Fractal Design Meshify C Case Review

Features & Specifications

Fractal Design built its reputation with high-quality, mid-priced cases, shocking the industry when it later introduced lightweight models at reduced prices. Key Fractal Design features such as asphalt sound damping and anodized aluminum front-panel inlays were sacrificed in order to reach more price-sensitive buyers, yet even those cases retained the firm’s classic solid-face design. Fractal Design knew it wouldn’t raise many eyebrows by adding a glass panel to a sub-$100 case, so the company decided to Meshify its latest creation.

Specifications

What could this mean for performance? The solid front panel used in previous designs reflected some internal component noise back into the case, so your new build might be a little noisier. Yet we’re no longer forcing the intake fans to draw air through thin slots on the sides of the front panel, so your new build might also be a little cooler. Since automatic fan controllers often turn down the fans on systems that keep temperatures in check, a perfectly identical cooling-to-noise ratio would be ideal.

The front panel isn’t smooth but instead angled in multiple directions. Fractal Design claims this increases airflow, but a more likely benefit is that it won’t show ripples the way flat panels often do.

Front panel connections at the top include just two USB 3.0 headers, headphone and microphone jacks, along with power and reset buttons. The mesh top panel cover behind it is affixed via magnetic strips.

A full-length bottom dust filter slides in from the front to cover both an optional intake fan and the power supply air inlet.

The Meshify C rear panel has a removable power supply flange, a slide-able exhaust fan mount, and seven expansion slots with screw-on covers. The exhaust fan’s screw slots allow builders to make room for the end caps of single-fan radiators, and the power supply flange allows builders to insert the power supply from the back of the case. The 8.9” (including cables) power supply mounting depth is limited only by a removable 3.5” drive cage.

The Meshify C face panel snaps off to reveal a removable center panel with encapsulated foam dust filter, and front panel mounting for 3x 120mm or 2x 140mm radiators and fans. A single 120mm fan is included.

A 5.4”-deep removable panel provides room to convert the Meshify C to support a large radiator. That panel is large enough to extract the lower 3.5” drive cage from the top, which is required when mounting either a 3x 120mm radiator or a bottom-panel intake fan.

Screwed to the bottom panel above the slide-out dust filter, the lower hard drive cage includes two 3.5” trays with 2.5” secondary mounting holes. Above it, a thumb screw secures a three-by-2.5” drive tray to the motherboard tray. Drives in the 3.5” format get the benefit of vibration-damping grommets, for which shoulder screws are included in the installation kit.

Another dual-fan radiator can be placed on the top panel. Since there’s only a bit over an inch of space above the motherboard, Fractal Design offset screw slots to allow a radiator and fans to hang below the top of the motherboard. The offset provides around 1” of motherboard clearance for 140mm fans and 1.8” of clearance for 120mm fans.

MORE: Best Cases

MORE: All Case Content