Asus Prime AP201 Case Review

Asus have a new case out and its a massive case for small motherboards!? It means you can have a compact board but still fit the largest hardwear meaning maximum cooling and performance ability in a much smaller footprint than normal. Get comfy and lets have a look around the Asus Prime AP201
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#asus #prime #ap201

[@EvoKey]

Finally an adult case that looks great. For years I have been looking for a cool case for a Solidworks / Render machine. Something without RGB-kidd jam but with a loot of cooling flow.

[@KOT-ANGRY]

Agree with you 👍

[@degeneratepervert6255]

You miss basically all of Fractal’s lineup? Most of them come with solid panels instead of glass.

[@locolama]

@@degeneratepervert6255 Yeah, but their side panels are mostly solid, not mesh. I do agree the cases are nice though. Very well build. My current one is a Define Mini C TG which served me for some time, however once I started replacing parts it started turning from a noise optimized pc into a bit of a hot mess inside(the glass panel isn't helping either). Current setup is a 3700x cooled with a nh-d15s... and a 3080ti tuf. Even with the top open it's very toasty during gaming. The cpu is fine but the gpu produces most of the heat. When it comes to gpu cooling most of the older define and meshify cases weakpoint is imo the psu shroud. It limits airflow. Openinng up the front portion of the shroud and adding fans helps a bit, but not that much. Hence why I decided to order the AP201. Really diggin' the chimney-style airflow of that case, reminds me of some older Silverstone cases before they fell off the map. My plan for the case is to have two NF-A12x25 fans as bottom intakes blowing at the gpu, one as rear exhaust, and either two NF-A14 or three NF-A12x25 as top exhaust. I already have NF-A12x25's in the Fractal case, and really like their sound signature compared to other fans at similar speeds.

[@NamelessPassenger]

Nr200? It can fit most mATX and still give you good airflow. Just not as good looking tho.

[@komi1834]

@@NamelessPassenger I had NR200P and it can barely fit any mATX boards, it doesn't fit even one b550 mATX board, I had to go with Asus B450M-K II board and give up gen4 PCIe support

[@apTimON]

I have been waiting such kind of case for long time. Finally some one did it. Ideal for me.

[@shrekoc5570]

This seems like it would be an ideal case for the Prime Z690/Z790M Plus. It's a beast of an mATX board with enough of a VRM for a 12th gen i9 or 13th gen i7 and enough IO to max out the capabilities of the Z690 chipset. It must have been the board ASUS had in mind when they released this case. You wouldn't want to put a system like that in a typical mATX case.

[@Excalabur50]

Cheers Guv! You'll probably find that the reason the holes are so small is that it doubles as a dust filter and if you put extra filters on all it'll do is impede air flow.

[@Intel1502]

the holes are fairly big

[@InstantCasette]

I bought the tempered glass version of this case for only 67 euro, possibly the best value case I've ever bought. Everything is white, every connector, cable, even the PCB for the front I/O. It's fantastic attention to detail and superb build quality.

[@shinkencarlos]

very detailed thanks

[@chickenpasta7359]

After owning a Meshilicious HTPC/Gaming PC for my TV I'm super interested in doing a full mesh build at this point. The only issue I have with the case is that pop clips tend to give out the more you go in your computer which is annoying but yeah. Probably gonna snag one of these soon

[@HondoJarrus]

I actually would love to see the testing on the case as it came - the complete mesh coverage should allow the individual coolers of the GPU & CPU to operate in a fairly ideal environment.

[@tehMaloWalo]

main reason i'm buying it. Its like an open test bench with mesh around it.

[@Fehrium]

Thank you :)

[@nighthog7003]

Best mATX case I've seen.

[@chadmason8526]

I like this case however.... The power supply mounting will vent the heat from it and send it in the direction of a top mounted radiator. I however don't how significant this is or if a shield can be installed to direct the airflow out the front?

[@PaddyMayneUK]

i like it, i have a micro atx system in a Silverstone FT03, and haven't found anything that looks as good or works as well thermals wise, but this is interesting, do we know the UK price yet?

[@naiseniichan8035]

Since its a chimney style, they could have gone with a TG and a non-mesh side panel so the airflow doesnt escape from the side meshes.

