Lian Li has launched a new case as part of the O11D series. Available in both black and white, the new O11 Dynamic Mini is a modular case with extended support for fans, radiators, pumps, and components featuring a simple and modern design that allows users to showcase their systems.
Just like the other O11D series’ cases, the O11 Dynamic Mini has been developed in collaboration with the famous overclocker der8auer. Smaller than the original O11 Dynamic, the Mini variant offers most of the same features in a smaller design (38L litres), while also increasing its functionality thanks to its modular design.
There are 7x expansion slots by default, but these can be reduced either 5x or 3x to change the cases’ interior layout. Like the other O11D cases, the O11D mini also features a dual-chamber design: one for the PSU, storage drives and cabling, and the other for the remaining components of the system.
The case is mostly made of aluminium and tempered glass, with slight differences between both colours. The front panel is fully covered in tempered glass on the black case and made of brushed aluminium and tempered glass on the white case. The I/O panel, which features 2x USB 3.0 ports, a USB-C 3.1 port, HD-Audio and the power button, is covered acrylic on the black case, while the white one is made of aluminium coated in white.
These cases support ATX, M-ATX, and mITX motherboards. Regarding the power supply compatibility, you can only use SFX or SFX-L PSUs. There’s 395mm of clearance for the graphics card and 170mm of clearance for a CPU cooler. Fan support is quite extensive with up to 3x 120mm/2x 140mm on top, 2x 120/140mm on the side, 3x 120mm/2x 140mm on the bottom and a 120mm fan on the rear. Radiator support follows a similar approach, allowing users to mount a 360/280/240mm on top, a 280/240mm on the side, and a 360/280/240mm on the bottom. There’s support for up to 2x 2.5-inch drives plus another drive cage with support to 2x 2.5/3.5-inch drives. Dust filters were included on the top, bottom, and side vents.
The Lian Li O11 Dynamic Mini is available for pre-order at Overclockers UK in black and white, both priced at £89.99. Optional accessories for these cases such as a vertical GPU mounting bracket and a hot-swap backplate add-on for the drive cage will launch at a later date. A bundle with a modular 700W 80+ Gold SFX PSU will also be launched in a near future.
KitGuru says: Which Lian Li O11 Dynamic Mini colour do you prefer? Are you thinking about getting one of these? If so, will you go for a custom water loop, AIO coolers, or air cooling?
João Silva 3 days ago Featured Announcement, Graphics
AMD has just launched the Radeon RX 6800 XT and it’s already breaking world records. The widely known extreme overclocker Alva Jonathan aka “LUCKY_NOOB” has set a new world record for the 3DMark Firestrike using a reference design Radeon RX 6800 XT.
One important thing to mention in this result is that tessellation was disabled by Alva on 3DMark Firestrike so the card could reach a higher score. The HWBot ranking allows the tessellation to be disabled, but 3DMark Hall of Fame does not, meaning that the score won’t appear on it.
The new world record to beat for 3DMark Firestrike on HWBot is 47932 marks. The system used by “LUCKY_NOOB” was using a 1200W Corsair PSU, G.Skill DDR4 RAM, an AMD Ryzen 9 5950X CPU overclocked to 5.423GHz using liquid nitrogen, and a Radeon RX 6800 XT overclocked to 2650MHz (boost setting applied in Performance Tuning panel) using the reference cooler.
Image credit: HWBot
Considering that AMD still has a graphics card more powerful than the RX 6800 XT, we could see this record broken by the RX 6900 XT once it launches next month.
The previous record was held by safedisk, using an ROG Strix RTX 3090 OC graphics cards, which scored 47725 marks, about 207 marks less than the current record holder.
KitGuru says: It is always impressive to see what the professional overclockers can do with new hardware. Are any of you planning on picking up an RX 6800 XT? Wil you be overclocking yours once it arrives?
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I would like to thank Lian Li for supplying the review sample.
Lian Li has been known for a wide array of aluminium enclosures in the past. In recent years, however, the brand has restructured its product line with fewer, more purposeful offerings. The original O11 Dynamic in collaboration with Der8auer was well-received, offering a unique layout at an attractive price point. It spawned various special editions as well as an air-cooling-focused version with an XL variant that followed. With the Lian Li O11 Dynamic Mini we are reviewing today, Lian Li is looking into the opposite direction by offering a more compact version than the original.
Specifications
Lian Li O11 Dynamic Mini
Case Type:
Mid-Tower
Material:
Steel, aluminium, tempered glass, and acrylic
Weight:
N/A
Slots:
3, 5, or 7, depending on backplate
Drive Bays:
2x Internal 2.5/3.5″ 2x Internal 2.5″
Motherboard Form Factors:
E-ATX (under 280 mm wide), ATX, M-ATX, and ITX
Dimensions:
(D) 420 x (W) 269.5 x (H) 380 mm
Front Door/Cover:
N/A
Front Fans:
3x 120 mm (1x 120 mm ARGB fan pre-installed)
Rear Fans:
1x 120 mm (1x 120 mm regular fan pre-installed)
Top Fans:
3x 120/2x 140 mm (optional)
Bottom Fans:
3x 120/2x 140 mm (optional)
Side Fans:
2x 120/140 mm (optional)
I/O:
1x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C 2x USB 3.0 1x Audio combo plug
Big Chungus is one of the most interestingly named PC cases we have seen in a long time. In a market where a series of letters and numbers often make PC cases sound more like a robot from a sci-fi movie rather than somewhere to house your expensive hardware, having an actual name is refreshing. ‘Big Chungus’ was originally a viral meme in case you were wondering, but does this huge show case live up to its name and can it rival some of the other similarly priced open-air display chassis the market has to offer? We find out today.
