Fractal Design Meshify 2 Lite RGB and Meshify 2 RGB review

Motherboard cooling tests

Recently, Fractal Design has been introducing cases like clockwork. Today, a model from the well-established Meshify 2 series has come out. The new product is with the RGB attribute, but also noteworthy is a cut-down version with the Meshify 2 Lite (RGB) designation with a cheaper price. What the original version had to give up to create the Lite version, we’ll show you in a comparison of the two cases.

Basic parameters

Indistinguishable exterior

Anyone who thought they were going to skimp on the supplied accessories was right. The Lite version only got two (instead of six) hybrid 2.5″ and 3.5″ internal storage bays. This is because the modularity differs for the two versions. Related to this are the quantities of screws and anti-vibration pads supplied for the drives.

The accessory contents aren’t the only thing the Lite version is stripped of. The 1.3 kg weight difference between the cases has to show up somewhere, even if the exterior is almost identical.

Whether the Lite or the full-size version, both have a 2,85 mm thick tempered glass side panel. For both, there is also a choice of a metal left side panel. Fortunately, the Lite version of the Meshify 2 case also retains the tool-less latching system for removing the side panels. You can quickly and easily make various adjustments in the “guts” of your computer without fussing with screws. Personally, I’ve been actively using this mechanism for over a year now and have yet to experience a side panel jamming or becoming unremovable. Once you get used to it, seeing screws in a case is a bit of a pain.

Attractive angles, company logo and access to the dust filter from the bottom. That’s a quick description of the front panel. The protruding logo also serves as a handle for opening the front, which is held in place by snap-on hinges. A keen eye will not miss the fact that one out of the pair has a more transparent panel than the other.

The Lite is missing a fine dust filter, which could be inserted from the back of the front panel. So the only dust protection is the front panel itself, with holes as large as 1.5 millimeters. The effectiveness against dust is thus weaker.

The front panel is attached to the case by a plastic frame. This takes you to the bare case structure, where the glass side panel can be secured with a screw. This can also be used to make other modifications to the case for the Meshify 2 version, which we’ll get to later.

The top parts of the cases are functionally different. While the Lite offers a standard grille with perforations as is customary on the top of mid-end cases, the full version has a removable top with perforations. You may also notice a 25.4 mm hole on its top, which allows you easier access to fill the water cooling expansion tank. Underneath it is another fine dust filter, but the Lite version can’t grip it in any way like it could in the front. It is possible to mount 3×120 or 140 mm fans or a radiator up to 360 mm directly on the ceiling of both cases. The Lite is not only short on dust filters, but also on the available width of radiators that the top can accommodate. The maximum is 121 mm, while the full-size Meshify 2 can fit a radiator up to 143 mm wide. You won’t install a 420 mm radiator in the new Meshify 2 RGB either. Only the versions of the case without RGB LEDs allow this.

Removing the top part of the case and having barrier-free access when installing hardware is the dominant feature of full-size Meshify 2 cases and smaller versions like the Compact. Unfortunately, the Lite version has lost this advantage, so you have to take into account that the case ceiling may be slightly in the way when you’re installing hardware. There is plenty of room for handling anyway, from the motherboard to the ceiling it’s 44 millimeters.

There is only one difference between the cases on the top I/O panel, and that is the absence of a USB Type-C connector in the case of the Lite. However, there is a pre-fitted slot, so it can be purchased additionally if necessary. The designation of the connector is “Model E” and the recommended price is 10,99 EUR. The other functional parts are identical for both. Two 3.5 mm jacks for headphones and microphone connection, power button. Instead of a restart button, there is a button to change the lighting and two USB type A connectors.

On the back, both new cases retain the frame for mounting the power supply. While I’m not a fan of it, fitting the power supply through the hole in the back is quite handy. In the center are removable PCI Express card expansion covers, where the Lite is stripped of the ability to mount a card in a vertical position. Above it all is the I/O hole for the motherboard and next to that a perforation for the exhaust. Most manufacturers use a beehive shape for the rear perforations, the Meshify series of cases instead have a structure that alternates squares and rectangles. But there are sharp edges here too, and the open area is around 50 %.

The bottom section offers a huge dust filter over the entire surface for both versions of the cases. Once removed, you can access the four SSD/HDD position screws. You can move these within the hole range to a large extent. But if you don’t need these positions, you have the option to use this space for two 120 or 140 mm fans or a water cooling radiator with a maximum size of 280 mm. For the non-RGB versions of the cases, there is the option to place a radiator up to 280 mm.

Recently, Fractal Design has been introducing cases like clockwork. Today, a model from the well-established Meshify 2 series has come out. The new product is with the RGB attribute, but also noteworthy is a cut-down version with the Meshify 2 Lite (RGB) designation with a cheaper price. What the original version had to give up to create the Lite version, we’ll show you in a comparison of the two cases.

