Mountain of Drives in ONE Case - Fractal Design Meshify 2 XL

[@nchitechredneck]

Great video. Fractal says this can hold 18 HDDs but this is the only time I've seen someone actually show where to put the multi brackets. Even Fractal's documentation doesn't show that. Thank you.

[@X41N3]

Not many cases still support data hoarders. This might be my new case

[@A2KMedia]

it is certainly a dying out breed

[@xelu01]

THANK YOU! Perfect case i needed for all my drives!

[@nicktayloriv310]

Fractal sells universal brackets (they come in a 2 pack) that I used to fill up the Define 7XL I have. You can mount 2 on the "floor" as well as the "ceiling if you want. Great build anyway! HD space isn't going to be a problem! Liking the look of that case.

[@mpxz999]

Thank you for this comment! Knowing about these brackets has sparked some great ideas as to how to add more drives to my build! You rock!

[@nicktayloriv310]

@@mpxz999 Fractal Design Hard Drive Tray Kit - Type B for Define 7 and Meshify 2 Series - Black (2-Pack) was $27 and some change when I bought them on Amazon.

[@FRSM18]

You can mount them on top of the PSU shroud if you have space

[@shadowr2d2]

Thank you for posting this video. You have a new subscriber. Keep up the great 👍 work.

[@marcelforrel]

Awesome video As always Very interesting to see a server related video by you & present a realistic scenario while doing so. We all have to go through some hardware upgrading /maintenance every couple of years. I’ve recently gotten new cases for the servers I’m running as well. Got some cheap Chieftec cases & another SilverStone case as well. Really would recommend looking into Chieftec cases , relatively small form factor & a number of models support ATX-size motherboards , a number of drive slots 2.5/3.5” & price for these cases here is around 40-50$. Of course , if you have say 12+ drives and/or multiple GPUs in your server system , then a large case with plenty of air flow is still king.

[@SantaAkaSnt]

So no any rubber anti-vibration hard drives bumpers at hdd cages at all? I wonder how much vibration (and noise) will all that many-hard-drives-setup generate.

[@A2KMedia]

the cages themselves have bumpers

[@SantaAkaSnt]

@@A2KMedia, so how's the resulting vibration from all those HDDs? Do the bumpers help?

[@A2KMedia]

been running full server 24/7 since this video went live - no issues thus far

[@dimdamduweeh]

how did you remove the multi purpose* brackets from the back panel?

[@KuramaKitsune1]

@6:50 when you move the hard drive back panel to the secondary position there are two brackets attached to the back of it and I can't find out how to get them off..

[@neal1231]

I love the video! I found it since I'm in a similar situation where I'm upgrading my existing homelab and I need more space in a case and I don't have room for a rack anymore. I've been heavily considering the Meshify 2 XL and I'm pretty close to pulling the trigger. Is there anything you would change after a year of this install? Any issues with the case, cooling, etc? Anyways, thanks for the video!

[@A2KMedia]

Thanks! Not had any issues with it and probably would not really change anything. Jus get most power efficient psu that you can

[@neal1231]

@@A2KMedia I'm reusing the EVGA SuperNOVA G2 I got in ~2019 so I should be good there for power. Thanks for the reassurance and your help! I hope you have a good night!

[@A2KMedia]

not bad! :) hope you have a smooth build!

[@drp5529]

So after all that, how cool/hot are the drives running? Are the drives next to the power supply able to stay cool? Did you end up adding a third fan to the front or any other fans? Interested in doing something similar, so any info would help. Thanks

[@A2KMedia]

Drives are between 30-35 C in a room with ambient temp of 25C so everything is perfectly cooled and I would not do any changes. Pretty happy with the build.

[@landocycle]

This is the video I needed to see, thank you!

[@MrSamuelsMusic]

Thank you for the GREAT and valuable video. I have only one question: how many trays did you get in the set? And if there weren't as many of them as there were disks installed, where did you buy the appropriate trays?

[@StefanUrkel]

Have you ever compared this case aircooled vs Torrent? I'm wondering if anything can be done to get it to CPU and GPU cooling closer to Torrent, because I like this case's ability to hold larger motherboards and more storage drives.

[@AlL-fw2cy]

The Torrent isn't made to fit a lot of 3.5 drives.

[@StefanUrkel]

@@AlL-fw2cy I know. Just wondering if the Meshify 2 XL can be made to cool and silence as well as Torrent.

[@AlL-fw2cy]

@@StefanUrkel sure, if you mod it. Bust out your dremel and jigsaw and custom fit three 180mm fans in there. In the end it will be cheaper to just buy a Torrent and trying to figure out how to put 3.5 drive cages in there. But 3.5 drive cages will impend airflow. That is probably one reason the Torrent has so few 3.5 cages. It's a modern tower not designed for mechanical drives.

