Review System
System Parts for Case Reviews |
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Processor: | Intel Core i5-12600K Provided by: Intel |
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Motherboards: | ATX: ASUS ROG Strix Z690-E Gaming WiFi mATX: ASUS TUF Gaming B660M-PLUS WiFi D4 ITX: ASUS ROG STRIX Z690-I Gaming WiFi Provided by: ASUS |
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Graphics Card: | Gigabyte Radeon RX 6600 Eagle Provided by: Gigabyte ZOTAC GAMING GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Twin Edge OC Provided by: Zotac |
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Memory: | 32 GB XPG LANCER RGB DDR5 6000 MHz 32 GB XPG CASTER DDR5 6400 MHz 32 GB XPG HUNTER DDR5 5200 MHz Provided by: ADATA |
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HDD: | Toshiba MG08ADA400E 7200 RPM SATA III Provided by: Toshiba |
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SSD: | ATX:XPG GAMMIX S70 BLADE 1 TB mATX: ADATA LEGEND 840 512 GB ITX: XPG SPECTRIX S20G 500 GB ADATA Ultimate SU800 512 GB ADATA Ultimate SU720 500 GB Provided by: ADATA |
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Power Supply: | ATX: Fractal Design ION+ 650W 80 Plus Gold SFX: Fractal Design ION SFX-L 650W 80 Plus Gold Provided by: Fractal Design |
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Cooling: | be quiet! Pure Loop 120/240/280/360 Provided by: be quiet! |
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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.
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.
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.
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.
We opted for a 280 mm radiator in the ceiling of the Montech Sky One 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.
With everything installed, the Montech Sky One 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 Sky One Lite does not included ARGB fans, but the colorful lighting strip in the front will give away the fact that the system is up and running as well.
Looking at the front, the ARGB line is sufficiently visible even in the fairly bright studio setting, while the clear window shows off everything inside the rig with ease. In the rear and everything is essentially where you would expect it. You may cycle through a large number of animations with the toggle button on top of the case, and there are several solid colors to select from as well, which you can see below.