[@locolama]

matx finally getin' some love with decent cases recently, first the meshify 2 mini and now this... guess it's time to build another sff matx pc before wwIII breaks out.

[@QuentinStephens]

Have you considered doing a totally silent build in this case? With a Thermalright H22 CPU cooler and a Palit KalmX GPU? Plus fanless GPU, of course.

[@MrDrTheJniac]

The lack of fan mounts on the side panel is a real missed opportunity. I am probably going to end up attaching some fans there, complete with a gasket or some other method of sealing to maximize the airflow through the panel. I am currently leaning towards lashing the fans in place with some wire I have laying around for hanging pictures.

[@mellowecho]

can i vertical mount a gpu in that case? i keep looking but i dont see a build with it mounted vertically

[@icecycles859]

Good case, get it

[@LawrenceTimme]

Looks great, but it seems too small. I always prefer a full size eatx to matx. The design is very nice though. I think it would look great in grey.

[@ellypsis603]

great case

[@bikeomatic8005]

Thats a nice case.

[@leedaq7767]

why they have to added front dust filter?

[@LutfiJC]

World's first Asus Prime case video...? @OC3D TV , Logan? :)

[@carpentb17]

almost a nr200 plus size. its interesting not sure if I will pull the trigger but looks easy to build a custom loop in

[@kravenfoxbodies2479]

I have Cooler Master Box nr 400, it's great case, it just needs usb c on the front panel, I have it supplied with an MSI B550m Mortar, a Ryzen 5 5600x / Peerless Assassin 120 SE Twin Tower Cooler and the new Radeon RX 6700 10Gb card.

[@napalmarsch]

that was first mz choice but the matx fractal pop mini was the better option for me

[@danielcombs5286]

Sure hope my 4090 fits in it …would like to get some 120mm fans on the bottom too

[@cruzslns769]

Man asus needs to come out with an full atx motherboard version of this case

[@Will-xk4nm]

I'd buy an ATX version in a heartbeat. As it is, only one 3.5" HDD mounting point is a non-starter for me.

[@austinbentley6234]

You can fit three, if you configure your PSU and fans correctly. I just got this case in the mail today and thumbed through the manual.

[@Will-xk4nm]

@@austinbentley6234 I need the long PSU space and the fans. I've also read the manual. I love the look and design.

[@goblinphreak2132]

I said the same thing in my Amazon review.... they should make a full size version of this case. And then also an "extra wide" version where the "back chamber" has TONS of 3.5 HDD storage (as well as where the psu would go). I swear, I could design cases better than pretty much every case maker in existence but it will never happen because I don't have the money/capital to start a business.

[@hitman0css]

Link for buy this case? Thx

[@sokol5805]

That case is tiny like tiny Logan. 😉

[@ChopperPBM]

I love the look, the lack of filters does worry me though, and PSU location's odd too but not in a bad way and the lack of glass would mean I could stop worrying about the look of the internals, pretty sure my Corsair H115 Pro would fit in at the top. Any idea on price? nothing came up when I searched for it

[@JeebsFat]

There's a filter on the bottom. I figured I would keep positive pressure in the case with fans pulling in from the bottom and there would be no need for any other filters. Price is supposed to be $75usd but isn't here yet. Not sure about uk.

[@TranceHistorian]

@@JeebsFat it costs about £100 in UK which is a lot 😭

[@norbosz666]

Question. So the info is I think only 180mm PSU will fit. Can't a 200mm fit? EVGA G2 1000w. Thanks for the answer.

[@OC3D]

TBPH I think a SFF PSU conversion / mod would be perfect for this case

[@stancartmankenny]

does it support normal sized psus? That psu cage makes it look like it might be sff only.

[@locolama]

The cage supports normal ATX psu's up to 170mm length.

[@eatingstick]

Perhaps this is a dumb questions: if I have headphones that allow for listening and speaking with one single jack, will they work for audio-in and audio-out if plugged into the one audio jack on this case?

[@Naxxn]

Not sure if you’ve figured it out, but what you need is a splitter.

[@herbaceousboredom9584]

Translucent feet? Missed RGB opportunity :D Looks like a useful case for someone who wants to downsize their motherboard but keep their monster GPU and hard drives. Nice to see USB ports sticking out the front panel rather than on the top, but a shame there are only two type As - I'd ditch that type C for two more type As in a heartbeat.