[@nadtz]

Funny how this popped up in my recommended, I've been searching for people's NAS builds while I was doing research as I'm upgrading my own. To not let my data hoarding habits get the better of me I went with the Define R5 to limit myself to 8 3.5's. And as much as I love repurposing older hardware (current NAS is running on an E3-1230 V2, VM box is a 2678 V3) I couldn't resist getting myself a second hand EPYC Rome mobo + CPU + Ram combo for the upgrade. It will be nice to consolidate my NAS + VM machines into one (sounds like you did the same). Just out of curiosity, have you ever had any problems with Truenas virtualized? I've seen a lot of 'don't do that' comments floating around but I can't find any hard reasons why (not that I don't get why it could be considered a bad idea).

[@A2KMedia]

woahhh nice plan! I actually just ordered that exact set-up. going up to 24 cores on Epyc Rome :). To answer your question - I've been using proxmox and virtualising truenas for about 1.5 years or so, not really had any issues besides my own mistakes with virtualisation - but learned a ton and don't plan to change this

[@derriuswashington1600]

I wonder if a 280mm would have fit with it being setup in server mode?

[@jimthew1015]

Why didnt you route that cable through the bottle gromet?

[@pcxdrone]

Don't forget to proper screw those drives into the cages to prevent vibration. I'm sure you are on top of that. I wonder if since I only have 7 HDDs currently if I should get the regular Meshify 2 or the XL? Room to grow? I wonder if the tray will be flimsy without a full stack of drives? Please inform me.

[@A2KMedia]

Screwed them all up. And if you plan to grow then xl is certainly better choice

[@pcxdrone]

@@A2KMedia Thanks and love your videos

[@VenkatPasumarthi2007]

Can you tell me if a 360 AIO work when all drive slots are filled up?

[@megadooooom6582]

I know it has been years but i want to buy the meshify 2 normal one and put about 10 HDDs inside can you elaborate on the noise level with all of these HDDs since we have the one with the glass panel in my country i wonder how it will affect me since both my PC and server PC will be in the same room

[@A2KMedia]

The noise with 10 HDDs in this case will be noticeable, particularly with the glass panel. If you're fine with moderate HDD hum and clicks and your room has decent acoustics, it shouldn't be overwhelming. For quieter operation, ensure proper vibration damping and consider additional soundproofing measures.

[@ryanrocksize5]

Would've definitely gone for air cooling instead of liquid, reduces points of failure for a 24/7 runtime system to just the fan alone and still gives you the option to mount the remaining hard drives up-top as you initially decided on.

[@A2KMedia]

Great advice! Would certainly recommend that for most.

[@x-techgaming]

Why did you swap the stock rear fan with a Cooler Master fan..?

[@turkeyphant]

What HDD temps do you get?

[@m0rthaus]

It would have been a good idea to show the temperatures of the HDDs running in the old case setup, vs the new case setup - after all the two main reasons you had for upgrading was for additional HDD mounting spaces and to keep your drives running cooler. Good video for the rest of the information though, thanks.

[@A2KMedia]

Great point! sorry about that!

[@Mike_v_E]

@@A2KMedia so, how are the HDD temperatures?

[@rone7518]

Hello, thanks for the video and great build. I know I'm late to vewing it, but I'm curious though... Did you have any problems fitting that HP motherboard in that case (and old case for that matter)..? as I understand it, HP is rather proprietory with their connections like fans and power supply. How did you overcome these problems or is this particular HP board more standard? Thanks again..!

[@A2KMedia]

hey, no issue mounting the motherboard in this case as most of the screholes align. For the PSU I bought it with a little converter which you will need to get. It converts from standard atx to dell weird pin out

[@kona328WH]

I have the exact old Define R4 case with 10 HDDs AND 1 SSD. Yours was almost like it's twin brother haha. Though my sata cables were mounted neater and via the back. I am looking at the Meshify but not sure it worth moving everything over. Maybe in another few years. Thanks for the video!

[@bikingchupei2447]

i too am still using the define R4, currently five 3.5 HDD's installed, it's a bit sketchy with the newer high capacity HDD's cause of the position of the screw holes on them, the case mounts don't match, can only screw 2 screws in.

[@kona328WH]

@@bikingchupei2447 2 screws is enough for me. Does the job.

[@vi_EviL_iv]

Can you fit the x2 3.5 HDD drives where the Kingston ssd cards are at fit a grand total of 18 3.5 inch drives in total? I'm looking for a similar build but instead of the AIO, I'm thinking 2 fans for exhaust, 1 rear exhaust, then 3 front intakes at 140mm all fans. Air cooled with Noctua. Im also looking into the i9 12900ks 12th gen with integrated GPU, aorus master Z690, ECC ram not sure yet (recommendation?), PSU what do you suggest to hook up all drives with minimal splitters usage? To hook up all drives I was looking into LSI controller 16i 16 port as I think this should be enough to connect 16 drives and then connect 2 drives to the MB and can use 2 nvme cache drives. Main purpose is for plex and storage. Please help?

