Montech Air 903 Base and Max - 5 of 6 damaged!

[@KitGuruTech]

UPDATE 30/06/2023 15.53. Montech has responded to our concerns and have issued the following update, copied verbatim: 'The main reason for the internal damage of the units, which was not immediately apparent from the outer packaging, was due to an oversized styrofoam cutout. This resulted in the units bouncing around inside the box during transit and causing the damages observed. We acknowledge this issue and have taken immediate steps to rectify it. I want to assure you that all mass production retail units are now equipped with a properly fitted styrofoam layer to ensure secure packaging. This improvement ensures that the units remain protected and undamaged during transportation. If any customers who have purchased the Air 903 find their units damaged due to this problem, we are fully committed to providing them with a full refund. Customer satisfaction is our top priority, and we want to make sure that every purchase meets the highest quality standards.' Credit to Montech to responding, hopefully no mass-production units make it through with damage but if you do end up with one in sub-par condition, it's good to see the company offering a full refund.

[@horizon4895]

Awesome response from Montech! I really respect them for immediately recognizing the issue, issuing this response, and hopefully resolving the issue ASAP.

[@JahonCross]

This is amazing customer service right there, quick response and rectifying it .

[@THE-X-Force]

Wow .. well you can't ask for more than that. Great job bringing it to their attention. Montech is starting to look like a company I want to support.

[@_thevaporz]

Montech rules.

[@MorganT36999]

I just build a new PC with Air 903 without any RMA issues, love it! I think Montech had made improvements in the end.

[@KitGuruJames]

That's good to hear. 👍

[@mikep9418]

I recently did a build in the Montech Air 100 ARGB in white and was very happy with the build quality, especially considering it only cost £46. Thanks for the review.

[@bobsmithson8592]

what components did you use? my kid brother is thinking of getting that case.

[@mikep9418]

@@bobsmithson8592 It was a build for my young daughter who mainly plays Roblox so nothing too elaborate. An Asrock B550M motherboard, a 3400g I had spare and an RTX3050. But there's plenty of upgrade potential should I need it.

[@bobsmithson8592]

Love the honesty and showing all the problems. I am more likely to believe you than a few other channels who get stuff for free and just say how awesome everything is. Hoping Montech sort their quality control out !

[@geofftatesmate7748]

Well done for getting them to look into this and issue a statement on the damaged cases. Likely this article saved a lot of people having to RMA their cases. Hopefully they do mean they will fix whatever it is they found was going wrong though!

[@boltsandbraces6261]

I always admire Kitguru for telling the TRUTH. ive seen another review on this case and its almost like a PR piece with no focus on build quality and other issues which James spotted on so many cases they sent him !

[@CFI963]

Kitguru reviewed many Montech’s cases before, they always give high props to Montech’s products. So I believe Montech’s quality is good, this case may just a packaging issue like their response.

[@camotech1314]

@@CFI963 agreed, I almost got the Montech Sky Two case a little while back.

[@camotech1314]

Nice cases, wish the white one had the rear fan as RGB as well. It's weird that only the front fans are RGB. Nice that a 140 fits in the back though.

[@Jasontyo]

Montech is the most interesting up and coming brand right now, it seems. Im very interested in their mATX offerings.

[@hack_oyunlar]

Love a magnetic dust filter its such a simple idea.

[@camotech1314]

Yeah it's a must have for me on any pc case, I don't like having just the metal front without any dust filter. Probably why I like my Corsair 4000D Airflow so much.

[@rangersmith4652]

A nearly indiscernible bend in the mesh may well be the price paid for saving about $30 compared to otherwise comparable cases. Montech has a winner here. I just ordered a base in white to receive a gaming build that's currently in a black Corsair 540. I'm so done messing with RGB, and the few dollars delta in the price for the Max tells you a lot about the quality of the RGB controller it includes. This will color match the rest of the PCs in the room, and white makes the build quite a bit easier.

[@iamahappybunny7640]

These are cracking for the money. some of the damage isnt so noticeable, but that failure rate is terrible. as always KitGuru your HONESTY is so important for me - never covering up problems.