[@CurrentRapCurrents]

5:30 Affirmative!! Actually, I'm going to use an SFX power supply that's mounted in the highest position to allow extra space for my extremely long (356mm) 3080 Ti. We'll see how it goes.

[@jctalty]

Have you tried this yet ? Did it work ?

[@CurrentRapCurrents]

@@jctalty Nope, not yet. I bought the case & white Strix power supply and I already had the 356mm long 3080 ti... All I have to do is transfer my son's components from the Lian Li TU150 to the Asus AP201. But I won't do so until his report card comes out, because transfer also includes upgrading his Aorus 3070 to the Zotac 3080 ti Extreme... He's gotta get a GPA 3.75+.

[@mrfilipelaureanoaguiar]

For a chicken coop that mesh would have been perfect, mostly everywhere like that...

[@leywald]

the lack of vertical GPU option is saddening

[@TranceHistorian]

I really love the look of this case, but I've just moved away from mATX into a Corsair 4000D Airflow 🤣🤣🤣 That huge hole at the back of Asus case seems oversized... I wouldn't use this case for ITX/DTX. Just buy an NR200P for that.

[@LawrenceTimme]

Interesting psu placement

[@charbelmarounkanaan6684]

Finally!! I just hate all that RBG stuff

[@beyondspecs9401]

Aghh brooo!! The single biggest question!! Can we fit the Arctic 420 AIO at the top!! Please respond Tom! Love your work mate ☺️

[@hoofhearted4]

No dust filters is an immediate pass. I couldn't imagine using a case without dust filters.

[@sourandbitter3062]

Exactly, a case with this much mesh needs dust filters. I don't even have a cat and I wouldn't dare buy it. Looks great though.

[@troytaylor1913]

Micro-ATX boards spread heat better than ITX. Some of the heat spreads through the socket to the motherboard then it spreads throughout. The M-ATX board itself is a bigger heatsink and easier to cool. I got my new fanless office desktop to idle at 45C all day even on warm days. This is my first fanless build and I haven't picked a case yet. It gets up to 80C in about 15 minutes then it levels off at 80C when I run Stress in Linux. I need a mesh case to make it work because natural air convection current from air rising is the only airflow. I don't think it needs a fan it's an office PC it didn't go over 80C even with Stress running, doing normal work even playing some games it's about 42- 50C. I'm sure if I put it in a normal case it will get much hotter than in a mesh case and the mesh case would be the next best thing to an open test bench.

[@troytaylor1913]

No fans, I might not need any dust filter. I might take all the dust filters out. Filters might be resistant to natural convection currents from the heat rising. With no fans the pressure inside the case should almost be neutral so not much dust will get inside it. I have 2 passively cooled GPUs, a GT 1030 and a Quadro K2200 that I modified with a passive heat sink. I haven't decided which graphics card to use, energy usage vs GPU power. I'm using a 250-watt fanless power supply for powering up mining motherboards so it has plenty for a Quadro K2200 about 65 watts. The games I do run fine on the GT 1030 it's uses only 30 watts. It's an Office desktop it only gets stuff like Torcs and Tux Kart. Cube 2 - Sauerbraten and all the native 3D Linux games run well on the GT 1030.

[@troytaylor1913]

I'm learning to do this fanless stuff for a tooling project. Heated air from the sun is going to cool it, solar cooled and powered. Rising air using natural convection from a painted black vent pipe with the sun shining on it should cool the cpu and suck the smoke from the laser tooling at the same time. This thing has to work outside in 105F weather here in the desert and be portable for off-grid work. It's got to run stepper motors and raster and vector graphics software all day. There are hundreds of miles of desolate land with no electricity where I live, you have to bring it with you and use energy-efficient stuff like 35w processors and eliminate every motor possible. I got a few things working a stripped-down laptop screen with a DIY driver circuit. I'm doing a personal office desktop for myself first before trying this. If I need more power I built 2 workstations but I only use them to render video.

