Fractal Design Meshify 2 Lite RGB and Meshify 2 RGB review

Indistinguishable exterior

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