Watch via our Vimeo channel (below) or over on YouTube at 2160p HERE
The case we are looking at today is the Kolink Big Chungus Unit Edition, on the box it is labelled as “V2” since it is an updated version of the original Big Chungus that released earlier this year. Kolink claims that the V2 Unit Edition improves on the original as it includes five 120mm dual Ring ARGB PWM fans (single ring fans in the original), as well as a black, anodised aluminium stand that comes pre-installed to the base of the cassis, the original had a red anodised aluminium stand that the user self-assembled. Other than that, the two look almost identical.
When Big Chungus arrives, you instantly notice the sheer size of the case, the box is almost a two-man job to carry, it is huge. Once out of the box and stood on the desk, the Big Chungus lives up to its name as it stands 668mm tall and 336mm wide. For the system build, I immediately thought about cramming in a load of custom water cooling to show off what this case is capable of since it is marketed as a showpiece chassis after all.
Kolink Big Chungus Unit Edition Features:
Large and unorthodox ATX form factor with a unique appearance designed for displaying and showcasing extravagant and extreme PC builds.
Open chassis layout with four sides of the case covered with tempered glass panels allowing airflow and an unrestricted view of internal components.
Unit Edition is an updated version of the original Big Chungus and includes five 120mm dual ring ARGB fans pre-installed along with two RGB lighting strips at the base and an RGB fan controller with remote control.
Steel chassis frame with a black anodised aluminium base that comes pre-installed, unlike the original red aluminium base that had to be assembled by the user.
Potentially supports front-mounted radiators up to 480mm long (360mm officially), top radiators up to 240mm, floor mounted radiators up to 360mm and/or a total of up to ten 120mm fans (4 x front, 2 x top, 1 x rear and 3 x floor), no support for 140mm fans.
Motherboard support includes ATX/E-ATX or Micro-ATX, maximum CPU cooler height is 175mm, maximum graphics card length is 335mm, as well as power supplies up to 220mm long.
Front panel connectivity consists of 1x USB 3.1 Type C, 1x USB 3.1 type-A, 1x USB 2.0 Type-A, 3,5mm Audio In/Out and a power button.
Fans possible in total: 4x 120 mm (front side), 2x 120 mm (cover), 1x 120 mm (back side), 3x 120 mm (floor)
Pre-installed: 4x 120 mm (front, PWM, digitally addressable RGB-LEDs), 1x 120 mm (back panel, PWM, digitally addressable RGB-LEDs)
Fan/ARGB controller/Hub: Outputs 10x 6-pin (ARGB/PWM), 2x 3-pin ARGB (5VDG), Inputs: 1x 3-Pin ARGB (connection with motherboard), 1x PWM 1x SATA power (for power supply)
Radiator mountings: 1x max. 360 mm (front side), 1x max. 240 mm (cover), 1x max. 120 mm (back side), 1x max. 360 mm (bottom)
Power supply: 1x standard ATX
Expansion slots: 7
Drive Bays: 2 x 2.5″/3.5″ + 2 x 2.5″
I/O Panel: 1x USB 3.1 Type C, 1x USB 3.1, 1x USB 2.0, 1x Audio In/Out
Maximum graphics card length: 335 mm
Maximum CPU cooler height: 175 mm
Maximum length ATX power supply: 220 mm
However, when you start to look at the case in more detail it seems as though there are some shortcomings with the design. Because of its angular design, the case is tall at its highest point but the problem is the depth of the case from front to rear and the useable space it provides. The case isn’t deep enough to allow the installation of a regular pump/res combo upfront so building custom water cooling inside the Big Chungus may not be as easy as we would expect.
Building a system inside the case also throws up some unexpected issues and limitations and makes the installation process frustrating and less enjoyable. There are several fundamental issues with the case such as pre-installed motherboard standoffs that are not removable and a micro-ATX pre-installed standoff that could potentially cause a short with ATX/E-ATX motherboard installations and possible component damage.
Other issues during installation included the LED strips at the base interfering with power supply installation, power supply screws not lining up easily and the power supply blocks half of the LED strip once installed. Cable management on the rear of the motherboard tray is virtually non-existent, there are cable pass-through holes but no cable management channels, tie-down points, eyelets or straps to neaten up cable installation which is annoying since you can see all the untidy cables through the glass panel.
Thermal Performance Testing
As with every KitGuru case review, thermal performance is important, therefore we shall measure this by running a series of tests to record CPU and GPU temperatures under load.
To simulate thermal performance under load, we run Aida64 stress tests, stressing CPU, FPU, Cache and GPU for 20 minutes with the case in various configurations. With this data, we can compare how each scenario affects thermal performance.
We will compare the system’s thermal capabilities with a liquid-cooled solution for the CPU, using a Silverstone IceGem 240P, 240mm AIO and the graphics card stock cooling solution.
During thermal performance testing, only stock case fans will be used unless otherwise specified. All fans and pumps (where applicable) will be set to their standard fan curve profile as controlled by the motherboard.
All temperature measurements are presented as Deltas – the ambient temperature has been deducted from the CPU/GPU temperature giving us a Delta.
The following configurations are used to test the effect they have on thermal performance:
Default configuration;
Front panel removed;
Glass side panel removed.
