Fractal Design Meshify C review

PC Cases and Modding 227 Page 9 of 9 Published by

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Final words and conclusion

Conclusion 

So yeah, the Meshify C really is the Define C chassis but with quite a bit of changes. This chassis does not show the black and white elements, has a tempered glass side panel, comes with that the airflow front bezel and sure, the top side differs a bit as well. Next to that the Define C was more targeted at audiophiles with additional sound dampening. The DNA inside however is 90% similar. 

Combined with features like proper grommet rubberized holes you can hide pretty much anything. Storage wise you'll have plenty of options in the form of three SSDs and two HDDs. The lack of a 5.25" unit, or even slim-line form factor optical storage unit is however an ongoing trend, that will not suit everybody. Also lacking is a fan controller, as simple as Fractal Design's implementation always has been (tiny fan controller micro switch), it was a huge plus in my book. The chassis itself is once again stylish and has been designed in a tasteful fashion but here again it feels a bit more metal'ish and plastic than we have ever seen from Fractal Design. We think the chassis  will sit at a 79 Euro price positioning in e-tail, which might seem a bit much for what you get, I would agree with that, sure. For its size this is a spacious and feature-rich product overall though, especially considering the more compact design. The matte black design looks great albeit the bezel is darker compared to the chassis paint job. The chassis is fairly tool free. 


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The Innards

The Meshify C offers enough room for pretty much anything you like to install, even two graphics cards. Keep in mind that only up-to ATX sized motherboards will fit, thus EATX and XL-ATX are not an option. There's enough space to maneuver in which will make component installation a breeze really. Cable management options are good but could be better, the space you have available varies a little like 1 cm at certain points and 2cm in others. Once you mount the PSU you will realize that you probably would have liked a little more space. It all fits, but barely. Good to notice are the rubberized grommet holes, excellent for hiding all cabling from eye-sight. The HDD/SSD drive trays works simple enough, though you do need screws to secure the actual HDDs, installation otherwise is easy. We like the fact that you can hide all these storage units at the backside. The looks are quite nice and with the side panel window you can peek at your hardware as well. It surely is a complete chassis for its size alright and with the side window it offers very clean looks.


The Exterior

The matte black paint job on both in and outside has been done well, it will not scratch easily. A nice new tweak is that tempered glass side panel, lovin' it. The Mesh up front, it's just not my thing? But hey, taste is personal of course. I like a more sterile, clean and stylish look, the lower left side Fractal Design logo on metal/chrome looks I things is a little 'loud' as well. Other then that there are no no screaming logos, LEDs and mismatched colors. So that done righ


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Final Words

The Meshify C is as good as its predecessor, and a tenner cheaper as well. The pricing however remains a bit on that high side. While we do miss a fan controller in this price range we also understand that most people simply connect their fans to a FAN controller or their motherboard but here again I like to remind Fractal Design that differentiation is what sells. For a chassis designed with low noise in mind we kind of expect some fan RPM options at chassis level. The storage options are plentiful for a compact chassis, the PSU space is limited though. I'd advise 16cm length max as you also need to think about the PSU connectors that will stick out of the PSU as well. Overall the space and mounting options are good enough for most liquid cooling related stuff if you stick to the aforementioned size (40mm) for top side mounting. The chassis is feature rich with the removable dust filters, offers enough HDD/SSD trays. The conclusion is roughly similar to the Define C, this case however has improved airflow with its two 120mm fans and that mesh. I do think it looks better with the side panel in tempered glass. Currently you can spot the Meshify C  with see-through glass side panel for 79 EUR, for that money you receive a nice chassis with proper very decent looks and features. If you are in for something compact (LxWxH) 395 x 212 x 440mm) then the Meshify C is definitely recommended.

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