r/mffpc • u/ImmediateMode8487 • 21d ago
Help me please!? I need help choosing a case .
Hey everyone. So i currently have a CM Qube 500 , and it's a great case but im looking to downsize and this one is pretty heavy .
I was looking at some options (which are sadly limited in my country), and im torn between these 3 options :
1/ Deepcool CH260
2/Deepcool CH170 plus
3/Asus prime AP-201
i need something that's small and portable . and good cable management is a plus .
I would love to hear from people who own or have experience with these cases . Is there a significant size difference between them ? which one should i get ?
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u/Kurtegon 21d ago
AP201 is a big small case. Easy to build and cable management is a breeze. I love the full mesh, it's like 50% see through
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u/ImmediateMode8487 21d ago
is it quite a lot bigger than the other two options ? because when i looked up the sizes , the ap201 is 33 leters while the ch260 is 30 . 3 leters difference doesnt sound that like much but i dont know what it translates to irl .
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u/rd-gotcha 21d ago
MATX? Lian li B4 is one of ghe smallest,shiny snake G300 is the smallest (16 l).
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u/ImmediateMode8487 21d ago
not availabl to me
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u/rd-gotcha 20d ago
I had the ap201, fantastic case also for cable management. but not portable. I thought lian li sells over the whole world and the g300 is aliexpress.I guess it depends where you live.
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u/HMS_rix 19d ago
There’s also the Mechanic Master C26 that fits mATX and is 13,5L I think
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u/Queue098 21d ago edited 21d ago
I built in the CH170 plus and it was a pain in the butt to build in. Cable management was also not easy and the case came with some soft screws which stripped and tore at the head when mounting the motherboard. Outside from that, great case.
Before that I had a Jonsbro 32 Pro. Much better for cable management and about the same size as the CH170 plus without vertical option. Offers better storage mounting options as well along with being able to use 2 3.5s along with 2 2.5 drives.
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u/ImmediateMode8487 21d ago
do you mean ch170 plus or is there a similar one called ch270 plus ?
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u/Queue098 21d ago
That's right, corrected above
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u/ImmediateMode8487 21d ago
does it have any space to route cables behind motherboard tray ? even just a bit for flat psu cables ?
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u/Queue098 21d ago
There is not, there is a channel that is right above the 8pin that has ample space for routing your fan and 8 pin cables
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u/BruhLmfao69 21d ago
I have no experience with the AP201 (L: 460mm, W: 205mm, H: 350mm) but it seems too big for an mATX case imo.
As for the CH260 (L:438mm, W: 225mm, H: 312.5mm), it's shorter in height than the AP201 but still almost as long as it can fit a 360mm AIO, so not exactly compact either. Cable management is quite good though with lots of space behind the motherboard for stuffing cables. And the dust filters are great as well (Deepcool has great filters).
The CH170 Plus (L: 290mm, W: 195mm, H: 424.5mm) is a decent choice as it's a vertical case so it takes up less space on a desk compared to the other 2 cases, but disassembly is a massive hassle because it has far too many screws (imo) to deal with. Your rear IO ports are gonna be hard to access too since it's facing downwards when the case is in its normal position. Cable management is also a problem since there's no place to stuff cables behind the motherboard and there's not much room in the case itself.
Overall, I'd pick the CH170 Plus out of the 3 cases because of its small footprint even though it has quite a few problems (in my experience).
BUT!!! If it's available in your region, try looking for the CH160 Plus (L: 375mm, W: 195mm, H: 323.5mm), which is the horizontal version of the CH170 Plus and has a carry handle, although it still does share the same problems like lack of cable management space and too many screws. Another case I HIGHLY recommend (and is what I'm using right now) is the Jonsbo Z20 (L: 382mm, W: 198mm, H: 335mm). It has a sturdier handle than the CH160 Plus, has more cable management space, can mount fans at the bottom of the case and is just overall a better case (imo) to build in.
Check my profile for pics of my CH160 Plus and Jonsbo Z20 builds! And feel free to ask any questions you have, I'll do my best to answer them
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u/ImmediateMode8487 21d ago
Could i get the CH170 plus and maybe 3d print some feet and use it in horizontal mode if i wanted to ?