Test system
Chassis: Kolink Big Chungus V2 Unit Edition
CPU: AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3960X
Motherboard: Gigabyte TRX40 Aorus Master
Memory: 2 x 16GB (32 GB Total) (2 x 8GB Modules + 2 x Dummy modules) Aorus RGB 3600MHz DDR4 memory
Power supply: Seasonic Prime TX-1000 1000W 80+ Titanium
CPU Cooler: Silverstone IceGem 240P TR4/TRX40 AIO cooler
Case Fans: 5 x stock 120mm dual ring ARGB
Thermal compound: Corsair TM30
Operating System: Windows 10 1909
Note: 240mm AIO cooler was installed in the roof of the case with fans fitted in a push configuration exhausting air out of the case.
Thermal Performance Overview:
Because the Big Chungus is technically an open-air chassis, thermal performance is relatively unaffected by changing the configuration of the case such as removing side or front panels.
Removing the side panel or front panel of an airflow restrictive case usually has a noticeable positive effect on GPU and CPU temperature, but with the Big Chungus, we only recorded a minimal change in the CPU and GPU temperature when removing panels as expected from an open-air chassis.
We omitted any noise level testing from this review as the open layout of the chassis means that noise levels are not affected by changing the case configuration as they would be in more traditional PC cases.
Closing Thoughts
There is no doubt that Big Chungus V2 Unit Edition is a unique looking chassis, however, it is extremely frustrating to work with. During the build process, I was so discouraged by the issues that kept occurring I almost gave up on the build completely. There are so many small niggling issues with the Big Chungus and the build quality isn’t of a high enough standard to warrant the premium £220 price tag the case has been given.
The most annoying and possibly dangerous flaw with the case is the pre-installed motherboard standoffs. This wouldn’t normally be such an issue if the standoffs could be easily removed, but in the Big Chungus the motherboard standoffs are pressed into the steel tray and include a MATX standoff that could potentially contact a component on the rear of an ATX or E-ATX motherboard, short out a circuit and cause damage to hardware.
Another annoying oversight in the design of the Big Chungus is the complete lack of cable management on the rear of the motherboard tray. There are plenty of cable cut-outs in the right places which is great, however, there are no cable channels, eyelets, straps or points to fasten cables down anywhere which is a big disappointment since the case is equipped with glass side panels so the untidy cable management can be seen. Much cheaper cases with solid side panels have better cable management options than this.
Installing the power supply was also problematic with the Big Chungus Unit Edition, the pre-installed LED strips on the base of the case interfered with installation and once the PSU was in position, the screw holes didn’t line up correctly and the power supply blocked off half of the LED strips so the lighting effect glow was only visible from below the front of the case.
The list of issues continues, front panel motherboard connections are multicoloured and look unsightly, AIO installation at the top of the case is very tight, there isn’t much space at the front of the case for a pump/res combo, LED strip power cables are too short, front panel connectivity is sparse for this price range, glass panels are tricky to re-install due to poor alignment and so on.
One thing that the Big Chungus V2 Unit Edition does have in its favour is the appearance, there is no other case you can buy that looks like the Big Chungus V2 Unit Edition. You also get five pre-installed ARGB fans, two ARGB LED strips and an RGB/Fan hub, although this would be expected from a case that costs in excess of £200.
So if you are a fan of the Big Chungus meme and want a PC case that resembles a fat rabbit then this might be the case for you, just make sure you cut out that dodgy MATX motherboard standoff and try not to get too stressed out while building a system inside as I did, maybe play some calming music to keep relaxed.
The Kolink Big Chungus V2 Unit Edition is available to purchase from Overclockers UK now, priced at £219.95 HERE.
KitGuru says: What could be an interesting and unique chassis for showing off exotic builds is seriously let down by build quality and frustrating issues that spoil the build process.
The be quiet! Silent Base 802 offers both a silence-optimized experience and a mesh front panel for when summer kicks in.
For
Excellent interior design
Silent.
Minor thermal penalty for using dampened front panel
Understated looks
Easy panel and dust filter removal for maintenance
Internals can be inverted
Against
Very big
Cable management could use an update
Mesh front feels like a copout
Expensive for the material quality
Features and Specifications
Although 2020 might have mesh-fronted cases dominating our Best PC Cases list, and be quiet! did indeed also introduce such a chassis earlier this year, the company isn’t straying from its roots entirely. The new Silent Base 802 chassis primarily focuses on silence above all else. But, with the avalanche of high-TDP components landing this year and the next, the update brings forth a welcome addition: an optional mesh intake and mesh top cover, to give the Silent Base 802 a little more cooling performance.
Indeed, if you’re not sure you can commit to a mesh chassis or a closed-front chassis, the Silent Base 802 might be just for you, packing both a damping front panel and a mesh front panel in its box. The silent front panel and side panels all come with thick damping material, which should lead to impressively quiet performance – this is staple be quiet! stuff we have here.
But, all that acoustic and thermal versatility doesn’t come cheap: The standard version we’re testing today costs $160, and if you tack on a tempered glass panel, the chassis will run you a steep $170. Let’s find out if it’s worth your money.
Specifications
Type
Mid-Tower ATX
Motherboard Support
Mini-ITX, Micro-ATX, ATX, E-ATX
Dimensions (HxWxD)
21.8 x 11.06 x 21.22 inches (553 x 281 x 539mm)
Max GPU Length
17.0 inches, 11.3 w/ HDD cage (432 mm, 287 with HDD cage)
CPU Cooler Height
7.3 inches (185 mm)
Max PSU Length
11.34 inches (288 mm)
External Bays
✗
Internal Bays
7x 3.5-inch (3 brackets included)
3x 2.5-inch (3 brackets included)
Expansion Slots
7x + 2x Vertical
Front I/O
2x USB 3.0, USB-C, 3.5 mm headphone, 3.5mm mic
Other
Optional Tempered Glass Panel, Fan Controller, Invertible Layout
Front Fans
2x 140 mm (Up to 3x 140mm, 3x 120mm)
Rear Fans
1x 140mm (Up to 1x 140mm)
Top Fans
None (Up to 3x 140mm)
Bottom Fans
Up to 2x 140 mm
Side Fans
✗
RGB
No
Damping
Yes, Lots
External Tour
Normally, I would begin by touring around the outside of the chassis by describing its looks, but today I’m starting at a different place: the bottom. Why? Because be quiet! hasn’t mounted the feet on this chassis in its shipping box.
