Midi case with armor look in the test

The more compact midi case in black from Asus with a volume of almost 44 liters is the smaller version for not exactly cheap 90 euros in the TUF armor look. With the core components such as the graphics card (up to 32 cm long), the CPU cooler (up to 16 cm high) or the power supply (up to 16 cm long), you should therefore take a closer look at the dimensions, especially when it comes to bulky parts like a Noctua NH-D15 .

The front, which is made entirely of plastic, does not make much sense in terms of airflow, but primarily focuses on design. The small TUF-branded strap on the front is useful for grabbing on its own, but with the weight of a full system, we wouldn’t recommend using it for carrying. On the one hand, the fabric wears out quickly and, on the other hand, the plastic cut-outs for attaching the belt don’t make the most stable impression.

There are three ARGB 120mm fans at the front and a single 120mm fan at the rear. A fourth ARGB 120 fan at the rear would have been nice, which partially illuminates the interior from the outside through the glass side panel. 360 mm radiators are only possible on the front, there is no space for water cooling on the inside of the ceiling, even though two 120 mm fan slots are planned. The power supply chamber is closed except for small cable bushings and the radiator cut-out on the front. The RGB controller on the back, above the power supply chamber, offers six 3-pin ARGB ports and is connected to an LED button on the front I/O or alternatively via the mainboard for RGB sync programs. The two USB ports with 3.1 Gen 1 (Type A) are suitable for fast data transfers, there are no additional USB 2.0 ports, for example for peripherals such as controllers. There is no separate audio connection, but rather a headphone/microphone combo jack. A nice extra right next to the front ports is an optional headset holder that can be attached to either side with a screw.

A 5.25-inch drive shaft is missing. A removable, non-decoupled hard drive cage offers space for either a 3.5″ or 2.5″ drive in the power supply chamber with two slots. There are also two separate frames available for 2.5-inch SATA SSDs, one inside the housing above the power supply chamber and one on the back of the mainboard tray.

processing and performance

The relatively loosely clamped dust filter on the bottom can only be reached after tipping over the housing, for the front filter the panel has to be loosened with a bit of force – then a frame has to be unscrewed to also remove the dust filter from the outside (from the dust source ) to clean. The upper dust filter holds its position through the inlet and the magnetic bases on the edge when you gently press against it. Our test sample showed a small tear on the front filter that cannot be seen from the outside.

The material processing is otherwise good and is within the average range of more compact midi cases. Fortunately, there is no reason to complain about the cut edges and the torsional stiffness, everything fits as it should.

The perforation of the front in the honeycomb pattern is most permeable to air, especially in the middle, the front is practically tight at the top and bottom. Otherwise the loudness would probably be above the 2.4/2.2 sone measured by us. A manual fan curve adjustment via the UEFI BIOS or the mainboard manufacturer’s own software is therefore useful, as always. The GT301 case is in the midfield with temperatures of 63 °C for the processor and 71 °C for the graphics card.

Excerpt from the test table

All in all, the Asus TUF GT301

The GT301 could be improved in some places with more functionality and convenience, such as hard drive decoupling or easier access to the dust side of the front filter. As a result, the more compact and dense construction leads to some easier compromises, as one might expect from a fairly average case in terms of performance and workmanship. With a lower price in the 70 euro range, the GT301 would fit perfectly with narrower mid-range computers. With the current price tag of 90 euros, the smaller Asus case is a clear recommendation for fans of the quite respectable armor honeycomb look.