Fractal Meshify 2 Compact - we all saw this coming

[@KitGuruTech]

Are you going compact? 00:00​ Start 00:15​ Introduction 00:59​ Changes and updates 01:44​ Pulling the case apart, up close analysis 05:16​ Build decisions 06:14​ Build montage 08:35​ Build discussion 09:02​ Test System 09:43​ Test details and results 10:39​ Pros and Cons, pricing / Closing Thoughts

[@BobMotster]

More and more, with each passing year.

[@tatt2jon]

I find you case reviews to be the most thorough Leo, you tear everything down then build it up again. Outstanding

[@violian5]

I really want this! I passed on the original "Meshify C" because I hate glass panels held on by 4 screws (ruins the aesthetics). Also passed on the new "Meshify 2" that was released not too long ago because that thing is huge (way too deep so it would've jut out from underneath my tiny desk). I already finished my build 2 months ago but am seriously thinking of picking this up so I can transfer my build into this.

[@The93Momo93]

I ordered this asap, with a Solid option without glass (and zero rbg) it was a no brainer and I think I will be reusing it for my future builds as well

[@DRay23322]

I’m about to start gradually buying components for my new build and I think I might pick this up first. I also prefer smaller cases-the larger meshify cases wouldn’t serve me any purpose. The look of this thing is awesome!

[@AG-bp3ll]

I love my Mini C. Glad to see they are continuing with the smaller cases. I know these aren't super tiny, but they are perfect for sitting on a desk. Also, there was no reason to take the front panel off the C. The front filter popped off by itself so that wasn't an issue.

[@rainerbehrendt9330]

My first build was in a Meshify C. It was okay for an amateuer like me. If i'd known better i would plug in the CPU Power connector and the read fan header before installing the Motherboard in the Case. The Dark Rock Pro 4 CPU Cooler is a bit large. Lesson learned. A little bit skin and Blood keeps the PC Gods quiet ;-) The removable top panel would be perfect at this time. Only Concern at this moment is the limited lenght of GPUs, but why worry? There are no GPUs to buy at the moment.

[@AG-bp3ll]

@@rainerbehrendt9330 I had to install the Dark Rock Pro 4 in the case as I had to pull the AIO due to issues with Corsair's iCue and it wasn't a pleasant experience. I should have taken the motherboard out. The install process for the Dark Rock cooler is very tough in a tight space. I hope in the future Be Quiet goes to a mounting system more like Noctua. Those are a breeze to install in a case.

[@techti8792]

How does the meshify c do compared to this the meshify 2 compact. I have the S2 regular. But it's too big. What you recommend?

[@rainerbehrendt9330]

@@techti8792 Don't know the S2 but i love my C. But only if you don't need any space for 3.5 HDs (the case must go) and longer GPUs. That's the difference to the new 2 C. A little more space and more flexibility because the top can go...

[@hellokim1103]

Thx for your build montage. Recently I bought this case but had problem with something. Fortunetly, your video is truely helpful for me. (from SouthKorea)

[@ghost_of_m403]

Awesome review Leo. I really appreciate some of the premium bonuses in this case. The 140mm front fans and the better front panel IO are nice extras that most cases in this class don't offer.

[@zeekyaw]

Wow! beautiful. I would like to upgrade my Define C to Meshify 2 Compact just for the extra airflow.

[@katherinesilens2994]

Seems like you didn't discover the removable top radiator tray. I was interested to see what you would think about it and how you'd feel about the working space of the case in a fully open state.

[@CasmurMusic]

Great review, thank you! I've just ordered the Meshify 2 Compact, the 360mm meshify cooler, the meshify 850w gold+ PSU and 4 meshify RGB fans... Basically a full meshify case build minus the mobo, gpu, ram and cpu. Can't wait to put it together on Friday

[@Ryan_1998]

did the 360mm rad fit without having to take up both covers ?

[@charlesuk5358]

Much prefer that front mesh filter design, overall looks a decent case

[@kilowhiskeyone5062]

I fit a 3090 in this, plenty of room. Recommend using low profile ram if you plan on placing in top rad for AIO,; however the Capellix fits perfectly fine on front. If using, Low profile memory you can also fit in any noctua air cooler.

[@asdf51501]

That build montage music was fantastic. I have an x570 Taichi board I'm going to drop my old 3950x into, so this video makes me think that while I like this case, I like the bigger brother a little better also, mainly for GPU clearance, and clearance in general. I'll go that route. I really love the Fractal Design aesthetic :)

[@jacobmperry]

These tiny changes make it look sooooo much better, insanely clean!

