Review: Fractal Design Meshify 2 Compact

Conclusion

Sometimes the most obvious products are the ones that tick the right boxes. Fractal Design's Meshify 2 Compact, an airflow-optimised take on its Define sibling, is entirely predictable yet no less worthy of a place on your desk.

You might even argue that at under £100 this is the Fractal enclosure that many have been hankering for. The shorter Compact form factor is better suited to on-the-desk use, filtered mesh panels bode well for airflow, USB-C features as standard, and there's a choice of black, grey or white colour options.

All of the aforementioned serve to enhance an underlying frame that already works well. Fractal's latched side panels are among the best in the business, seven fan mounts and three bundled fans offer good out-the-box performance with ample scope to expand, the removable top panel is excellent, and the end product is both well-built and stylish in appearance. There are inevitable constraints of the Compact form factor - including fewer storage bays, no fan hub and an inability to vertically mount a graphics card - but these are trade-offs you need to make for a smaller overall footprint.

Bottom line: enthusiasts likely to entertain an E-ATX board with lots of storage and cooling should continue to gravitate toward the regular Meshify 2. For everyone else, Meshify 2 Compact is a neater, more affordable alternative.

Fractal Design Meshify 2 Compact

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The Fractal Design Meshify 2 Compact chassis will be available to purchase from Scan Computers.

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