[@KitGuruJames]

The damage isn't that noticeable, it was difficult to capture it on camera, just a shame to have something new that arrives damaged. Montech has issued an update and hopefully retail units will not suffer from these issues.

[@erginuludag9693]

Always respect a James review.

[@KitGuruJames]

Thanks! 😁

[@shredman59]

Looks great and has pretty much every feature I want in a case, fans (argb or not) and controller), all the connections on top and good airflow. This is a real winner. When I need a case, this is on the top of my list.

[@ffyy1372]

Love getting to the bit of the build where you put really expensive components in.

[@damla7621]

Thats a really slick build Its so neat!!!!

[@KitGuruJames]

Thanks!

[@lucus23203]

good to see a company that took care of their products

[@lucifersheadscarf6988]

I love the white one, very nice cases to look at. shame about the bent panels. if there is no damage on the boxes (are you sure?) - thats a rather massive concern. thinner metal in transport from China - maybe they need to ramp the box protection up more if they are warping so easily. love the builds james as always - top notch

[@KitGuruJames]

There was no damage at all to the external packaging. Montech has issued an update today and it seems that the internal Styrofoam is to blame. Mass retail units should not suffer from the same issue.

[@ebrarzisancelik9184]

Glad they made provision for a 3.5 inch traditional hard drive.

[@FreelancerND]

Bought mine Air 903 Max just yesterday here in Russia. Packaging was spot on, no wobbling and bouncing, so I guess, several month later - Montech was true to their response and took steps to negate this issue. Also, I LOVE the case, had Air X before that and it become a bit small for my Radeon 6950XT paired with 5800x3d, not that much room for AiO 3 fan cooler. But 903 Max, swet sweet case, I just love it. Montech nowadays ships the best value hardware for your buck. Also, their case fans should not be ignored too, very good for their price and you can even get reverse blade ones.

[@markhickey153]

Nice to see you back James. !!!

[@KitGuruJames]

Thanks! Nice to have you watching again 😁

[@johnerikson2443]

great review and analysis James, glad I watched this review, much more detailed than other content on these cases ive seen today

[@KitGuruJames]

Thanks for watching, I'm glad you found it informative.

[@VideogamesAsArt]

The black one without RGB looks really really good! Would love to make a void build with no lights at all. And budget too, very cool

[@pie_stains]

I built in an Fractal Pop Air i got for $63 shipped recently. No argb and un fortunatly the windowless version went on sale for the same price a few days after building.

[@overclockingdemon7179]

I love watch the master at work building a PC !

[@KitGuruJames]

Shame you got me instead right? 🙃

[@overclockingdemon7179]

@@KitGuruJames too modest !

[@fatrob88]

Thanks for the great review!

[@KitGuruJames]

No problem!

[@monkeh86]

Nice review. Seems a decent enough case for the price. Reminds me a bit of the Phanteks G500A but with not as good build quality.

[@tallsz559]

Also half the price… lmao

[@christopherjames9843]

Good job James. Great review.

[@KitGuruJames]

Thanks! 👍

[@popsmokekingthewoo]

Montech Air - getting dangerously close to an Apple trademark there Montech!

[@doingbartthings]

Wow very competitive case for the money it looks like. Montech seemed to be really upping their game at Computex. What I think the REAL story is here, they worked with Kitguru to see if this was a one off issue. Then took immediate steps to resolve it and insure as few of their costumers would be impacted as possible. They didn't try to slink away from this issue, they investigated, got to the bottom, then fixed it. That's the kind of company I want to do business with in the future should I find myself in the market for a case.

[@KitGuruJames]

If the issue is resolved then fair play to Montech for acting quickly. I am tempted to buy a couple when they come on sale in the UK to see how the packaging has changed compared with our six review samples and if it has fixed the problem.

[@doingbartthings]

@@KitGuruJames That would be great, to put a wrap on that QA issue if you could do it. Great video, great work!

[@robotikcocuk5765]

Not a bad idea having a non RGB at the rear of the case given you’re not likely to be looking at that that often.