[@mutasimrahman6833]

FUCK YESS IVE BEEN ASKING FRACTAL FOR MONTHS

[@fehmiugurunal]

THE BACKGROUND MUSIC IS A BANGER

[@donkeysunited]

For me it's a step in the right direction but we're not there yet. I want 3x140mm in the front along with its "compact" nature, ie. no drive bays behind the front fans. Currently the Fractal 2 and the Phanteks P500A are good but they are designed for many many hard drives and that's wasted space for me as I only use SSD and NVMe. Make this case taller to fit that 3rd 140mm in the front. The extra height would add some space below the motherboard for routing cables (and maybe even an 8th PCI-E slot) and also above the motherboard for fitting a 280mm rad. And keep its "compact" nature to bring the front airflow closer to the MB and GPU, although maybe back it off an inch as this case looks very tight with a modern GPU. Until then, I'm keeping my Phanteks Pro M TG.

[@ElisDiaz]

Thank you so much for putting the 280 in the front. I’m building my first PC and I ordered the z63 kraken, which is a 280. I wanted to see how it was handled.

[@timotmon]

I just got mine.. I wish the SSD caddies were still more up towards the top behind the heatsink mount.. Being so low makes a cable management nightmare. The original meshify C had room 3 SSDs instead of 3. Otherwise, great case. Really happy with it.

[@Geoweb35]

Looks great!

[@nukedathlonman]

I like, although I do feel they had a slight naming opportunity missed out on. Whom wouldn't want a Fractal SHRüNK'N C.

[@QuentinStephens]

That's a very nice little case. Thank you. I would have liked you to have used a USB C add-in card to demonstrate how odd cables can be routed, but I'm guessing you didn't have one available.

[@Cedlad]

great review, between this and the bequiet 500dx, which one would you pick?

[@KitGuruTech]

Glad you enjoyed - hard to cast the mind back a year but would lean towards the Fractal Compact

[@Cedlad]

@@KitGuruTech appreciate the fast response! i would love to know your opinion on which ATX AM4 motherboard, got Type C header and ready to support ryzen 5000 serie?

[@TTks124]

500dx. Comes with better fans,....ones you can actually use, and you're not forced to throw them in the garbage (belive me, i have 2 fractal cases). It's slightly more spacious having pretty much same size, it's better looking and also cheaper. Doesnt reinvent the wheel with so many "comodity" features that can turn into breaking points. Whichever you get, make sure, to have all fans that come with the case, in the front of the case, particularly one fan in the front low side, and the lower side (psu shroud area) as clean as you can....no excess cabling (those you should try re-routing them behind the right side panel), and drive cage removed. It makes a world of difference for GPU temps. Easily 7-8ºC for the bequiet, and 14-15ºC for the meshify 2C, if you also add a bottom intake fan. I have the meshify C, and removing the foam filter from the mesh front panel, adding one fan in the front low side, and 1 in the bottom, got me from 74ºC to 57ºC, without any speed bump in any fans.

[@Cedlad]

@@TTks124 dude! thank you so much ❤️❤️

[@dryeyez434]

the H400i is a case that deserves a review premium quality build.

[@danielwang3774]

Aw man I recently bought the Corsair 4000d airflow. This seems superior to the 4000d in every way. I mean it's still a solid case, but Fractal really thought this one out, from the 2 USB-A + 1 USB-C, three preinstalled fans, easy to remove dust filters, compact midtower size. Props to Fractal, probably will look into cancelling my order while it still has not shipped so I could get a Meshify 2 Compact instead.

[@AznAnarchy99]

I'm between the two right now. I'm going for the smallest and fractal is a tad smidge smaller.

[@MartinOlminkhof]

This is how I would describe it: The Meshify 2 Compact is to the Meshify 2 as the Define 7 Compact is to the Define 7

[@mahoslash]

I would rather say it's a Define 7 Compact airflow case instead....... Pity that the Meshify 2 Compact is short of two USB A 2.0 ports, but damn that airflow makes up for that.

[@MiddleofKnowhere]

This seems like it should be a 69.99 USD case maybe 79.99 but I think we're paying for the tool-less features . . . Looks good though.

[@anthonytech]

I totally get the glass side panel being tool-less but would it have really hurt/changed the price if the solid panel had captive thumbscrews. Like c'mon fractal that's a strange move

[@MiddleofKnowhere]

@@anthonytech I agree. The only reason I can't bring myself to buy a fractal case for a build that I'll sell is it's just too expensive compared to similarly specced cases. Their build quality is undeniable, but I can get just as much storage, ports, rigidity, glass, etc for 20-40 bucks less. They do have some things going for them like the filter removal and all that, but when trying to be budget conscious, I can't recommend them.