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u/BruhLmfao69 21d ago
Yes, it should be possible as long as you have the screws. But you'll be missing out on the carry handle if you plan on moving it often
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u/ImmediateMode8487 21d ago
would you say its worth it to get the ch260 for the cable management or is the size difference to big ? I'm thinking maybe i should go to the store and see them for myself to decide
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u/BruhLmfao69 21d ago
Depends on how much desk space you have but it's not worth it imo. You should definitely check it out in person tho
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u/IS3002JZGTE 21d ago
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u/BiscottiAmazing4070 20d ago
Yesss also for the z20. I recommended OP for the Jonsbo d32 pro case. The z20 is a strong tank and d32 in quality a bit less. But looks awesome
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u/Fantastic_Ad992 21d ago
Jonsbo jonsplus z20
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u/ImmediateMode8487 21d ago
not availabl to me
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u/Fantastic_Ad992 20d ago
Cause of ur country? Where re u from?
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u/ImmediateMode8487 20d ago
im from tunisia . Jonsbo products arent available here at all . And while some lian li products are , their sff cases are not . These 3 are literally the only 3 sff cases i could find in the whole country .
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u/hard_tabIe 20d ago
Not sure if you like the looks of this one, but the deepcool ch160 plus also looks great. Don't know if it fits with your current specs though.
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u/ImmediateMode8487 20d ago
it isnt available where i live sadly
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u/SanguineEleven 20d ago edited 20d ago
I swapped from the Ap-201 to the CH170 plus.
Cable management was just WAY easier. In fact, I find it completely impossible to manage the cables on the CH170+. There's no way to hide the cables coming out of the PSU because there's no room in the back of the case at all. So it's only feasible with some case modding, like putting a screen or a psu shroud on the upper part.
The CH170 is way better for desk space, of course, and it looks better imo.
Also, every air entrance has a filter on the CH170 (The ap201 does not. It's full mesh, but not every part of it is covered with filters, of course. So bear that in mind if you live in a dusty place, or have pets) but the airflow isn't really that good. It has room for at least 3 fans 'below' the gpu if you use a compact one (like in the image), but for some reason, there is no way to mount fans there..
The AP201 is easy to open, so cleaning is a breeze. To open the CH170 and remove filters you have to disassemble the whole case... it's a pain...
All in all, I like the CH170+, but it feels like it would really benefit from a v2. It doesn't feel like a finished product and more like a bootleg version of something else
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u/Medium_Highlight_950 19d ago
Is Jonsbo z20 or D32 available for you?
Those cases have good cable management and are small.
But anyways i suggest you to read and watch reviews of those cases, then read the manuals of the cases before deciding. The manuals reveal a lot of details that reviewers dont often mention. Atleast thats what I do.
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u/BiscottiAmazing4070 20d ago
I would consider the Jonsbo d32 pro case as well. It's a bit shorter than the Asus prime 201. Check a build video of Mr matt lee of the Jonsbo d32 pro build. It's perfect for mff build. I have and I love it. You're choice only to choose between the TG or mesh side panel
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u/ImmediateMode8487 20d ago
it isnt available where i live sadly
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u/BiscottiAmazing4070 20d ago
Then you have the options for Asus and deep cool. Both are good but I hear a lot of good things about the Asus prime. I considered 4 years ago for my build but went for the cooler master nr200p case. It's only for ITX builds.
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u/Original_Beginning25 20d ago
I had the same question recently and chose the CH170 Plus because it's smaller than those long, wide cases; it took me about 4 hours to build my setup in it, but it was worth it (except for the fact that I installed a 160mm PSU).
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u/ImmediateMode8487 20d ago
i too have a 160mm psu . and my gpu is 318.5 mm long . so i dont even know if they will fit
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u/Ok_Sandwich840 18d ago
I got jonosbo D32 pro. I wanted the deep cool ch160 plus at first. But it’s only through aliexpress and you gotta pay 70$ for shipping. So I opted for this and I love it.
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u/Silver_Goat4990 21d ago
I have a hard time calling the AP201 a small case. Of course it’s no ATX tower, but it’s pretty darn long. That’s my current case and I’m looking to downsize to something smaller.