My quest to find the “perfect” PC case ended when I stumbled upon the Asus Prime AP201 a few weeks back. Good airflow and compact form factor were high up on my list of things to consider when I set out to build my new gaming PCand this particular MicroATX enclosure lived up to those expectations and delivered more for just $80. It’s not without its flaws, though, and it’s far from the best deal in the world of PC cases where options like the MSI MAG Forge 112R and the Corsair 4000D Airflow exist, but it offers plenty of great features that — in my opinion — make it a great small tower in 2023.
With support for up to 360mm radiators, tons of mesh fittings for airflow, and plenty of clearance for modern coolers and GPUsthe Prime AP201 is among the best small towers in my books. Oh, it also comes in white and has both tempered glass and mesh side panels options, so it also gives you a good selection to match your aesthetics.
About this review: Asus did not provide this sample for the review, nor did it have any input into what was published.
Source: Asus
ASUS Prime AP201
Affordable & spacious small tower
Big enough to house plenty of powerful components
The Asus Prime AP201 is an interesting and unique PC case from the brand with mesh panels on all fronts. This not only looks great but doubles up as allowing for solid access to cool air. With support for up to a 360mm radiator, you can build a powerful PC inside this chassis.
- Minimal and clean design
- Spacious chassis for a small tower
- Good clearance & support for up to 360mm radiators
- Only one 120mm pre-installed fan
- Very basic cable management
- Limited space for storage drives
Asus Prime AP201 MicroATX case: Pricing and availability
Affordable and easy to buy
The Asus Prime AP201 case starts at $80 in the U.S. for the black variant with a mesh side panel, but it can be had for as low as $70 with discounts. That makes it cheaper than most PC cases out there, so it’s a great option to consider even if you’re on a tight budget. The white variant with mesh side panel that’s featured in this review retails for $85. You can also pick them up with a tempered glass (TG) side panel, if that’s your style, but those variants will cost an additional $5 over the base prices. Both Amazon and Newegg have it in stock in both colors and side-panel options at the time of drafting this review, so be sure to check them out.
Design and features
Excellent spatial efficiency
At first glance, the Asus Prime AP201 looks very similar to the Cooler Master NR200P, which is an extremely popular mini-ITX enclosure. The resemblance is uncanny here, especially in this white color, and it was, in fact, one of the main reasons why I picked up this case for my build. I always wanted to build inside an NR200P, but just the thought of putting together a mini-ITX build put me off. The AP201 being an mATX case, however, has more volume than a typical SFF case, so it’s a lot easier to work with. The enclosure, as you can see, has a very minimal design, with a simple combination of mesh panels and solid borders on all the sides. The tempered glass version just replaces the single side mesh with a TG panel, so I’d say it looks just as clean and simple.
The Asus Prime AP201 case is perfect for both non-RGB and RGB-enabled builds.
One thing I like about the mesh side panel is that it’s perfect for both non-RGB and RGB-enabled builds. Builds with no RGB lights whatsoever will, obviously, look clean and minimal, but even the ones that do have some lights in it will look great in this enclosure as it allows for the light to peek through the ventilation patterns. Here’s a side-by-side image to show you how the lighting looks with and without the mesh side panel installed (ignore the difference in lighting color):
Speaking of ventilation patterns, Asus says its mesh design comprises over 57,000 precision-machined 1.5mm holes on the entire enclosure for great airflow. The holes in the mesh pattern, as you can see, are all big enough for proper airflow, and they also give you sort of “pixilated” view of the components when you have RGB lights. And the fact that these ventilation patterns are on all panels of the case, including the bottom one, means you don’t have to worry about the airflow.
The Asus Prime AP201 has a 33-liter footprint, which is a lot less than your average mid-tower cases. Despite the smaller footprint, however, the case offers great clearance and solid support for cooling. Firstly, it supports ATX PSUs up to 180mm long, meaning it’s good enough for most, if not all, ATX PSUs out there on the market. The fact that you don’t have to worry about grabbing an expensive SFX PSU for this case is great. Notably, the case also offers clearance for graphics cards up to 338mm long, along with CPU coolers that up to 170mm tall. Yes, it can accommodate the Overnight NH-D15 just fine, so that should give you an idea of how spacious it is.
Depending on the variant you pick, you get a mesh-ventilated steel panel or a tempered glass for the main side panel. The other side remains a steel panel with mesh patterns regardless of whether you pick the regular or the TG variant. The top mesh panel has support for up to 360mm radiator, which you can also use to mount up to three 120mm or two 140mm fans. The rear panel has a standard MicroATX layout with cutouts for the I/O, a single 120mm fan mount at the top, and four expansion slots. There’s no PSU cutout here, because it’s mounted on the front panel, which also has two USB 3.2 Gen 1 and a single USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type C port, along with headphone and microphone jacks and an illuminated power button. Lastly, the floor of the case has mounting points for two 120mm fans with a removable dust filter at the bottom, but you can also use this space to install your drives.
Some other noteworthy features of this case include space to install three 2.5-inch/3.5-inch drives on the floor, a tasteful array of front I/O ports, space for as many as six 120mm fans, a removable dust filter at the bottom, some included velcro strips, cable ties, and more. The only thing I don’t like about this particular case is that it comes with just a single 120mm exhaust fan out of the box, meaning you definitely have to spend more money to add active cooling for high-end components.
