Asus Prime AP201

[Darksaber]

Don't be fooled by the fact that the Asus Prime AP201 is an M-ATX case. In fact, it may well be the reason you end up going for that type of motherboard instead of the classic ATX or ITX options out there. The AP201 manages to impress all around with its simple, yet functional, very balanced interior combined with a clean, beautiful exterior

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[Palladium]

One of the endangered species of forward facing front I/O ports.

 

[wheresmycar]

the more the mesh the merrier

Looking at the specs on the manufacturers page, it doesn't list out bottom fan compatibility. Judging by the pics im assuming, it takes x2 120mm fans?

I like it... would love an option with a glass side panel too

 

[ModEl4]

Very good case, but "excellent price?"
There is no excellent price regarding ASUS brand, it has good products, but you pay the premium, only when it's nearing EOL status or if doesn't sell according to forecast they have competitive pricing.
If you don't need USB-C, you can go to other good mATX supporting options with -40€ less like Sharkoon MS-Y1000!

 

[thewan]

Looking at the specs on the manufacturers page, it doesn't list out bottom fan compatibility. Judging by the pics im assuming, it takes x2 120mm fans?

While I find it weird that it isn't mentioned in the specs page (maybe they forgot?) it is mentioned in the review. Quoted from page 4:

On the floor of the enclosure, you may install two 2.5/3.5" drives. Alternatively, there are mounting holes for two 120 mm fans.

It is also mentioned on the main product page from the Asus website where all the marketing blurb is. Just look under the section that mentions the bottom dust filter:

The two 120 mm fan mounts at the bottom of the AP201 include a dust filter that can be removed for easy cleaning, or to enhance airflow even further.

And last but not least, here is a screenshot of the page on fan setup compatibility from the manual.

You really don't need to "assume" anything. You just need to learn how to read something thoroughly from top to bottom before posting on the internet.

 

[AusWolf]

Nice. Very nice. I might build my next system in one of these. But the price... I don't know.

 

[wheresmycar]

While I find it weird that it isn't mentioned in the specs page (maybe they forgot?) it is mentioned in the review. Quoted from page 4:



It is also mentioned on the main product page from the Asus website where all the marketing blurb is. Just look under the section that mentions the bottom dust filter:



And last but not least, here is a screenshot of the page on fan setup compatibility from the manual.
View attachment 260785

Thanks bud!!

You really don't need to "assume" anything. You just need to learn how to read something thoroughly from top to bottom before posting on the internet.

ouch! give me some credit... i did check the manufacturers "tech spec" product page & the review first page where "bottom fans" are listed as "n/a". Then with all my strength managed to open page 5 to check whether any fans were installed or if any mention was made. I even put the images to use and shoved my face closely against the display to identify those mounting screws hence the assumption: x2 120mm fan compatible. I demand podium-worthy acknowledgement for my hard work and further gold-plated prized recognition for having you employed (free of charge) to conduct a more thorough investigation

You my friend are at the cusp of the bow of the ship of revelation and deliverance and I the ship captain!! Together, we have achieved the impossible... so many lives saved from wasting precious minutes of their precious time... it is indeed x2 120mm bottom fan compatible

 

[lilwirebrushdude]

Thanks bud!!



ouch! give me some credit... i did check the manufacturers "tech spec" product page & the review first page where "bottom fans" are listed as "n/a". Then with all my strength managed to open page 5 to check whether any fans were installed or if any mention was made. I even put the images to use and shoved my face closely against the display to identify those mounting screws hence the assumption: x2 120mm fan compatible. I demand podium-worthy acknowledgement for my hard work and further gold-plated prized recognition for having you employed (free of charge) to conduct a more thorough investigation

You my friend are at the cusp of the bow of the ship of revelation and deliverance and I the ship captain!! Together, we have achieved the impossible... so many lives saved from wasting precious minutes of their precious time... it is indeed x2 120mm bottom fan compatible

Thanks for the laugh bro

 

[Sensates]

The price is good no? NR200 and the recently reviewed Meshroom are both over 100 dollars

 

[Leshy]

Very good case, but "excellent price?"
There is no excellent price regarding ASUS brand, it has good products, but you pay the premium, only when it's nearing EOL status or if doesn't sell according to forecast they have competitive pricing.
If you don't need USB-C, you can go to other good mATX supporting options with -40€ less like Sharkoon MS-Y1000!

same but different asus looks like great product for us utilitarianists . this sharkoon looks like is for the goons with all fancy argb "premium design" with lack of functionality (cooling).

 

[ModEl4]

same but different asus looks like great product for us utilitarianists . this sharkoon looks like is for the goons with all fancy argb "premium design" with lack of functionality (cooling).

Oh I agree, I just don't think pricing is at a level that you can characterize it excellent, just OK.
AP201 and MS-Y1000 essentially they don't have too many similarities except support for mATX, I just wish ASUS pricing strategy was more reasonable with similar margins as Sharkoon's because the material costs between them doesn't seem to be +€30.