[@DRay23322]

Just got this grey version in today. It is so so so clean. Love it!!!

[@mouthstick-gaming]

Wouldn't the AIO cooler have performed better with the two fans on the other side of the radiator, sucking air into the case from the outside?

[@PeterPauls]

Great Review! I bought this case for my built and I cool my Ryzen 9 3900x with a FRACTAL DESIGN Celsius S24 240 mm AiO, I put it on the top as an exhaust, I don't like using AiOs as an intake, especially in smaller cases, brings too much heat into the case, especially the video card would suffer from it. I left the 2x140 mm fans on the front, I have an EVGA RTX 2080 ti FTW3 Ultra Gaming. I was lucky I have HyperX memories which are not too tall, but for example somebody who uses G.Skill Tridend Z memories, can't mount 240mm AiOs on the top, because the Trident Z memories too tall for that case. Overall everything is very good and I satisfied and the cooling is great if you consider the size!

[@rorydixon2081]

Sorry if it has been asked before, what was that small blue liquid thing you installed, A cooler for a ssd?

[@2foolish]

It's a shame they're still putting separate audio and mic jacks on their cases. Would have been my next case if it was a combo jack.

[@ADreamingTraveler]

I went and made a build with this exact case. Used a noctua cpu cooler for my ryzen 3600x and a rtx 3070...at max loads playing demanding games I get 56c for cpu and 65c for my gpu. I feel like radiators just aren't good for this case because the cases that have them have absurdly warmer temps than the ones that don't

[@argh6666]

I thank the gods of pc building that fractal are keeping the tradition of no ARGB / rgb nonsense so people who are older than 15 can build their pcs in a dignified way without having to deal with unicorn vomit lights. Thank you so much fractal!

[@andydbedford]

Leo I love your reviews, but please please leave out the silly music in the background, I want to listen to you.

[@nickt1262]

What I don't quite get is why couldn't Fractal Design have the same top I/O setup as their larger Meshify 2 (with 4 USB ports and the USB C port) on the compact with all the USB use of today IMO.

[@chairs-dimension]

Feels like a bit of a mistake to not allow any bottom ventilation through the PSU shroud... How's top-mounted radiator clearance? Might be interesting to see a compact dual radiator custom loop in this thing perhaps with the Barrow CPU block or a sneakily-placed pump/res.

[@GeordiLaForgery]

It's a bit big for a ITX mobo? Will there be a smaller version on the way? It's hard to find decent cases with Type-c connectors.

[@qT_p13]

I dont think the fan hub is that big a deal, but maybe the front fans could at least have daisy chain. Also i think fractal should stop doubling up on front mesh. i have a meshify c and i ripped out the foam because i thought it was a waste of time, but i will also say i am comfortable cleaning my pc myself. Other than that i it looks great and is a nice upgrade on the original.

[@JeremyArchie]

Hey Leo...Turns out you didn't need to remove the drive cage to mount the 280 rad...unless it was getting in the way of the PSU cables somehow?

[@javijavv]

In that setup, you think my 336mm GC would fit? It’s a Suprim X 3080 and i have a Z63 280mm AIO which I would like to move from my H510 Elite into this case.

[@Ranny413]

Just build a 12900kf with ddr5 in this case and everything work perfectly. This case was pure magic, i wanted something small easy to carry for lan and no rgb because i sleep close to it. BY FAR the easiest build i have ever done.

[@byambadorjlefever5191]

KitGuru, please help and advice. Having hard time deciding, between this and Lian Li Mesh (Performance) which would you pic? My concern is bottom hole and no dust filter thus more dust accumulation for Lian Li II Mesh. Any thoughts KitGuru?

[@KitGuruTech]

We haven't reviewed that Lian Li so cannot offer direct advice - guess it boils down to how often you want to clean out your PC

[@nxfedlt1]

I built both as 10850k with z53 top rads, strix 3070s. Lian li running 2 deg cooler at load.

[@RazvanMGH]

A good choice would be the Aerocool Trinity. For 40 euro is very ok.

[@OriginalBadRobotz]

I'm upgrading from meshify C mini to meshify 2 compact... My 3070 strix is too long with a fan installed and I'm wanting a full atx board now

[@ragemydream]

I was orginally going to get a Fractal Meshify C for my build but chose to hold off for a CoolerMaster NR200P which is just amazing. My CPU never goes above 50 degrees and my GPU is about 60 degress at load. Seeing the temperatures in this new Meshify 2 Compact is a bit disappointing to be honest, especially for the price.