Building a PC and performance
Very easy to work with
Building inside the Asus Prime AP201 mATX PC case was a lot easier than I thought. Yes, the cable management could be a bit of an issue as the pre-installed velro strips aren’t enough to tame all the cables, and there’s not much room behind the motherboard tray to tuck the additional cables. That being said, I didn’t face any issues while trying to mount the components. This case currently has an AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D CPU with 32GB of DDR5 RAM, a Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4070 Ti WINDFORCE OC GPU, and a Gigabyte B650M Gaming X AX motherboard. I am cooling the CPU with a CoolerMaster MasterLiquid 240L Core AIO cooler, with its radiator installed on the top. While the chassis isn’t as spacious as a regular ATX case, I’d say there’s plenty of room for activities, and you won’t have any issues mounting the components.
I recommend removing the cosmetic cover plate on the side while installing the components to get easier access to the internal chamber. Don’t forget to put it back after finishing the build, though, as it helps hide the cables that run from the PSU and front I/O ports. All you have to do from there is simply mount the PSU on the included bracket and route the cables. I highly recommend getting a modular power supply for this case, otherwise you may have a hard time trying to route/hide the cables within the enclosure.
The best thing about the PSU bracket of this case is that you can move it up or down depending on how much breathing room you want for the cables, radiator, or the GPU. I secured it on the top mounting points to make space for my 261mm GPU, but you may not have room for it if you’re using a 360mm radiator. So I recommend spending some planning your build ahead of time before putting together or even buying all the parts. That’s a good rule of thumb for any build, and not just this one, so keep that in mind. Lastly, the advertised support for graphics cards up to 338mm in length should be good for most GPUs. I was able to pack my 4070 Ti in the case rather easily, though you may have issues while dealing with higher-end RTX 4080 and RTX 4090 GPUs.
Moving over to the thermals, I’d say the advertised airflow design makes a strong case here as the temperatures were well under the acceptable limits inside it. You’ll definitely need more case fans if you’re planning to use relatively high-end components in the case, though. I installed two additional 120mm intake fans at the bottom of the case to push more fresh air into the chassis. The negative air pressure in my build helped keep the internal temperatures low, so the GPU wasn’t struggling at any given point with high temperatures. I recommend stopping by our PC airflow guide in case you’re wondering how to maintain a positive or negative air pressure within your case.
The advertised airflow design makes a strong case here as the temperatures were well under the acceptable limits.
Even under sustained loads, I recorded a peak CPU temperature of only about 62 degree Celsius, whereas the GPU was hovering at around 74 degrees during an extended session of Cyberpunk 2077 with RT Overdrive mode. The M.2 and the chipset temperatures were also recorded at around 65 degrees, which is just about what you’d see during a stress test. Noise levels, as you’d expect in case of an airflow PC case with a ton of mesh panels, were a bit on the higher side. It peaked at around 50dBA with all the fans blasting at relatively high speeds to push and pull more air.
Asus Prime AP201 MicroATX case: Should you buy it?
You should buy the Asus Prime AP201 if:
- You want a clean and minimal-looking case for your setup.
- You want a good airflow case without denting your wallet.
- You want to build a relatively high-end PC in a compact case.
You shouldn’t buy the Asus Prime AP201 if:
- You want a mid-tower or a spacious case with plenty of room.
- You’re trying to build a quiet PC.
- You have high-end components and custom cooling loops.
Unlike the TUF and ROG cases, the Prime AP201 enclosure from Asus is geared towards both gamers and casual users alike. It’s perfect those who are looking for a clean and minimal mATX case, be it for a gaming or a classic work setup. As long as you plan your build and pick the right combination of parts that can go into the build, you’ll be satisfied with what this case offers. Simply put, it’s hard to go wrong with a case that costs $80, looks good in both black and white colors, offers great airflow to cool even some high-end parts, and has plenty of clearance for a variety of cooling solutions.
Looks good in both black and white colors, offers great airflow to cool even some high-end parts, and has plenty of clearance for a variety of cooling solutions.
The included 120mm exhaust should be enough to regulate the temperatures within the case for relatively low-end builds. But I recommend adding the cost of at least a couple of case fans to your budget in case you’re planning to use this case for a mid- to high-end gaming or a production build. There’s space to mount a couple of 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch drives on the floor, but you may have to go easy on them if you add fans at the bottom like I did. Cooler Master’s Q300L V2 is a good alternative to consider if you’re shopping for an mATX case that goes easy on your wallet. It’s available for $60 on Amazon, but it only comes in one color and doesn’t offer the best clearance or radiator support. Lian Li’s O11 Air Mini is also a good alternative that comes with plenty of bells and whistles, but it retails for over $100 and is also relatively bigger. You can always consider buying an ATX case instead, but keep in mind that ATX/mid-towers will occupy a lot more space on your desk.
Source: Asus
ASUS Prime AP201
Affordable & spacious small tower
The Asus Prime AP201 is an interesting and unique PC case from the brand with mesh panels on all fronts. This not only looks great but doubles up as allowing for solid access to cool air. With support for up to a 360mm radiator, you can build a powerful PC inside this chassis.