[@QuentinStephens]

It's always a pleasure to see a James build. Great work and top commentary. Really well done to both you and Montech for spotting and acting on the QC problem. Now, what are you going to do with six of these cases? At 12:01, are those front panel ports and buttons socketed? It's a pity the cabling on the white version isn't white. I think I asked it on your Computex piece but how sharp are the edges of the holes without grommets? Indeed, are those holes a size for which grommets are readily available? I suppose it's attention to details like that that turn a budget case into a premium one.

[@KitGuruJames]

White cabling on a white case always looks better, it's often a detail missed by vendors. The edges of the cable cut-out holes without grommets are not sharp at all, the steel is folded around the edge to create a smooth dull edge.

[@georgelowrielowrie5428]

Look clean! Good value also! Win.

[@canarychrome7012]

its pretty much indicative of what montech make - budget friendly cases that seem to compromise on quality but look ok and make for a decent first system build. I can't help but always consider them a bit of a budget cutting corners brand.

[@shaynemorgan6991]

This looks like a such good case. The fans are all PWM right ? If not for the shipping damage this is the best budget case of the year man !

[@KitGuruJames]

It is a good budget case for sure. The fans are all PWM. But the damage was not due to shipping. The inner and outer packaging on all samples had zero damage. How the side panels fit is also a poor design. If the bent mesh issue is fixed, it's certainly great value.

[@CFI963]

I have to agree for today’s market, this is an insane price for what we are getting.

[@historianfabulousio5128]

@@CFI963 well its only insane pricing if they arrive undamaged. 6 out of 6 damaged cases isnt a good indication of quality control, especially if the boxes arent damaged.

[@overclockingdemon7179]

I agree its a great case for the price. one of the best I think I can find at this price point. What are they fixing though to stop the damage during shipping issues (or where all 6 damaged before shipping? ??!!)

[@Ttblondey]

Only thing is the side panel are thin.. since the price is cheap so no complain😊

[@larwiemcdonnel5322]

Are we sure their quality control and packaging is fixed? you got 6 cases and they all had problems? seems like quite a bad fail rate. would be hard to jump into buying one of these without ensuring you had good dealer support.

[@taomahNEGEV]

Looks sleek. I am wondering how it compares to the Endorfy Arx 500 Air?

[@inlovewithmycar7085]

wow 6 out of 6 damaged. thats not a good fail rate. Are these pre production cases? I saw another review of them up by some irish guy, but it wasn't very good. thanks for being completely transparent james and showing all the problems - looks like a brilliant case for the money if it arrives without damage

[@buyingastairwaytoheaven5252]

great build - as always James ! such clean builds, comes naturally to you. I know these cases are cheap and 6 out of 6 cases had some damage - but could it be the mesh is just too thin to save costs and its bending even when being packaged?

[@lucifersheadscarf6988]

I think it was 'only' 5 out of 6 of the cases. but still, thats not good.

[@vakke]

Thank you for an excellent review! How would you compare this to the Endorfy Arx 700, which one do you prefer?

[@KitGuruJames]

Very similar cases, difficult to choose between the two. I'd say whichever you can pick up for the best price would be the one to go for.

[@vakke]

@@KitGuruJames Thank you for your response James!

[@alexisjavier84]

one of the fans on mine hums, I wonder if it got slightly damaged in shipping or if it's just how it is.

[@historianfabulousio5128]

Are you doing any more mods this year James? miss them from 2022.

[@KitGuruJames]

Nothing in the pipeline yet but you never know whats coming around the corner. Watch this space!

[@isidrocastanon]

Hello, I have this 903 max. I want to change the front fans for 3 ARCTIC P14 PWM PST A-RGB. These Artic fans are connected in a chain. My idea is to connect the last PWM connector in the chain to the FAN 1 port of my motherboard and the 3 ARGB of each fan also go in a chain. Could I connect the last ARGB connector in the chain to a single connector on the hub or do I necessarily have to connect each front fan to a 3-pin connector on the controller hub?

[@hairsprungdutchtechnique9626]

really good prices for those cases for what you get, bit concerning to see so many damaged however. how did that happen? what are they changing to fix it?

[@KitGuruTech]

Montech confirmed to us that they identified an issue with the product packaging and it has since been ‘rectified', but we've not heard any specifics as to what's actually changed.