[@k.6707]

hi Fractal Design Torrent Compact or Fractal Meshify 2 Compact? Material is alluminium both of cases?

[@Wall.Street.AV.]

I just can't decide if buy this one ot the phanteks p360a. Can you suggeste one? Thank you.

[@jamesroggy1546]

The face he pulled when he launched the cover :)

[@cafu6313]

Is it possible to mount two 240mm AIO`s at front and top? I have Kraken X52 on my GTX 1080ti to place it at front and I was thinking to buy another AIO for top mount for CPU. Can you test this scenario?

[@rare6499]

I literally just bought a Define C. Luckily the grey version is out of stock everywhere otherwise I would be buying yet another Fractal case....

[@BG-ve8du]

What would be better? Meshify 2 compact or Lian Li Lancool 2 mesh?

[@ADreamingTraveler]

Both are extremely great in terms of thermals. No idea why he got such high temps here unless it had to do with his radiator placement. Lancool 2 doesn't have a dust filter in the front though so it might accumulate dust faster

[@ADreamingTraveler]

Gamersnexus got way different temps for both cpu and gpu stress tests. They got 46c for cpu and 56c for gpu during their torture tests.

[@victorcedillo9338]

If im building a 3080ti fe 12700k dark power 12 1000w psu nochtua cpu cooler, is this cool enough or should i really consider going straight to the meshify 2

[@frankjohansen3132]

The AIO need to be put on the top with todays long graphic cards.

[@narutodayo]

Great video, as always!

[@rafidbinsadeque499]

leo between this and p360a which is your favorite ?

[@fairycat]

Thanks for review

[@tokekkk]

4:30 when you thought it's a fart but it's not...

[@4epa1012]

Loool

[@olivertabone6788]

The top of the case can be completely removed for more space when building in

[@RobinParmar]

No need for fan hubs. Just get two splitters, one for the top fans, another for the bottom. Then you need only three fan points on the MB.

[@amirjubran1845]

Nice case.... but lots of high power PSUs exceed 165mm... Ampere and RDNA2 have essentially obsoleted anything under 850 watts.

[@The93Momo93]

you can remove the hdd bay and you will have 200mm clearance, but you gotta put the hdd elsewhere then...possibly in the top I guess if you don't have a radiator but then that will likely require the special mounts (I don't think any come by default?)

[@seren7434]

Do you think the EK AIO 360mm would fit in tbe front easily? With an asus tuf 3080

[@seren7434]

Micro-atx board as well

[@motorpimps6881]

Hi, I'm getting a Asus ROG STRIX B550-F GAMING ATX AM4 Motherboard and want this case but PC part picker says I need adapters for the case usb headers. Please can someone explain in basic what I need? Google isn't helping me understand what they are. Many thanks. 🙂

[@KenneyBear]

I like the case. but I don't like the fact you can't install a 280 to the top.

[@HayabusaPaul]

The tubes for the AIO should be at the bottom of the case

[@KitGuruTech]

It depends on the design of the pump. Check the manual for this Fractal Celsius and on page 22 you will see they are fine with the radiator mounted anywhere in the case. www.fractal-design.com/products/water-cooling/celsius-plus-s36-prisma/celsius-s36-prisma/

[@atrem65]

@@KitGuruTech It's not where you place the radiator in the case, it's the orientation of the tubes. Air traps that will appear on the long term are going up in the system, so it's better to have the tubes sitting low.

[@jaimejlynn]

You said it didnt have a fan hub but its advertised with a Nexus+ 2 fan hub.

[@gamedjinni9543]

Dumb question guys: how do I see if a Master Liquid ML360R RGB will fit in this thing? Someone picked out a build for me, and I've got all the parts and I'm just concerned now something isn't going to fit in this tiny case.

[@sparkplugbarrens]

Could you fit two radiators like two thin 360 into this?

[@KitGuruTech]

Maximum rad in the roof is 240mm. Dual rads would doubtless be possible but if that's your plan why not step up to a larger case instead www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/fractal-design-meshify-2-compact-review/

[@0055Micky]

Always think rads are better mounted in the roof that the inlet, would be interested if there was any difference in temps with that configuration.

[@georgewright5747]

Jayz2cents, LTT, nitwit and gamernexus have all done videos on this .. there's little difference between the configurations

[@Whitect4v]

They forgot to paint the interior grey as well?

[@ha-nocri9923]

Can 280mm AIO fit on top?

[@tomasberglund186]

Nice chassi!

[@MultiDawidzio]

I like this Meshify but I would personally take Phanteks P360a over this. Cheaper and better looking IMO. It has nice thermals as well! Just add one exhaust fan and it is perfect!