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
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There’s a good reason for this: Once they’re clipped on, the case no longer fits in its box, so they have to come separate. That in itself isn’t a problem as they’re easy to clip on, but once they’re clipped on, the feet are challenging to remove. You can remove them with a flat screwdriver and a bit of violence via the inside of the chassis to get to the clips, but you will damage and scuff some of the internals in the process.
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Following the foot attachment, the external tour reveals no major surprises. One thing to note is that the chassis is truly enormous (21.8 x 11.06 x 21.22 inches), and probably one you’ll want to keep under your desk. Of course, there is a simple reason for its size: all that padding and re-routing of air needs to happen somewhere, which in turn helps grow the case’s dimensions.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
In white, I also find that it looks like something straight out of Portal, or the Citadel in Mass Effect. The chassis has this simplistic, elemental sci-fi vibe to it, which I quite like. Much like its acoustic intentions, the chassis also looks calm and quiet. “Are you still there?”
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
You’ll spot the I/O at the top of the chassis, and it does come lavishly equipped. You get two USB 3.0 ports, individual headphone and mic jacks, power and reset switches, an HDD activity LED, a USB 3.2 Gen 2 USB Type-C port, and a fan controller with three speeds and a PWM mode that detects the signal from your motherboard.
I would like to thank be quiet! for supplying the review sample.
The be quiet! Silent Base 802 which we are reviewing today is replacing their brands 801 variant at the same time. While it is built on the same foundational frame, the case exterior received a noticeable face lift with additional flexibility between a solid or vented, mesh setup right out of the box. The new be quiet! Silent Base 802 is available in black or white, with or without a glass side panel. We are reviewing the Silent Base 802 with its solid sides and in black in this article.
Specifications
be quiet! Silent Base 802
Case Type:
Mid-Tower
Material:
Steel (SECC), ABS plastic
Weight:
12.59 kg
Slots:
7+2
Drive Bays:
3x Internal 3.5″ (up to 7 possible) 3x Internal 2.5″ (up to 15 possible – using 3.5″ cages)
Motherboard Form Factors:
E-ATX / ATX / Micro-ATX
Dimensions:
539 x 281 x 553 mm
Front Door/Cover:
N/A
Front Fans:
3x 120 or 140 mm (2x Pure Wings 2 140 mm / 1000 rpm included)
Rear Fans:
1x 120 or 140 mm (1x Pure Wings 2 140 mm / 1000 rpm)
Top Fans:
3x 120 or 140 mm (optional)
Bottom Fans:
N/A
Side Fans:
N/A
I/O:
2x USB 3.0 1x Headphone 1x Microphone
Fan/LED Controller:
Six port, two phase fan controller
Compatibility:
CPU Cooler: 185 mm GPU: 432 / 287 mm (with HDD cage) PSU: 288 mm
I would like to thank Seasonic for supplying the review sample.
Seasonic is well known for its high-quality power supplies which are beloved by the enthusiast community. The company has been one of the few who have not yet diversified their product line, with their most advanced foray being their more recent Connect PSU series. Today, Seasonic launches their first chassis—the Syncro Q series. Available in Europe as a SKU combining their Connect PSU and chassis, these two elements will be sold separately in the US region. The Syncro Q704 included in this review comes with four high-quality Nidec fans alongside their 650 W Connect PSU. You may also opt for a 750 or 850 W package instead.
Specifications
Seasonic Syncro Q704 + Connect
Case Type:
Mid-Tower
Material:
Aluminium, steel, and plastic
Weight:
N/A
Slots:
7
Drive Bays:
2x Internal 2.5/3.5″ 3x Internal 2.5″
Motherboard Form Factors:
E-ATX/ATX/Micro-ATX
Dimensions:
537 (D) x 234 (W) x 493 mm (H)
Front Door/Cover:
N/A
Front Fans:
3x 120/140 mm (3x 120 mm Nidec fans pre-installed)
Rear Fans:
1x 120/140 mm (1x 120 mm regular fan pre-installed)
Top Fans:
3x 120/140 mm (optional)
Bottom Fans:
1x 120 mm (optional)
Side Fans:
N/A
I/O:
1x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C 2x USB 3.0 1x Headphone 1x Microphone
Fan/LED Controller:
Fan and ARGB hub as part of Connect Module
Compatibility:
CPU Cooler: 185 mm GPU: 345 mm PSU: 280 mm (Connect 650 W included)
Fractal Design’s Meshify 2 offers all the space and breathing room you need for modern high-end workstation builds.
For
Interior brilliance
Excellent cooling performance
Understated looks
Easy panel and dust filter removal
Against
Overkill for builds that don’t use watercooling or lots of storage.
Slightly buzzy fan motors
Features and Specifications
With the high-TDP and thermal demands of many recent and upcoming best graphics cards and best CPUs, Fractal Design has done well with the release timing of its new Meshify 2 chassis – this one is ready for the high-heat generating components of 2020 and 2021.
Indeed, the next year or so seems to be prime time for mesh-fronted cases, as these allow tons of airflow into the system, resulting in great thermals. Gone are the days where we could pack a system full of whatever parts we could get our hands on and rely on the case to dampen the noise from the internal components. Instead we now spend a little more time shopping for components that are quiet to begin with, despite their high thermal outputs.