Stripped-down interior

The insides of both cases provide plenty of space for every piece of hardware you can think of. Both versions support motherboards from ITX to M-ATX, ATX to E-ATX (up to 285 mm wide). The same goes for the maximum length of the graphics card, which can be up to 450 mm. Tower CPU coolers can be up to 185 mm. This means that, like with a graphics card, in practice there is no limitation (all coolers are smaller).

The cheaper Meshify 2 (Lite) has larger, and therefore more practical, cabling grommets. Sú big enough that you don’t have to worry if your cables will slip through. With the more expensive Meshify 2, it’s worse – it can be more complicated to work with a 24-pin ATX cable if there are capacitors extending behind the connector.

In the comparison photos below with the same composition, the Meshify 2 Lite RGB is always on the left, then the Meshify 2 RGB on the right.

However, the Lite version no longer has rubber pads in the grommets under the ceiling. The edges of the holes are rounded and will not cut into the cables as much though. The exhaust is fitted with 140 mm Aspect series fans. While it may look like the fans are the same, the opposite is true. The cheaper version of the case is fitted with a 3-pin version while the more expensive version has fans with PWM control and a higher maximum airflow. Therefore, the top speed of the fans on the Lite version is only up to 1000 rpm. With the Meshify 2 RGB, the maximum is up to 1700 rpm. For the faster fans, the manufacturer specifies an airflow of 132.5 m³/h, while the cheaper version is supposed to be about half that at 69.7 m³/h.

In the front of the case on the intake, the fans are the same as on the exhaust, with the difference that there are up to three. Even with both cases without lighting, only two fans are supplied on the intake. This is where the new products got better with the lighting, so you have more options on how and where to place the fans. But if you would like to use a water cooling radiator on the intake instead of fans, you can go for the 360 mm format. The only restriction with the Lite version is that the 280/140 mm radiator can be a maximum of 145 mm wide.

The top of the tunnel is the same for both cases, except for the missing rubber grommets on the Lite version. The perforated part can serve as a storage for two 2.5″ SSD/HDDs in addition to better airflow. To mount them, however, you need a bracket, which the case has on the other side of the tray. The right part is composed of two plastic caps. They are removable if you need more space for the radiator at their expense. Anyway, you can place a water pump on the larger cap in addition to the 2.5/3.5″ storage. The only condition is that you need a multi-bracket for it (it’s part of the Meshify 2 RGB accessory). The advantage of this particular bracket is that you can also place the drives on it on the back of the tray or even from the inside of the cabinet ceiling.

Visually, the most distinctive part of the cases among the models is the back of the tray. Here the Meshify 2 dominates both in modularity and in the supplied accessories such as the aforementioned multi-bracket. Both cases have up to 30 mm of space behind the side panel for power supply cables. However, the neatness pedants will be most bothered by how to tidy up the large amount of cables from the fans while interconnecting them with each other. This is where the bottom plastic cable cover on the more expensive case can help. The fact that the Lite only got three Velcro pull tabs instead of five (Meshify 2 RGB) is a minor detail. In the tunnel of both cases there is a hybrid position for two pieces of 2.5″/3.5″ storage. An ATX power supply with a maximum length of 250 mm will also fit.

The more expensive of the pair of cases has a pre-installed fan hub, the Nexus+ 2. It can connect 9 fans, 3 with PWM control and 6 without it (DC). Nine fans is also the maximum you can get in the case. We’ve had hubs that didn’t cover the full number of fans. The Nexus+ 2, by the way, is powered via a SATA cable directly from the power supply.

You can also make the Meshify 2 into a smaller server if needed. The left side of the tray is simply flipped over to the other side with five screws. Here you can use the four hybrid brackets that the full-size version has in the accessories as an extra. From the opposite side where the side panel is tempered glass, everything is still sleek. The Lite version doesn’t have that kind of modularity.

Fractal Design spared no expense on the thickness of the sheet metal in either case. Both have unusually thick sheet metal from 0.85 – 0.90 mm. Everything is solid, nothing bends. Even with the more modular Meshify 2, when it’s in a disassembled state.

Mounting hardware in both Meshify 2 RGB and Meshify 2 Lite RGB was simple, but if I wrote that it was also fast, I’d be lying. The most time consuming part of both cases was the aforementioned extension cables from the fans, especially if the cable management is supposed to look at least somewhat decent.

Meshify 2 has the advantage of a removable ceiling and therefore easier access to the top of the board. The Lite in turn leads the way in the size of the holes for the cabling, which are located vertically in the centre of the case. The cables have more freedom here and are easier to handle in the grommets.

Everyone will find their favourite fan backlight. Both have a choice of five modes in which they can glow, and with four of them you can choose from twelve colors of the mode. Personally, I find only one mode suitable for the Meshify 2 (Lite) RGB cabinet, and that is “Northern lights”. The colours are fixed, a pale blue, with a subtle shade of purple slowly swirling in around the edges.

Recently, Fractal Design has been introducing cases like clockwork. Today, a model from the well-established Meshify 2 series has come out. The new product is with the RGB attribute, but also noteworthy is a cut-down version with the Meshify 2 Lite (RGB) designation with a cheaper price. What the original version had to give up to create the Lite version, we’ll show you in a comparison of the two cases.

