The ASUS Prime AP201 MicroATX Case is the “perfect” PC case I had been looking for, and I finally found it a few weeks ago. I specifically chose the MicroATX enclosure for my new gaming PC build since it has an excellent airflow and a small form factor. These expectations were exceeded, and it cost only $80. In the world of PC cases, where options like the MSI MAG Forge 112R and Corsair 4000D Airflow are available, it may not be without flaws, but in my opinion, it’s the greatest price available. In addition, it includes a tonne of wonderful features that, in my opinion, make it a terrific little tower in 2023.
The Prime AP201 stands out among the best small towers in my opinion thanks to compatibility for 360mm radiators, a tonne of mesh fittings for ventilation, and plenty of clearance for contemporary coolers and GPUs. Oh, and it’s also available in white, with options for side panels made of mesh or tempered glass, so you can match it to your decor.
Pricing and Availability for ASUS Prime AP201 MICROATX Case
In the US, the ASUS PRIME AP201 case costs $80 for the black version with the mesh side panel, but with discounts, it can be had for as little as $70. This makes it more affordable than the majority of PC cases, making it a fantastic option to take into account even if your budget is limited. The review’s example, a white version with a mesh side panel, costs $85 at retail. If tempered glass (TG) side panel is more your style, you can choose that variant instead for an extra $5. At the time of formatting this review, both Amazon and Newegg had stock in both colour and side panel options.
Features and Design :
The ASUS Prime AP201 Cooler Master NR200P, a highly well-liked mini-ITX case, appears remarkably similar at first glance. This case’s amazing likeness, especially in this white colour, is one of the main reasons I chose it for my construction. Although I’ve always wanted to build inside an NR200P, the idea of sticking with a mini-ITX build won out. However, the AP201 is a MATX case, which provides more space than a particular SFF case, making it much easier to deal with. As you can see, the enclosure has a relatively straightforward design with mesh panels on both sides and a solid structure. One side of the mesh is only changed in the tempered glass variant.
The ASUS PRIME AP201 enclosure is open-ended and conducive to radiator installation for both liquid- and air-cooled setups.
According to ASUS, the mesh design has over 57,000 precisely cut 1.5mm holes distributed throughout the entire chassis for optimal airflow. The mesh design clearly shows the “pixelated” perspective of components with RGB lights on and is, as you can see, big enough in all the correct locations for good airflow. You don’t need to worry about airflow because these ventilation patterns are present on the case’s bottom as well as the other sides. With a 33-liter footprint, the ASUS PRIME AP201 has a relatively compact size when compared to most mid-tower cases. It offers enough of clearance and sturdy support for components despite its small size. First off, it is fantastic since it supports CPU coolers with a height limit of 180mm; even if it didn’t, the NH-D15 would still be available on the market. The truth is that you won’t need to purchase a costly SFX PSU for this chassis. It is 170mm long with a CPU cooler and allows clearance for GPUs up to 338mm in length. The Noctua NH-D15 fits inside just fine, so you can see how big it is.
PC Construction and Performance
It was rather simple to construct within the ASUS PRIME AP201 MATX PC case, in my opinion. Yes, cable management can be a little difficult because there isn’t much room behind the motherboard tray for extra wires and the pre-installed Velcro strips might not be sufficient to keep everything in order. Having said that, I had no problems attaching the parts. I presently have a Gigabyte B650M Gaming X AXE motherboard, an AMD Ryzen 7 7800x3d CPU, a 1GB Geforce RTX 4070 Ti Windforce OC GPU, and 32GB DDR5 RAM. A Cooler Master MasterLiquid 240L AIO cooler with a top-mounted radiator is what I’m using to cool the CPU.
Here, the claimed airflow architecture really excels because it manages temperatures admirably within reasonable bounds. Even under intense stress, the CPU temperature only reached a maximum of 62 degrees Celsius, whereas the GPU, which was overclocked while playing Cyberpunk 2077, averaged approximately 74 degrees. The M.2 and chipset temperatures were likewise about 65 degrees, so stress tests should take that into account. As for noise levels, they were a bit higher than expected for a case with so many mesh panels, hitting roughly 50 dB at full load with all fans working hard to push and pull more air.
It offers excellent airflow for cooling some of the upper components, looks beautiful in both black and white, and has enough clearance for a variety of cooling options. Even for somewhat high-end builds, it ought to be sufficient for controlling case temps. For smaller projects, there is space beneath the case to mount a single 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch drive, however it may be challenging to reach the drives if you attach fans there like I did. If you want to build a MATX case arrangement that won’t break the bank and are on a tight budget, Cooler Master’s Q300L V2 is an excellent alternative to take into account. It costs about $60 on Amazon, however it only comes in one colour and doesn’t offer the greatest radiator or cable management.
Should You Purchase the ASUS PRIME AP201 MicroATX Case?
If: You need to purchase the ASUS Prime AP201
• For your setup, you want a simple, basic case.
• You need a case with decent ventilation that won’t hurt your pocketbook.
• You want to assemble a relatively high-end PC in a small package.
Should you not purchase the ASUS Prime AP201?
• A mid-tower or a case with lots of space is what you desire.
• You want to build a silent computer.
• You have premium components and a unique cooling system.