[@MeDVeDiCh]

I like this case because of its strict designe, metal colour and adequate size. But the price... It is too much. I cant understand, why it cost like its big brother.

[@TheLateral18]

I don't know why case manufacturers also include a SSD cage that will be helpful, now that ssd are available and cheaper. It also will save a lot of apace P. S What's the name of the nvme cooler?

[@unsmote1560]

GN has ruined me for AIOs, I know tubes up isn’t necessarily wrong but my brain is screaming “TUBES DOWN” and I can’t make it stop.

[@HayabusaPaul]

Nothing to be shamed about.

[@aldeen1982]

the pulling case apart seams really stressful for you...

[@lucas82]

I did not even know liquid cooled SSDs exist. Seems like a gimmick though right?

[@jonathannoguera5265]

the only point where it might not be gimmick would be for PCIE 4.0 drives, that have speeds over 7000mbps, as they are very susceptible to temps and they can get very hot very quick, for short-mid usage a good heatsink and decent airflow are enough but if continued read or writes are needed then it could make some sense.

[@shinku2826]

Midrange case market is now done for 2021. See you next year.

[@CallMeTonyga]

one day Nano will get an update

[@hidenman]

Due to how you installed the radiator you have a higher chance to burn out your water pump. The small amount of air in the system will rise to the top, right where your hoses are. Making the pump work harder and get air in the lines. Flip the rad.

[@KitGuruTech]

It depends on the design of the pump. Check the manual for this Fractal Celsius and on page 22 you will see they are fine with the radiator mounted anywhere in the case. www.fractal-design.com/products/water-cooling/celsius-plus-s36-prisma/celsius-s36-prisma/

[@hidenman]

@@KitGuruTech looking at that page it looks like they are just showing to equalize air pressure. One diagram shows to mount at the bottom of case. Like i said its the small air bubbles that will be present in the AIO that will damage ocer time. Just do a search for installing AIO coolers wrong. Maybe the company doesnt have your best intentions in mind?

[@KitGuruTech]

@@hidenman It depends on the design of the cooler. Certain Cooler Master AIOs are absolutely fine in any orientation while other AIOs need to be the correct way up. This a nuanced business and 'hoses down' does not cover all scenarios. And yes, we are fully aware of the GN video.

[@hidenman]

@@KitGuruTech there's other documentation supporting that video, hence the search idea and i didnt say to just watch one scource. You are not the only KZbin personality that doesnt use best practices, wasnt picking on you. Just thought i mention since a user will have a system long term, where you probably put the system together for a video then disassemble to use the parts in another build video. Id rather not repair if its avoidable, and pump straining seems avoidable.

[@creativestarfox]

You would have made a very scary dentist.

[@4gui429]

dream 😊

[@michbest]

2:12 Noisy a bit to me. Thin steell for that price uhhh

[@CambridgePunk]

Help! I’m 36 years old and don’t fancy tempered glass.

[@maximumsim]

I'm 37 and feel the same way, they do a solid panel version of this case as well. I have the Meshify C Solid panel version and its great.

[@UnknownUser-fg3fs]

Need this in itx

[@rhye_guy7717]

your front rad is upside down

[@bikingchupei2447]

2:52 same as the meshify 2, shouldn't be a surprise. it is a slightly bad design though.

[@swizzler8053]

Damn Fractal. No fan hub. Come on.

[@bt7482]

I love your content mate but please remove the soundtrack it's hard enough to pic up your audio as is and really I would much rather listen to you than that cheap beat! I really love your content and that is just me being picky, I am going to customize my meshify 2 compact build in the near future, any recommendations or ideas you might like to see done?cheers

[@hcaps3129]

literally 14th

[@1017trap]

First

[@SadoKun86]

If, only it would not look so plasticky

[@RoMeeHang]

So much spam to start the video

[@sam-dn9hr]

The front panel looks like its been punched! Not to my taste

[@libe90]

you are very soft ahahahahhaha

[@jamiebishop9512]

I disliked this video. I will tell you why. 5 adverts not including your multiple stealth sponsor adverts snuck in. Most people just hit dislike and never justify it. Thought id let you know why.

[@LibertyFixxxer]

Mr guru, I have a meshify 2 compact. I am going to do 2 140mm intake on the front, 2 140mm exhaust on the top, and 1 120mm exhaust on the back. What brand should I use for the fans?

[@victorcedillo9338]

If im building a 3080ti fe 12700k dark power 12 1000w psu nochtua cpu cooler, is this cool enough or should i really consider going straight to the meshify 2