[@pcxdrone]

Is there a certain brand breakout cables you use? Does brand matter on those?

[@A2KMedia]

I used cheap OEM brand. Just get them from reputable source and you should be ok

[@Nudels99]

How you installed the SSD's? I have this Case too but no clue.

[@lewislane1143]

What is the brand and model of your old case?

[@A2KMedia]

it was also fractal case but they no longer make it

[@lewislane1143]

@@A2KMedia thanks

[@hugomouteira7015]

Congrats on the video! Really informative! Will a 360mm liquid AIO fit with that configuration?

[@A2KMedia]

Hey, thanks! With the drives config, 360 won't fit.

[@hugomouteira7015]

@@A2KMedia thanks alot for thebreply. But even if I dont populate with the last HDD in the top cage? I have a 360mm Arctic Freezer Freezer II and I really wanted to fit him in there with my 7980XE xD Best regards

[@A2KMedia]

The cage itself is in the way as it stands sideways to where the rad is.

[@tinywhoopfan]

How did you power these drives? From what I can see, the PSU you used has 10 sata connectors, but you have more drives than that. I would like do the same build so I am very interested. Do you have any pcpartpicker list or more details on the drive expanders used?

[@A2KMedia]

I used few splitters too

[@mpwzzz]

If the front fans blow air though the spaces between each 90-95 deg hdd, wouldn't it be blowing hot air into the center of the case?

[@A2KMedia]

not had any temp issues since day 1 in this

[@ElAdri1999]

Do you use any specific kind of expansion cards? i have looked for HBA expansion card and most of them could be a bottleneck in transfer speed, if you got a link to the expander you use it would be much appreciated, if not i would love to know the max transfer speed your card has, thank you so much for the video.

[@A2KMedia]

technically speaking if I were to write to all the drives that are connected to the expansion card at full speed then it will saturate the link, but that almost never happens so I would'nt worry about it too much.

[@ElAdri1999]

@@A2KMedia I mean, like can you write to a single disk at max speed? I am looking to set up a similar system to yours and my biggest worry is If the card could keep up with writing data to 2(or more) disks at 2gigabit per second, as I have 2 1G Ethernet lines coming to my server, so I want to make sure my bottleneck is network speed and not HD read/write data because of the card

[@A2KMedia]

oh you will have no problem with disk side then. the expander is HP 468405-002 24 Bay 3GB SAS Expander Card. I recommend reading up on how it works. It has way more than 2gigabit speed as its 3gigabit per channel. I can easily push 1GB through it for which you will need 10 Gigabit network.

[@ElAdri1999]

@@A2KMedia thank you so much for your time, I will read on it :)

[@meccu19]

Why no Define 7 XL? I don't know which of them to take

[@justinbrennan11]

i was considering the 7 XL too but watched a @GamersNexus review and because of the front door panel it ran hot. Meshify 2 it more airflow friendly

[@HenrikCaspersen]

I read somewhere that The meshify XL could have 18 x 3,5 drivs? Like The Define 7 XL?

[@A2KMedia]

You could slot 2 more drives with multi mount brackets at the top instead of the aio that I installed.

[@JohnyKnox]

Looks great, I would swap where you put the p2000 and the HBA though. Not sure about this specific board but typically lower 16x slots don't run at 16x which that p2000 would benefit from. Looks like an LSI 9211 and those run at 4x iirc.

[@A2KMedia]

hey, this is a workstation board with xeon processor. In this particular board all slots are full pcie so not a problem, but valid observation for consumer platform.

[@johnmarstonn3820]

Hey! Thank you so much for this detailed review/build video. I just got the case myself. However, I have a question I hope you can help me with. For the HDD's mounted on top of each other, do you just need that one screw to attach each HDD/bracket to the case, or is it necessary with another screw against that wobbly back panel? I am afraid the HDD's will not be fastened well enough as I have tried putting the bracket it and it doesn't seem to be very stable.

[@A2KMedia]

Hi John, thanks for the feedback! Yeah you need to screw front and back, I recommend doing few top slots then middle then bottom to make it secure and then you can do the rest of the slots as you go. Also may need extra pair of hands for the initial bit just to make sure everything is straight

[@scjgreen]

Can I get the Make/Model of the HBA and Expander please

[@A2KMedia]

Hey, HP 468405-002 24 Bay 3GB SAS Expander Card and SAS 9211-8i HBA flashed with IT mode

[@scjgreen]

@@A2KMedia Thanks

[@Ecker00]

Does everything for the Meshify 2 XL come in the box, or do you need to buy all the drive bays separately?

