070 Super maxed out at 73 °C. With the Montech HS02 Pro featuring 3 intake and 2 exhaust fans as default, the GPU receives plenty of fresh air from the bottom of the case, but our CPU is a bit more limited in terms of fresh air intake. I think adding a few more fans to the top of this case would bring our temperatures down even further and just make it a little more comfortable, especially since we have no front intake option.
All testing was completed using Aida64 Engineer's System Stability Test v7.65.7400 for 2 hours. Other software used was HWiNFO 64 v8.28-5770, TechPowerUp GPU-Z v2.66.0, and CPU-Z v2.15.0 x64.
Montech is making leaps and bounds in the PC case market right now. The Montech HS02 is a great-looking case; I am a sucker for white cases, so it's good to know that option is available, too. With 5 included PWM ARGB fans, the functional performance that the Montech HS02 delivers, good build quality with only a few minor hiccups, makes it hard to ignore.


While you may not have the budget or need for the Pro version with the included fans, starting at just $100 for the HS01 variant and only $40 covering the whole lineup, there isn't a lot not to like here. It's not the best case ever released, but I can forgive the imperfections of the Montech HS02 Pro, and I would have no qualms about the Montech HS02 Pro sitting on my desk.