The Meshify 2 is aimed at that kind of shopper. It’s a big boy of an enclosure that’s built to be extremely practical and versatile, offering all the room for expansion that you may need for years to come. There’s no garish RGB or wild design elements here– it’s all simple, clean, and functional above all else.
This is a chassis for grownups who just want something that gets the job done well without drawing too much attention to itself, but still offers all the necessary amenities. And for that, it certainly deserves a spot on our Best PC Cases list. At $139.99 for the variant with tempered glass, or $129 with all steel side panels, this isn’t a budget chassis. But for the performance, features, and sheer componet space you get (the max GPU length is 18.4 inches and brackets for six drives), the Meshify 2 is easy to recommend.
Specifications
Type
Mid-Tower ATX
Motherboard Support
Mini-ITX, Micro-ATX, ATX, E-ATX (285 mm)
Dimensions (HxWxD)
18.7 x 9.45 x 21.34 inches (474 x 240 x 542mm)
Max GPU Length
18.4 inches (467 mm)
CPU Cooler Height
7.3 inches (185 mm)
Max PSU Length
13.9 inches (353 mm)
External Bays
✗
Internal Bays
11x 3.5-inch (6 brackets included)
4x 2.5-inch (2 brackets included)
Expansion Slots
7x + 2x Vertical
Front I/O
2x USB 3.0, USB-C, 3.5 mm headphone, 3.5mm mic
Other
Tempered Glass Panel, Fan Controller
Front Fans
2x 140 mm (Up to 3x 140mm, 3x 120mm)
Rear Fans
1x 140mm (Up to 1x 140mm)
Top Fans
None (Up to 4x 140mm)
Bottom Fans
Up to 2x 140 mm
Side Fans
✗
RGB
No
Damping
No
Features
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Touring around the outside of the chassis, it’s clear that the Meshify 2 is a Fractal Design chassis. It takes it easy on the styling, offering a somewhat minimalist approach, with the most eccentric detail being the creases in the mesh.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The front IO resides at the top of the chassis and comprises individual headphone and mic jacks, a USB Type-C port, power and reset switches and the mandatory dual USB 3.0 ports.
Removing the panels from the Meshify 2 is easier than on most cases. On the rear you simply pull the tab outwards, which pulls the pegs at the top of the left and right side panels out from their clamps. The panels then swivel out, and can be lifted off the chassis. To put them back on, you simply place the bottom of the panel into place and push the top to close it – that’s it.
The front mesh filter comes off just as easily— pull it open using the Fractal logo as a handle. The top cover also pulls right off, revealing the dust filter underneath. We particularly appreciate how easy it is to remove the panels, as this makes it a breeze to strip the case down to its bare skeleton for easy access to all the spots you may need to get to during assembly.
Internal Layout
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The ease of removing the panels is only a glimpse of Fractal Design’s great PC case design skills. Opened up, the Meshify 2 has a whole host of features internally that set it apart in the market, so let’s go through a few of them.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Starting off, the main motherboard area is good for up to an ATX-size motherboard. You can opt to install wider E-ATX boards up to 285mm in width, but these will cover the cable grommets and thus you’ll have to find a different method to route cables (switch to the storage layout).
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Flip over to the other side, and you’ll find the cable management area. At the top you’ll spot a fan controller, which has six 3-pin voltage-control headers along with three 4-pin PWM headers. But, note that the 3-pin headers here only offer constant voltage, so you’ll want to plug the included fans into your motherboard if you want to control their speeds – this module is more of a 3-port PWM splitter.
Back here there is room for two SSDs on the back of the motherboard tray, and a plastic trim piece covers up the PSU area. Remove this piece, and you’ll spot room for two 3.5-inch hard drives and the longest of power supplies. But what about that support for up to 11 3.5-inch drives that Fractal Design is talking about?
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Spot that huge plastic slab that’s in front of the motherboard? If you’re building a system that doesn’t use more than four 3.5-inch drives, you can leave it where it is as you can mount a third 3.5-inch drive on the floor of the PSU area too, as well as on the back of this partition.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Leaving it there will offer room to mount a tube reservoir, for which mounting points are supplied on a removable cover piece to the PSU area. A separate part of this cover piece can be removed to make way for longer radiators.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
But, by removing just five screws, you can remove the side partition and bump it over to the left side of the chassis to switch to the storage layout. Three of these screws are accessible from the front, one from up top and one on the bottom, inside. This last one is the trickiest to get to when you move the partition over to this side, but Fractal Design cut a hole in the front panel that you can guide your screwdriver through to reach it, and the entire panel fits seamlessly into place.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Then, flip over to the other side, and you can install up to eight additional hard drives, though only four trays are included in the accessory box.
However, despite offering room for up to eight more hard drives for a total of up to 11 3.5-inch drives, at the front there is still room to house fans and a radiator, provided the radiator isn’t too thick.
Up to the partition, graphics cards can be 315 mm long, which is plenty for most cards. Assuming you don’t have a radiator, hard drives, or reservoir blocking access, GPUs can be up to 467mm long before bumping into the intake fans. Just note that in the storage layout (with the partition moved), GPUs can only be up to 150mm wide if you intend on pushing it into that space.
That Accessory Box Though
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The Meshify 2 comes with possibly the largest accessory box ever for a PC case. It’s unnecessarily enormous, becausemost of it is empty. Inside you’ll find the four additional HDD trays, a smaller accessory box with all the screws and bits, and a very detailed manual that covers all the case’s features and how to use them. At the time of writing this manual isn’t available online, but if you intend on building a system in this chassis that pushes it to its limits, the manual can be very helpful in planning your build to find the case’s possibilities and limitations.