 

[Lnxepique]

I received this case a few days ago - the finish is absolutely beautiful and it looks fantastic in person. The panels are all very easy to remove too, especially the top goes off much easier compared to my NR200.

From a quality/cooling perspective it's a definitive step up from the Coolermaster NR200P. Highly recommended. The clearances for routing cables are also much better.

I also had the Jonsbo D30 side by side, but I'm sending that one back, it's way inferior (rough finish, cheap button, too little clearance inside, cheap feeling plastic feet... no thanks.)

EDIT: OH I FORGOT TO MENTION, THIS THING FITS 3x140MM IN THE TOP. INSANITY.

 

[wheresmycar]

Nice one Lnxepique... its always nice to see some positive buyer feedback!

Each time i log onto TPU and see this case, I keep coming back to this review. I personally think this is the finest of Micro-ATX offerings on the market. Ticks all the following boxes for me:

- Affordable Micro-ATX and ATX-12v PSU possibility in a small form factor compact case. I was thinking of grabbing a NR200P but didn't fancy the Mini-ITX/SFX added tax. Plus, i'd get to install an already owned PSU opposed to picking up a new SFX

- Fully meshed Micro-ATX... we don't see much of that in the suggested price range

- Most appealing is the side slapped PSU installation making bottom-up air intake directed towards the GPU possible for Micro-ATX builds. I think this is a MUST for anyone picking up high end performance cards which demand and omit plenty of energy

- The exterior design language is a MUST for me... it's gotto look pretty and slick if its gonna be sat infront of me all the time. ASUS is right on the money here!

- loads of other positives...

The only thing i would have liked a little different is a front slide out dust filter for the bottom. Not sure why they skipped a front dust filter for the PSU fan intake. Oh, and potentially at the cost of airflow performance I wouldn't mind a glass side panel variant

 

[konga]

I think they should've shaved some length off this thing (front to back). 460mm is confusingly large for a compact case, and there's a lot of wasted, empty space in the finished build. It seems like they could've gotten this down to sub-30 liters with just a bit of rejiggering. As it is, this case has a larger desk profile than the Meshify 2 Compact and many other compact full-ATX cases, which is a bit of a joke for a compact micro-ATX case.

I don't know, I'm not really feeling it with this case. It's not as compact as you'd want from a micro-ATX case touting compactness, but it's also not as cheap as you'd like for a case that will primarily be used with budget-tier motherboards.

 

[wheresmycar]

I think they should've shaved some length off this thing (front to back). 460mm is confusingly large for a compact case, and there's a lot of wasted, empty space in the finished build. It seems like they could've gotten this down to sub-30 liters with just a bit of rejiggering. As it is, this case has a larger desk profile than the Meshify 2 Compact and many other compact full-ATX cases, which is a bit of a joke for a compact micro-ATX case.

I don't know, I'm not really feeling it with this case. It's not as compact as you'd want from a micro-ATX case touting compactness, but it's also not as cheap as you'd like for a case that will primarily be used with budget-tier motherboards.

With the top 360 rad (or x3 fans) and the standard ATX PSU retained, if trimming it further achieves a little better compactness, i'm all for it. Otherwise, i think the AP201 sits favourably for select buyers with select inclinations. I agree, classically, "compactness" isn't the best selling point here as its more of a preversely compact case for those who fancy repositioned installations to open up air intake at the bottom whilst securing a 360 mount on top. It was also going to grab more desk space... won't be for everyone but its definitely right on the money for me. Maybe the AP201 will see little brothers/sisters... possibly a MINI-ITX with SFX + 240mm top mount surface to draw NR200P-like compactness.

 

[AusWolf]

I think they should've shaved some length off this thing (front to back). 460mm is confusingly large for a compact case, and there's a lot of wasted, empty space in the finished build. It seems like they could've gotten this down to sub-30 liters with just a bit of rejiggering. As it is, this case has a larger desk profile than the Meshify 2 Compact and many other compact full-ATX cases, which is a bit of a joke for a compact micro-ATX case.

I don't know, I'm not really feeling it with this case. It's not as compact as you'd want from a micro-ATX case touting compactness, but it's also not as cheap as you'd like for a case that will primarily be used with budget-tier motherboards.

I guess they could have put the PSU elsewhere, but then they would have lost bragging rights with the 360 mm radiator mount. Like Corsair has done with my 280X: the PSU is in a separate compartment behind the motherboard, but the top "only" has space for a 280 mm rad, which is perfectly fine for me.

 

[80-watt Hamster]

Oh I agree, I just don't think pricing is at a level that you can characterize it excellent, just OK.
AP201 and MS-Y1000 essentially they don't have too many similarities except support for mATX, I just wish ASUS pricing strategy was more reasonable with similar margins as Sharkoon's because the material costs between them doesn't seem to be +€30.