[@troytaylor1913]

The more energy efficient the tooling is the less power equipment you need to bring to be in an off-grid business. If it can be cooled not using battery or solar power instead of cooling fans every drop saved from not having fan motors is put towards the stepper motors doing the work. Unplug every card and use built-in graphics just to save that extra 30 watts for the tooling. I think this might be a perfect case for a far-away off-grid cabin. Using built-in graphics on a gamer motherboard it would take less power than a laptop at idle but with 35-watt 3.5ghz Ryzen power and you can get tons of memory for almost nothing compared to a laptop, my board has a 128GB limit. I can also tell the difference between a laptop and a gamer motherboard while using graphics apps the motherboard is much better. When it gets hot you got to put fans under the laptop to keep it cool and that starts draining the battery faster. Motors even the smallest ones make you carry more and heavier stuff to power it up so I remove them.

[@belsteed6050]

Very interesting layout almost what I was looking for! Sadly no opening on the side of the power supply to look at their own made power supply screen. Besides that this case could use some colors red black grey version for other Asus product.

[@Sebastian_Athea]

Please don't stick dust filters to mesh you're gonna completely choke the case and ruin the performance, actually dust filters kinda suck in general; I'm running thermaltake p3 an fully open case and it never gets too bad, I just dust it off with electric blower every few months, so maybe get one of those and clean your pc once in a while.

[@inmypaants]

with a top to bottom airflow layout I think it's a damn shame they didn't go with a tempered glass side panel, even as an optional extra (similar to the NR200P). I would have loved to fill this with a 360mm rad + 240mm rad and FL120 at the rear and show it off with a glass side panel.

[@danielcombs5286]

If you have a situation like I probably will…where you can put fans on the bottom it would hurt the totally negative pressure air flow. TG is overrated in my opinion…

[@mridulkrishansharma5394]

That GPU would need a support Stand, not another set of fans 😂

[@LawrenceTimme]

Ding

[@emp1985]

I would've reduced the depth by removing 360mm AIO compatibility and limiting to 240/280. It would've reduced size considerably, with very little compromise (seriously, 360mm AIO in a mATX build?). That would've made it perfect in my eyes.

[@goblinphreak2132]

Literally build an AMD 7700x, Asus x670e Gene, PowerColor 6900xt Red Devil, 32gb DDR5 6000 Corsair ram, with a 360mm AIO top, ALL Noctua NF-A12x25 fans (the literal top tier ones) with my 1300w full size Antec (seasonic clone) power supply, and its freaking SWEET. Only downside? I moved all my HDD's into a DAS (direct attached storage, like NAS but its USB only) and sadly windows (stupid fucking microsoft) doesn't allow "dynamic disk" to work via USB.... so TWO of my 16tb drives are unusable until I buy TWO MORE and slowly XFER files from old to new, then reformat old back to basic disk and add them to the other 2 to make a giant 64tb DAS. But still pisses me off. I COULD remove the lower two fans on the bottom of the case and put my HDD's there (where the manual says to put them) but honestly, I would rather have fans.... As some have already said, a full size version of this case (full size atx) would be freaking sweet. They should also do full size ATX + ultra-wide, aka move the PSU to the "back chamber" along with tons of 3.5HDD slots.... My biggest gripe with modern cases is that they all have TWO 3.5mm drives OR LESS which really sucks. And the few full sizes cases that have tons of HDD space, it doesn't actually come with the drive bays you have to go to their website and buy them EXTRA which is BULLSHIT. And the one case I saw with tons of HDD space (node 304) my gpu technically would not fit inside as its too big/long/phat. absolute failure. its like modern cases are for plebians. technically Thermaltake has their giant cube case but ITS ALL GLASS which is just added weight for 0 reason and reduces airflow by huge amounts. I want function over form. I dont care if I have a metal box, as long as it breathes with airflow. Asus knocked it out of the park with this case. My build so far, very satisfied. in the future I hope asus makes larger versions and a cube version to really expand the repertoire

[@MarkVersion1]

The nvidia 4000 series will kill ITX cases but it will bring life back to mATX cases again

[@basshead.]

Looks like a portable air conditioner.

[@PyromancerRift]

The last time i saw this many holes, it was a brazzers video.

[@OC3D]

You win the comment of the day

[@mysticode]

No dust filtering? Hard pass... what a slight in terms of cost savings.

[@XMansive]

It has a dust filter for bottom intake.

[@masterdftw4983]

Yes only intakes should have dust filters.

[@terminator2868]

Cool master nr200p max - this is the best case in world!

[@terminator2868]

Cool but very big! This is not itx format.