[@yup458]

biggest thing for me is is the fans are pretty loud, they dont go below 600 rpm in pwm mode.

[@tuanphung7369]

I was unable to fit 3 140mm fans on top. Was only able to fit 2.

[@nedemerdegani4575]

The white one looks the part understand why it is a slight premium.

[@THE-X-Force]

Just sucks how the CPU cooler covers the RAM. Obviously that's not Montech's fault. I just hate the way it looks. I guess the only way to avoid it these days is to go with liquid-cooling. Anyway .. thanks for the thorough review!

[@amdforlife5591]

I like Montech, good wee cases for little money. Bit concerned with seeing so many bend panels and mesh covers in this one. so many cases they sent you and finally admitted they noticed a problem! How exactly are they fixing it ?

[@KitGuruJames]

A change to the internal packaging is the suggested fix.

[@pandaoyunda9514]

Its annoying manufacturers have given up on front drive bays.

[@biggsam117]

How can this case that cost half of a 5000D airflow can fit 3 140mm fans up front but cannot do that with a 5000D airflow? Corsair...you're failing us!

[@tallsz559]

Yeah, 4000D/5000D are ridiculously overpriced and overrated for the price

[@malcolmclenton1663]

You get what you pay for. I purchased a Montech Sky Two and the power button failed after 2 months! Trying to get just the switch panel under warranty was not an option.

[@sfx89]

I hope there will be a matx version.

[@VinnyG919]

how's the thermals between base/max?

[@yigitmertkeskinklc1299]

Would have been better to see it built into the white chassis!

[@stevewatson6839]

Good case provided, as it looks like they have, Montech rectify the dint issues. Examplary review from yer man as per. It takes 3x140mm fans at the front, could a 420mm rad be fettled? That GPU screw alignment problem comes up regularly for me; imho EVERY case maker should put more wiggle room in for the screws that attach the GPU I/O bracket.

[@KitGuruJames]

A 420 rad might be a struggle even with some serious fettling.

[@stevewatson6839]

@@KitGuruJames Thanks, James.

[@ikilikaracalar6353]

Really cant complain about that pricing.

[@KitGuruJames]

Not at all, with fans and an ARGB hub the MAX seems like superb value.

[@s1laweyxww]

James looks like hes been out on the town the night before this video.

[@KitGuruJames]

That's just my usual everyday look. The Mrs says I should put more effort in, maybe she is right but I don't have the time for that in a morning 😂

[@BlackVScarab]

The standoffs are built in right?

[@_thevaporz]

Snagged the black base model on sale off newegg $54 shipped.

[@luizfernandodesouza7146]

Qual é a parte que ele fala do peoblema??

[@markmontes007]

That's so elegant..

[@edwardhuang2475]

The fans are too noisy. What Can I do? Do they have a case fan controller to buy?

[@KitGuruTech]

If you bought the Max version it comes with a fan controller. I would connect the fans/fan controller to a motherboard header and set the fans at a static RPM in BIOS which you are happy with noise levels. I usually go for around 900-1000RPM.

[@E39Leroy]

Anyone know where you can buy this in the UK?

[@iSwearToCod]

mines fine

[@avocadodevotee]

im probably going to build a new pc with this case once the 5070 comes out. it looks amazing

[@TheNoslenOne]

😊

[@donaldgray2501]

When will it be available in the UK?

[@KitGuruJames]

Montech told us that it will be available in the UK soon after launch, but no official date.

[@iSwearToCod]

got mine in UK the other day

[@samiakcan3008]

You can see eventually a PC case is just going to be a bunch of mesh netting with fans inside.

[@statik310]

The RGB fans get finicky when choosing a custom color tho

[@Elifiniz_Civciv]

Such a shame they got a knock in shipping but given how packages are literally thrown around by the drivers cant really be surprised.

[@KitGuruJames]

The damage was definitely not due to mishandling during shipping,.All the cases arrived with 100% perfect outer packaging, with no sign of being mistreated during shipping.

[@vrekman256]

+1

[@SJHD]

One thing i love about montech is they always seem to have the perfect cutout placement for the gpu cables. So many other cases force you to loop it over the gpu to the back, looks so ugly, montech does it right