Test methodology

Circulation of air in both cases is handled by four fans in 140 mm format. In the full-size Meshify 2 version, they are over two-thirds faster at maximum power, and with that, they make more noise. But we are interested in cooling performance at equivalent noise levels. In addition to seeing what cooling performance the cases deliver between the models we’ve already tested, it will be interesting to see if the hardware temperatures also differ between the two newcomers. Especially if they are nearly identical cases with minimal differences in design.

Both cases have the ability to mount up to nine fans in different positions, but for testing purposes we’re leaving them in their original position.

Testing is done in a home environment where I strive for the most accurate results possible. In the room during testing, the air temperature in front of the case is 23 degrees Celsius and the minimum noise level I can measure with the Voltcraft SL-100 noise meter is 32.4 dBA. The sensor of the noise meter is aligned to the center of the top of the case at a distance of 10 cm, for the best measurement of the speed difference of the fans, which I change using the motherboard. For easy comparison to other cases, they are always regulated to fixed noise levels.

Individual components are heated for 10 minutes in FurMark synthetic stress tests and with Prime95 (custom settings) at the same time. This time is long enough to allow all components to warm up sufficiently. There are then 15-minute cooling breaks between tests, during which the component temperatures (and the case air temperature as well) are brought back to default.

Modes noise levels:

• 36 dBA
• 38 dBA
• 39 dBA

Recently, Fractal Design has been introducing cases like clockwork. Today, a model from the well-established Meshify 2 series has come out. The new product is with the RGB attribute, but also noteworthy is a cut-down version with the Meshify 2 Lite (RGB) designation with a cheaper price. What the original version had to give up to create the Lite version, we’ll show you in a comparison of the two cases.

CPU and GPU cooling tests

Recently, Fractal Design has been introducing cases like clockwork. Today, a model from the well-established Meshify 2 series has come out. The new product is with the RGB attribute, but also noteworthy is a cut-down version with the Meshify 2 Lite (RGB) designation with a cheaper price. What the original version had to give up to create the Lite version, we’ll show you in a comparison of the two cases.

Motherboard cooling tests

Recently, Fractal Design has been introducing cases like clockwork. Today, a model from the well-established Meshify 2 series has come out. The new product is with the RGB attribute, but also noteworthy is a cut-down version with the Meshify 2 Lite (RGB) designation with a cheaper price. What the original version had to give up to create the Lite version, we’ll show you in a comparison of the two cases.

SSD cooling tests

Temperatures underneath the ceiling

Recently, Fractal Design has been introducing cases like clockwork. Today, a model from the well-established Meshify 2 series has come out. The new product is with the RGB attribute, but also noteworthy is a cut-down version with the Meshify 2 Lite (RGB) designation with a cheaper price. What the original version had to give up to create the Lite version, we’ll show you in a comparison of the two cases.

Conclusion

The cooling of the cases is efficient, on a similar level to, for example, the BeQuiet! Pure Base 500DX. Even among themselves, the cases are equal, except temperature under the ceiling with an average difference of 1.7 degrees Celsius. But there it is probably caused by the removable ceiling structure fitted closer to the board. Still, the cooling is at an excellent level for both cases. With up to four fans, you can even take the opportunity to experiment with their placement to make the results even a little better at the same noise level.

With the Lite version, it can be seen that the design has changed only minimally compared to the original. Pushing the price down has hit its modularity the hardest. While the full-size version can also make a home server with up to 18 SSDs or 14 HDDs, with the Lite you can only remove the plastic covers on the tunnel. But that doesn’t change the fact that both cases, apart from the drives, hold the same hardware, whether it’s nine fans or even an expansion tank for its own liquid cooling loop.

The only thing I find missing from the cheaper one of the pair of cases is a dust filter on the front panel, as it is only captured by a rather ineffective metal perforation with a rough mesh screen. Unfortunately, you can’t even buy a custom-formatted filter as an optional accessory. However, the USB Type-C connector, which is not included in the basic equipment, that can be bought (and added).

The Lite variant will probably only suit a smaller group of people. Primarily those who want to save money compared to the full-size version, but at the same time want to fit an expansion tank for water cooling. Or they need a larger number of drive bays. Everything else can be covered by the smaller version of the Meshify 2 Compact, which has both a front dust filter and a removable case top, as well as a USB Type-C connector. For these reasons, Meshify 2 Lite RGB takes home the “Approved” award.

I have nothing to criticize about the original Meshify 2 case with the RGB designation. It has everything a proper case should have. From filters to the possibility of converting it into a home server. With plenty of accessories and at a price of around 160 EUR, however, it already looks quite convincing for a “Smart buy!”.

English translation and edit by Jozef Dudáš

• Contents
• Indistinguishable exterior
• Stripped-down interior
• Test methodology
• CPU and GPU cooling tests
• Motherboard cooling tests
• SSD cooling test and temperature underneath the ceiling
• Conclusion