The screws and bits include a ton of rubber grommets to mount the HDDs with, to ensure there is some vibration damping, and Fractal Design even goes so far to include one extra motherboard standoff to replace the central anchoring standoff, in case you want to replace it for one that you can turn a screw into. You’ll also find a screw to secure the tempered-glass side panel for when you need to transport the case without its box. And plenty of zip ties are also included.
Cooling
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Being a mesh-fronted chassis, the Meshify 2 is all about airflow and cooling. Fractal Design includes three 140mm fans from the factory, which will be plenty for the vast majority of builds, with one at the rear exhaust and two as front intake.
You can opt to install another 140mm spinner in the front, three at the top, and two at the bottom intake (with the necessary sacrifices that may take, such as removing the hard drive cage). Alternatively, the same number of 120mm fans fit.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
However, radiators need a little more clearance, so you can fit up to a 120mm radiator at the rear exhaust, 420mm radiator at the top (limited to 360 in the storage layout), a 360mm radiator at the front, and a 140mm radiator at the bottom. Again, note that if you want to maximize radiator space, you’ll have to sacrifice either the biggest size at the top or the biggest size at the front intake to ensure the radiators clear each other.
Image 1 of 2
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Dust filters are provided at the top, front and bottom intake, though you may choose to remove the top filter if you’re exhausting here to improve radiator performance without a dust-buildup penalty.
For custom loops, a fill port mount location is provided in the top fan bracket with a 25.4mm (1-inch) diameter.
I would like to thank Fractal Design for supplying the review sample.
Fractal Design has had the Meshify series around for a few years, but it always seemed a bit of an afterthought, which the naming scheme of the original Meshify C or Meshify S2 reflects in a way. It looks as though this is about to change a bit with the latest iteration we are reviewing today as it is simply called the Meshify 2. This looks to set it up for further numeric expansion in the future, just like Fractal has done with the Define series. The Fractal Design Meshify 2 is available in five variants—you may pick from among different degrees of glass tint or even go for a completely white version if you like.
Specifications
Fractal Design Meshify 2
Case Type:
Mid-Tower
Material:
Steel, plastic, and tempered glass
Weight:
Solid: 12.8 kg / TG: 13.2 kg
Slots:
7+2
Drive Bays:
2x Internal 2.5/3.5 “ 2x Internal 2.5″
Motherboard Form Factors:
E-ATX (Up to 12 x 11 “) / ATX / Micro-ATX
Dimensions:
542 x 240 x 474 mm
Front Door/Cover:
N/A
Front Fans:
3x 120 or 140 mm (2x 140 mm fans included)
Rear Fans:
1x 140 mm (1x 140 mm fan included)
Top Fans:
3x 120 or 140 mm (optional)
Bottom Fans:
N/A
Side Fans:
N/A
I/O:
2x USB 3.0 1x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C 1x Headphone 1x Microphone
Fan/LED Controller:
Nexus+ 2 fan hub
Compatibility:
CPU Cooler: 185 mm GPU: 491 mm (maximum), 467 mm (with front fan), 315 mm (in storage layout) PSU: 250 mm
We would like to thank Super Flower for supplying the review sample.
Since I have evaluated every Super Flower Leadex III ARGB Gold (ETA-A on the Cybenetics scale) PSU but the 650 W unit, I felt it needed some love too. 650 W is enough to build a strong gaming system equipped with an Nvidia RTX 3070 or the upcoming AMD RX 6800. Besides the RGB fan, crystal cube connectors, and two instead of three ECO modes, there are no differences between the ARGB and non-ARGB Leadex III models. The latter are notably more affordable, with price differences ranging from €20 to €24. If you fancy RGB lighting, this is a small premium to pay, and you get the cube connectors, which look much better than the standard Molex connectors.
The Leadex III ARGB Gold 850 W, 750 W, and 550 W units performed excellently, so I have high expectations from the 650 W model.
Since no longer bound by their now expired EVGA “pact,” Super Flower has entered the US market on its own. You will find their products on Newegg, but there might not be enough stock because of COVID. In Europe, two major online stores import Super Flower PSUs, Overclockers.co.uk and Caseking.de, and prices for the four Leadex III ARGB models with 550 W to 850 W maximum power output range from €110 to €150 including VAT.
Specifications
Super Flower SF-650F14RG
Features & Specifications
Max. DC Output
650 Watt
PFC
Active PFC
Efficiency
80 PLUS Gold, ETA-A (88%–91%)
Noise
LAMBDA-A (20–25 dBA)
Modular
Yes (fully)
Intel C6/C7 Power State Support
Yes
Operating Temperature
0–50 °C
Protections
Over Voltage Protection Under Voltage Protection Over Power Protection Over Temperature Protection Over Current Protection Short Circuit Protection
Fractal Design has produced a long, long, LONG list of the changes they made to the Meshify S2 to create the Meshify 2, however we can save you a huge amount of time and trouble. The best way to understand Meshify 2 is to look at the superb Define 7 and then mentally add a Mesh front panel. It sounds simple and we have to say, the result is excellent.