I don't know about those the AP201 or Y1000 specifically, but I haven't handled a case worth having that cost much less than $80 in over a decade. Maybe this one wouldn't qualify either, but the recessed expansion slots are a positive indicator.

 

[Palladium]

I think they should've shaved some length off this thing (front to back). 460mm is confusingly large for a compact case, and there's a lot of wasted, empty space in the finished build. It seems like they could've gotten this down to sub-30 liters with just a bit of rejiggering. As it is, this case has a larger desk profile than the Meshify 2 Compact and many other compact full-ATX cases, which is a bit of a joke for a compact micro-ATX case.

I don't know, I'm not really feeling it with this case. It's not as compact as you'd want from a micro-ATX case touting compactness, but it's also not as cheap as you'd like for a case that will primarily be used with budget-tier motherboards.

I also found out MATX cases has effectively no expansion capacity for PCIE slots the moment you use a full-sized GPU with a MATX mobo that also shifts the main 16x slot downwards by one slot, like my Aorus B550M Pro-P.

Also I have no idea about the thermal/noise performance of the Silverstone FARA R1 Pro V2, but to me it is the perfect compact (37L, sub 450mm height) ATX case with forward front I/O, looks professional and also dirt cheap.

 

[shovenose]

I like it, might be my next case. I hate my Fractal Focus G Mini, what a lemon.

 

[wheresmycar]

I like it, might be my next case. I hate my Fractal Focus G Mini, what a lemon.

HEYYY! LEMONS ARE HEALTHYYYY lol

The FOCUS G (non-mini) was my first front mesh case. Didn't take long before swapping out. Easily scratched acrylic panel which looks kinda cheap, okay'ish cable management, IN YOUR FACE optical drive bays which were never in use and no shroud over the mustard spaghetti cable clutter. At some point i was thinking of cutting into those rivets to remove the optical drives... even considered my dremel. Ended up buying a new case within 6 months. What a "ROTTEN" lemon hehe!

 

[shovenose]

HEYYY! LEMONS ARE HEALTHYYYY lol

The FOCUS G (non-mini) was my first front mesh case. Didn't take long before swapping out. Easily scratched acrylic panel which looks kinda cheap, okay'ish cable management, IN YOUR FACE optical drive bays which were never in use and no shroud over the mustard spaghetti cable clutter. At some point i was thinking of cutting into those rivets to remove the optical drives... even considered my dremel. Ended up buying a new case within 6 months. What a "ROTTEN" lemon hehe!

Yup. Non-removable optical drive cage, no cable management ability, and no way to hide the ketchup mustard spaghetti. I was using a modular PSU with all black cables which was better but I swapped it out for a non-modular PSU temporarily and it just looks horrible. I see your complaints are the same as mine pretty much LOL.

Well, thank you for the review TPU, case has been ordered on Amazon. If I have any issues during the build I'll update.

 

[r3ptil3]

Do not fit two 140mm fans on the bottom?

 

[konga]

With the top 360 rad (or x3 fans) and the standard ATX PSU retained, if trimming it further achieves a little better compactness, i'm all for it. Otherwise, i think the AP201 sits favourably for select buyers with select inclinations. I agree, classically, "compactness" isn't the best selling point here as its more of a preversely compact case for those who fancy repositioned installations to open up air intake at the bottom whilst securing a 360 mount on top. It was also going to grab more desk space... won't be for everyone but its definitely right on the money for me. Maybe the AP201 will see little brothers/sisters... possibly a MINI-ITX with SFX + 240mm top mount surface to draw NR200P-like compactness.

This may be an unpopular opinion, but I would prefer it if they just nixed 360mm radiator compatibility and gave it 280mm max.

Basically, I just want a fully mesh Sama IM01 (which itself is just a bigger NR200)

 

[shovenose]

It won’t be here til November 5 come on Amazon. Guess I’ll order it on Newegg

 

[shovenose]

Just an update for anyone interested, the Asus AP201 is a wonderful case. I appreciate TPU's review as I wouldn't have even known of its existence or considered it without said review. The case is 100x better than my previous case, the Fractal Focus G Mini, an absolutely horrible case which I've now relegated to my secondary PC.

And under the load of playing MSFS at 3840x1080, I can't even hear the fans ramp up at all in the AP201, unlike in the Fractal case where the fans would end up louder than the planes on a single 1920x1080 monitor.

I didn't do a very patient cable management job but even with low effort it was much easier to make my build at least somewhat tidy.

Only issue I had was my MSI B560M Pro motherboard doesn't have the proper connector for the USB-C connector on the front panel. Not Asus's fault, just thought it was worth mentioning. Full system specs are in my profile if you care.

PS: I love the way the side panels and front panel detach. A surprisingly solid tool-less system given the price of the case. I'm a cheap person but I would have happily paid $20 more for this case, it is far more premium than its price point.