[@A2KMedia]

You need to buy extra drive bays.

[@Ecker00]

@@A2KMedia Thank you for clarifying! That's the name of those exact ones? I see so many different SSD tray kits. EDIT: I found it ("HDD Drive Tray Kit - Type A" or is it "Type B"?), but realize you are doing 3.5" HDDs, wondering if it's possible to do a similar setup with 2.5" SSDs, maybe just need to use an 3.5" to 2.5" adapter, at least there will be plenty of airflow.

[@A2KMedia]

I would recommend reach out to fractal support to double check

[@Ecker00]

@@A2KMedia Cheers, good thinking! 👍

[@kona328WH]

@@Ecker00 it's the type B

[@bluesquadron593]

How noisy this setup is? I would like to build a near silent NAS. Would you recommend this case?

[@A2KMedia]

it is actually really quiet even under load due to size and water cooler

[@artluo100]

A local Fractal reseller is telling me I need to buy both the HDD cage and HDD tray for my additional HDDs. FD-A-CAGE-001 HDD Cage kit - Type B, Black FD-A-TRAY-001 HDD Drive Tray kit - Type B, Black, Dual @ $21 It looks like the cage isn't need right? From your video you're only using the HDD trays with existing mounts.

[@tamilorejoseph4704]

Hey how many Terabytes per hard drive

[@A2KMedia]

What ever size you like to be honest.

[@MrSerpent44]

It's very huge!

[@A2KMedia]

just a little :)

[@butamankey]

Hey mate would a strix 3080 fit in this case with the hdd bays set as yours is? Its 32cm long. Im looking to make a gaming/ plex server machine and my coolermaster case is just a bit small

[@A2KMedia]

yeah you should be ok. GPU max length Storage layout: 359 mm Open layout: 549 mm (524 mm w/ front fan)

[@butamankey]

@@A2KMedia sweet thanks heaps mate

[@visarbaci4999]

im sure i have the same one lol. big as hell :D

[@mpxz999]

$5-$6 a year...? Not a chance if you're powering all those drives

[@A2KMedia]

In our environment the drives are not running at 100% 24/7, please bear that in mind.

[@samdeur]

If you put 140mm fans you will get turbulence. Solution is modding or 120mm fans

[@A2KMedia]

not had any issues with 140 running since day one :) super cool drives too

[@pcxdrone]

@@A2KMedia Exactly. 120's are TINY in this case. And 140's move more air and less noise.

[@x-techgaming]

To get the BEST efficiency from a PSU, usually you need a PSU that is rated to produce twice as much wattage as your system uses. So if you use 600W, a 1200W PSU will typically be most efficient(titanium=94.7%) under 50% load(=600W).

[@AlL-fw2cy]

No one with any credibility says this. This is a false rumor if anything.

[@zombiewolve]

Fractal Design Meshify 2 XL case is absolute garbage , Yes it may have a lot of room for stuff but good luck removing the plastic bezel on the front of the case as well as the door .The retainers for these parts are shit and break very easily . don't waist your money on Fractal... it should be called fragile . There is retainers for the top grill that break very easily also. the rubber pads on the feet were one of the first things to fall off.

[@HeShoeTooBig]

Great video! I have this case for my new build. I actually bought it over a year ago and have it sitting in my office waiting. my original plan was to have at least 10 HDD's for data storage because at the time, I could only have like 8TB HDD's. But suddenly came out with the WD Gold 20TB and 22TB HDD's lol So now I'm thinking, well dang am i really about to try and have 10-16 20TB HDDs on my computer? (My PC is mainly used for video editing, 3D modeling, animating, mod making, and gaming). I wanted a ton of space to locally store and back up all my videos I make, all the game mods I make (and download/use from others), all the videos I find and download or back up from DVDs (tutorials, movies, shows etc). I might actually be a data hoarder. i still have data from the late 90's I keep carrying over from build to build and I'm just in my 30's lol. So it's just non-sense from when I was a kid. Quick question, did you have any trouble adding fans to the bottom of the case? I want to have as much cooling as possible in this thing. especially considering how how these high end CPU's and GPU's get now days. especially since I'm using my PC to do more than just gaming.

[@A2KMedia]

I actually did not need to install bottom fans as used this case more of a server for storage. I would really recommend separating the data sotrage as its own device and then your gaming/production PC being high end separate machine. Your server does not need to have much horse power and thus prety cheap enterprise stuff can be bought on ebay while your main pc can be a reasonably sized case with good cooling. Also 10-16 hhds do take up considerable amount of power so bear that in mind when power supply hunting

[@HeShoeTooBig]

@@A2KMedia ah, i see. that's a good point. I've considered getting a home server. that might be the better route if i can find room for one. I've been thinking I might only need 2 to 4 HDD's in this new build since they go up to 24TB now