Page 3 - Physical Look - Inside
As we mentioned before, the Fractal Design Meshify C borrows the same interior as the Define C, albeit with some slight changes. The first difference is the side panels. The left side features a tinted tempered glass panel held on to the case by four thumbscrews. The mounts are rubberized to ensure an exact fit. In addition, the entire piece of glass features a matte border to hide the fingerprints left when handling this panel. A top and bottom strip of foam on the inside of the panel also helps in reducing any vibrations between the side panel and the case. On the right side, we have a standard side panel, held on by fixed thumbscrews. Once the thumbscrews are loosened, you can slide the panel out of its position to get inside. Unfortunately, there is no sound dampening material on the right side.
The internal layout on the Meshify C is straightforward with a slimmed down design for a smaller footprint. Once again, compactness is the name of the game here, so optical drive bays and drive cages are a no-show in this area. Like the Define C, the Fractal Design Meshify C uses a dual chamber design, with majority all of the components sitting in the area you can see above, including the motherboard and graphics card. Underneath the dividing shroud is where the power supply and storage drives reside. As we have alluded to, the Meshify C is an ATX case, but smaller form factor motherboards such as micro ATX and mini ITX can fit inside. As such, mounting risers are not pre-installed, but instead included with the other accessories.
One thing you may have noticed is the fact the Meshify C is completely finished in black, with zero white accents like the Fractal Design Define C had. Therefore, we have the Fractal Design Dynamic X2 GP-12 120mm fan, in black, at the back. This voltage-controlled fan has the same specifications as previously, with a maximum rotational speed of 1200 RPM, maximum airflow of 52.3 CFM, and maximum pressure of 0.88mm H2O. It also boasts the same mean time before failure of 100,000 hours. Below the fan are seven black expansion slot brackets here, held in with a thumbscrew per slot. Finally, you can see the power supply shroud. This cover is not completely solid, with the slits revealed in the image above, allowing the air to move between the two regions.
At the front, we have another black 120mm Dynamic X2 GP-12. As mentioned previously, up to a maximum of three 120mm fans or a single 360mm radiator can be placed here. However, in order to install such a long radiator, the front area has to be removed. As you can see, there is a cutout here, which allows a radiator or fans to slide through. For radiators 280mm and smaller, they should just fit without needing to remove anything else, other than the included fan. Underneath this area is a storage bracket to fit your 3.5" drives. The cage itself sits on a sliding bar, so it can be moved about. This means if you want to install a 360mm radiator or three 120mm fans in the front of the Meshify C, you will not only have to remove the front area, but also move the drive cage back, which could in turn be limited by the length of the power supply. Once again, all of this will vary by your build, and these are the sacrifices you will have to make if you want to fit everything in a smaller package.
From this photo, you can see the opening for the back of the motherboard here. An adequate amount of room is here in order to mount any third party CPU cooler without removing the motherboard fully. The top of the case is also revealed in this photo. There is a large ventilation area, where you can attach up to two 140mm fans or a 240mm radiator at the top. The fan and radiator mounts are offset correctly to prevent it from interfering with the motherboard below. With anything mounted here, Fractal Design states a maximum motherboard clearance of 40mm. Finally, there are two routing holes located near the front side of the case, with rubber grommets flanking them for a neater cabling appearance. All of the major routing holes have rubber grommets, which is pretty typical on a Fractal Design case.
Looking at the back of the Fractal Design Meshify C and we have a pretty standard picture here. In the valley near the front, you can route your cables through this area. Approximately 35mm of space between the frame and sliding panel exists here. There are three Velcro straps in the standard routing areas used to keep all the loose cables tidy. The full black I/O cables routed here include the USB 3.0 header, LED and power button connections, and the HD audio header. These are standard, and while they may not be shielded the way Fractal Design does with some of their other cases, these wires are good. In the middle are all the cabling holes with rubber grommets. To the right of the divide, we have two things to note. One is the fact this area is shallower for cabling, as the gap between the motherboard backing and the right side panel reduces to 15mm. The other is the 2.5" drive tray, capable of holding up to three drives, located at the back of the motherboard tray opening. It is held on with a thumbscrew, which stays attached to the tray.
At the bottom of the case under the shroud, we have a spot for the power supply. ATX PSUs can fit here, with a maximum given length of 175mm. This being said, a smaller unit will allow for more room to use for cable management. The bottom has four metal risers topped with foam to hold the power supply while reducing any vibrations. Closer to the front is a hard drive bracket with sliding trays. The bracket and the trays are both made with metal, though the screw holes are lined with rubber pads to reduce vibration between your installed storage options and the bay. Two 3.5" or 2.5" drives can be installed here.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Outside
3. Physical Look - Inside
4. Installation and Conclusion
