Review System

Assembly

Installing the motherboard is done by traditional means. As you can see, there is loads of space above the board. The openings in the shroud on the opposite end line up nicely with the connectors, so any cables for these headers should be hidden from view, while the grommet-covered ones are perfectly placed to the right of the motherboard. Adding a GPU is all traditional as well; simply remove the covers and screw it down. There is plenty of room for long GPUs, only the longest may get in the way of an AIO radiator and fan setup in the front.


We opted for a 280 mm radiator in the ceiling of the Montech Air 1000 Lite, as the front already has two intake fans pre-installed. The unit fit perfectly, and while it was right up to the rear fan, you could easily slide that unit down and out of the way, giving you even more flexibility in placement. The AIO does not hang over the motherboard's edge, which makes all connectors, tall memory modules, or board heatsinks easily accessible.


To add a 2.5" drive, simply pull off a plate of your choice and secure the drive with the provided screws. Lastly, put it back in place on the rear of the motherboard tray and make sure it stays there by re-applying the thumb screw. The plate gives you enough clearance between the drive and motherboard tray to connect the cables without issue.


The easiest way to include a 3.5" drive is to utilize the plastic tray onto which you may simply snap the drive, foregoing any tools. Once filled, simply slide it back into the cage until it audibly clips into place securely. Alternatively, you could remove the metal tray held in place by two screws from the underside and mount a drive on top of it using classic screws.


Adding the power supply is straightforward, as one simply slides it underneath the metal shroud and secures it by using traditional screws. While there is plenty of room for a mainstream unit, you may have to move the HDD cage forward for extra-long units, which does reduce the maximum AIO size for the front intake to 280 mm, from 360 mm.


With everything installed, the Montech Air 1000 Lite turns out to be very clean. The only tricky part was that the PSU does get in the way of routing cables through the shroud openings once installed, so you have to make sure to do so beforehand. In the rear, using the Velcro strips and a few well-placed zip ties, you can keep things nice and tidy as well.

Finished Looks

Once turned on, the only case-specific sources of illumination are the power and HDD activity LED in the top, as the Montech Air 1000 Lite does not included ARGB fans.


Looking at the front, you can clearly see the fan blades as well as the interior of the chassis, which bodes well for airflow. Thanks to the clear, clean glass panel, you may easily show off all your cool hardware, while the rear gives you access to all your component ports without issue as well.