Watch the video via our VIMEO Channel (Below) or over on YouTube at 2160p HERE
Main features
Iconic angular mesh design with a bold, stealth-inspired aesthetic
Dual-layout design for more flexible configuration options and vastly increased storage capability
Spacious, adaptable interior accommodates ATX/E-ATX motherboards up to 285 mm in width
Includes 6 HDD/SSD trays, 2 SSD brackets, and one universal Multibracket for mounting up to 9 drives
Expandable to 11 trays and 4 SSD brackets with 3 Multibrackets installed in the top and bottom for a max of up to 18 drives in Storage Layout
Modular chassis design with removable top panel assembly opens up to fully expose the case interior on three sides
New front panel design with hinged removable mesh and tether-free bezel
Nylon front filter can be removed from the mesh to further increase airflow
Nine 120/140 mm fan mounts with three Dynamic X2 GP-14 fans supplied
Support for radiators up to 360 mm in front, 420 mm up top, or 280 mm in the base
Included Multibracket converts any unused fan position to an HDD, SSD, pump or reservoir mount
Ventilated PSU shroud with two-part removable cover and additional SSD/multi-bracket mounts
Bridgeless expansion slots ensure obstruction-free connections and allow for a more centred vertical GPU installation via the new Flex B-20 PCIe riser (sold separately)
Two vertical GPU slots for use with the Flex VRC PCIe riser (available separately)
Three front USB ports including one USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C
Ultra-slim Nexus+ 2 fan hub with three PWM and six 3-pin connections logically placed in-line with cable channels
Tool-less, top-latching side panels offer quick access. Optional screws (concealed beneath front bezel) secure TG panels for transit and/or deter unwanted removal
Easy-to-clean high airflow nylon filters on the front, top and base with full PSU coverage and convenient front access
Detachable PSU cable shield and integrated cable guides with Velcro straps simplify cable management
We cover the features of this case in a fair amount of detail in our video but one aspect that took us by surprise is that our white sample is actually traditional Fractal Design black and white. The other thing that was unexpected came to light as we dug into Meshify 2.
The floor of the case is riveted in place and it is different to the floor of the Define 7. Add in the fact that the front I/O panel has also changed slightly and the result is that you cannot pull the front panel off the Define 7 and install the panel from the Meshify 2. That might be a minor pain for owners of the Define 7 who fancy a change to Mesh but it is a larger pain for reviewers who imagined they could swap panels around and do some back-to-back comparisons.
Testing
To put this case through its cooling paces we will be using a test system consisting of an AMD Ryzen 9 3900X, Gigabyte RTX 2080 Super and an SSD. This system allows us to produce a substantial amount of heat and effectively test the Fractal Design Meshify 2‘s cooling capabilities.
Graphics card: Gigabyte RTX 2080 Super Gaming OC 8GB
Power supply: Seasonic Focus PX850W Platinum
SSD: 240GB Toshiba RC100 M.2 NVMe
OS: Windows 10
Cooling Performance
Cooling Performance Overview
Fractal Design Define 7 does a perfectly decent job of cooling, however it is always clear the emphasis is on low noise levels, a clean aesthetic and a reasonable level of air flow. By contrast the Meshify 2 is all about cooling and air flow, and the results speak for themselves. When the case interior is set to the Open mode you have clean, unobstructed paths that will deliver results for gamers with high-end PCs. No doubt it would be a different story with the Meshify 2 in Storage mode but that is only to be expected and does not detract from the point that Meshify 2 is very impressive.
Closing Thoughts
Reviewing a flawed product is relatively easy as the reviewer can point out problems, suggest fixes and generally get excited about the perceived foolishness of the designers and developers who have been involved.
By contrast a product such as the Fractal Design Meshify 2 is terribly dull to work with as it is based on a very good case – the Define 7 – that has been enhanced to deliver improved air flow. As far as the enthusiasts and gamers are concerned this is a one way bet where we gain a benefit and lose almost nothing.
This leads to a situation where your reviewer flogs along, checking features and confirming the claims made by Fractal Design and we end up with a balance sheet that is very lopsided. On the negative side we have an absence of RGB lighting, a mixed colour scheme and a single screw that is awkward to access. We know full well that a large part of the KitGuru audience has little time for RGB so that is more of an observation than a genuine complaint.
On the positive side we have the option to install a huge number of fans and radiators, an absurd number of storage drives and any graphics card we can imagine. In addition, Fractal Design includes a decent number of drive mounts and three 140mm fans so you are unlikely to have to buy any accessories unless you are building an extreme PC. If you do want to buy accessories they are available, but the price you are being charged includes a very fair level of hardware and accessories.
Fractal Design has simply done a very good job with Meshify 2.
We don’t yet have a buy link for the Meshify 2 but the UK MSRP is £128.99 for the tempered glass model (as reviewed).
Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.
Pros:
Superb air flow.
Excellent tool-free design.
Monumental support for SSDs and hard drives.
You can pack in a huge range of fans and radiators.
Fully filtered.
Good value for money.
Cons:
This white case has a black interior.
Changing the case to Storage Mode is slightly fiddly.
Removing the drive cage in the floor of the case may take some work.
KitGuru says: Fractal Design has improved their design by leaps and bounds. Meshify 2 is superb.
João Silva 4 hours ago Featured Tech News, Graphics
Sapphire has unveiled its upcoming Radeon RX 6800 and 6800XT custom graphics cards. The Sapphire RX 6800 series cards consist of two Pulse cards, an RX 6800 and an RX 6800XT, and three Nitro+ cards – an RX 6800, an RX 6800XT, and a special edition RX 6800XT.
All of these cards have a 2.7-inch slot design, triple-fan configurations, and 2x 8-pin power connectors. Recommended PSU wattage is 850W for the Nitro+ RX 6800XT cards, 750W for the Pulse RX 6800XT and Nitro+ RX 6800, and 650W for the Pulse RX 6800.
