Asus ProArt PA401 Wood Edition: The halved PA601 is half the size and half the price 9 comments
Image: Asus
Asus “halves” the ProArt PA602 (test). Like the PA401, the Midi Tower is almost half the size, almost half the price and, as the Wood Edition addition refers to, replaces the plastic cooling fins on the front with real wood. As is typical of the ProArt series, the design remains simple and extremely discreet.
Behind the ash wood ribs on the ProArt PA401 Wood Edition’s front, Asus uses mesh to maximize airflow. Asus writes on the homepage that the wood comes from sustainable forestry and carries the FSC label.
Fan for this design
Two 160mm fans with a depth of 32 millimeters work together with a 120mm rear fan to provide ventilation. A special feature of PWM-controlled fans is the fan blades connected to a “ring”. Asus designed the case to accommodate the fan’s unusual size: only two units can be placed on the front; 120mm models cannot be installed there. Since the bottom fan usually only ventilates the power compartment, the concept makes sense.
Additional fans can be retrofitted to the cover, which can also accommodate a 240mm radiator. CPU coolers can be a maximum of 160 millimeters high and graphics cards 315 millimeters long. Both allow the use of most available models – also thanks to the reduction in volume from approximately 83 to 47 liters.
Asus ProArt PA401 (Image: Asus) Image 1 of 9
The fans can be controlled either via the motherboard or via the control box, which is controlled via the I/O panel and supports a total of five fans. The power and reset buttons can also be locked using a slide switch which Asus says should protect against accidental activation.
The option to secure the opening of the left side panel with a lock seems more practical. For cable management, there are also cable ties on the back that run the full length of the tower. The PA401 accommodates hard drives in a cage with two slots and two additional 2.5″ brackets.
Two versions with wood
Both versions of the ProArt PA401 are already listed in stores, but no delivery date has yet been announced. In terms of price, the PA401s with metal and glass side panels are the same: both cost around 120 euros plus shipping. There are no other versions: despite the name “Wood Edition”, no model is offered without wood.
Subjects: Asus CES 2025 case Source: Asus
Clara is an expert in custom PC building, specialising in innovative cases and cooling solutions.