The Sapphire RX 6800XT Nitro+ Special Edition model features ARGB lighting on the fans (exclusive to the Special Edition), on the card itself and on the backplate. The black and grey shroud houses three fans, with the right and left fans being bigger than the middle fan, which rotates anti-clockwise to reduce turbulence. Available video outputs include an HDMI port, 2x DisplayPorts, and a USB-C port.
Just like the Nitro+ Special Edition card, the standard Nitro+ cards (RX 6800 and RX 6800XT) features the same shroud, fans (without ARGB lighting), backplate and built-in ARGB. Besides the existing HDMI port and the 2x DisplayPorts, the USB-C port found on the Special Edition card was replaced by another DisplayPort, totalling at three DisplayPorts.
Regarding the Pulse RX 6800 and RX 6800XT cards, it will feature an all-black shroud with red lines and a matching backplate. This card comes with three similarly sized fans, with the middle fan rotating anti-clockwise. Video outputs are the same as the standard Nitro+ cards, featuring 3x DisplayPorts and an HDMI port.
KitGuru says: Pricing and availability details aren’t here yet, but so far, Sapphire seems to have a good line-up prepared. Are you hoping to get a Radeon RX 6800 or 6800XT at launch?
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I would like to thank Montech PC for supplying the review sample.
Montech has managed to carve itself out as an affordable option to many mainstream brands out there, usually pushing the price to performance envelope while presenting cases with trusted and true themes. Past reviews of the Montech Air 900 with its Pure Base series design inspiration or the Montech Air X with its HAF-inspired dual 200 mm fans have shows that Montech products tend to deliver what bigger brands offer at a much lower price point. That balance shifts a little bit with the Montech Sky One ARGB, which is inching towards that $100 line slowly while still aiming to offer something we are only used to seeing from a few established brands: a fine metal-mesh front cover with 1-mm-sized holes. So let’s jump right into the review!
Specifications
Montech Sky One ARGB
Case Type:
Mid-Tower
Material:
Steel, plastic, and tempered glass
Weight:
N/A
Slots:
7+2
Drive Bays:
2x Internal 2.5/3.5 “ 3x Internal 2.5″
Motherboard Form Factors:
E-ATX/ATX/Micro-ATX
Dimensions:
455 x 220 x 487 mm
Front Door/Cover:
N/A
Front Fans:
3x 120 or 2x 140 mm (1x 120 mm fan pre-installed)
Rear Fans:
1x 120/140 mm (1x 120 mm ARGB fan pre-installed)
Top Fans:
3x 120/2x 140 mm (optional)
Bottom Fans:
N/A
Side Fans:
N/A
I/O:
1x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C 2x USB 3.0 1x Headphone 1x Microphone
SFX PSUs are great compact units for small form factor builds and have come in all wattage sizes from 350-450W up to 750-850W configurations, until now. Silverstone has an all-new SST-SX1000-LPT SFX PSU with a whopping 1000W capacity, a world-first for SFX power supplies. Availability is unknown at this time.
The SST-SX1000-LPT SFX is an 80 PLUS Platinum certified 1000W fully modular PSU with an SFX-L form factor, the unit comes with all the necessary cables you’ll need for a high-end machine, including one 24 pin, one 4+4 pin CPU connector, dual 6+2 PCI-E connectors, four SATA connectors, three molex, and one 4p floppy connector.
Specs-wise the unit features 25A +3.3V and +5V rails, the +12V is capable of 83.3A, +5VSB 3.0A, and the -12V 0.3A. For efficiency, the unit is capable of around 90% efficiency at 20%-100% load which is very good. For cooling the SST-SX1000-LPT SFX features a 120mm fan with a passive mode that enables under 200W of power consumption. If you maintain 300-700W of power consumption the fan spins at a very low 900RPM, as you go beyond 800W of power consumption, the fan starts to spin much faster around 1400-1750RPM. Keep in mind, this is an impressive amount of power going thru a very tiny PSU, so audible cooling near 1000W of load should be expected.
Overall, the unit looks like a perfect solution for feeding today’s power-hungry gaming machines. With the introduction of Nvidia’s Ampere GPUs and Intel’s 10th Generation of Core CPUs, power consumption has gone up significantly for high-end systems, making 750W power supplies a requirement to power these behemoths. With the SST-SX1000-LPT SFX you’ll have extra headroom to spare and high power efficiency if you need a compact PSU in your power-hungry PC.
I would like to thank Thermaltake for supplying the review sample.
When Thermaltake first released the AH T600, it managed to look the part with its obvious inspiration drawn from an attack helicopter. However, that ATX case was also heavy and quite unwieldy due to its intricate shape and design. With the AH T200, Thermaltake manages to shrink down the chassis and offer an mATX variant that looks just as cool, but is also much easier to handle, all while still offering all the elements that made the original such a unique chassis.
Specifications
Thermaltake AH T200
Case Type:
Mini-Tower
Material:
Steel, plastic, and tempered glass
Weight:
10.8 kg/23.8 lb
Slots:
5
Drive Bays:
Front hard drive fitments: 2x 2.5″ Internal plate: 3x 2.5″ / 2x 3.5″ (3.5″ HDD thickness limitation: 22 mm)
Motherboard Form Factors:
ITX / Micro-ATX
Dimensions:
444.2 x 282 x 551.5 mm
Front Door/Cover:
N/A
Front Fans:
2x 120/140 mm (optional)
Rear Fans:
N/A
Top Fans:
2x 120/140 mm (optional)
Bottom Fans:
N/A
Side Fans:
N/A
I/O:
1x USB 3.1 (Gen 2) Type C 2x USB 3.0 1x Audio combo jack
Fan/LED Controller:
N/A
Compatibility:
CPU Cooler: 150 mm GPU: 320 mm PSU: 180 mm
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