Fractal Design Meshify 2 Compact: Specs, Price and Who Should Buy It

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This is a buyer's guide compiled from manufacturer specifications and published reviews. GameRath did not test this product.

The Meshify 2 Compact is Fractal Design's smaller take on its mesh-fronted Meshify 2 airflow case. It takes ATX, Micro-ATX and Mini-ITX boards in a 39.4-liter body and has been on sale since 2021.

Key specs

• Dimensions: 424 x 210 x 475mm, 7.7kg (Fractal Design)
• Motherboards: ATX, Micro-ATX and Mini-ITX, with 7 expansion slots
• Cooling support: radiators up to 360mm at the front and 240mm on top, plus 120mm fan mounts at the rear and bottom
• Clearances: GPUs up to 341mm, CPU coolers up to 169mm, power supplies up to 200mm (Fractal Design)
• Storage: four dedicated 2.5" mounts and two combined 3.5"/2.5" mounts
• Front I/O: two USB Type-A, one USB Type-C, separate audio and microphone jacks
• Fans: Tom's Hardware and Custom PC describe two 140mm front fans and one 120mm rear fan in the box. Fractal's current product page lists three front fans and one rear fan, so confirm the fan count for the exact SKU you buy.

What published reviews found

Tom's Hardware reviewed it in February 2021 and gave it an Editor's Choice award. It praised the thoughtful interior, classy design, quality fans, rubber-grommet cable management and easy filter access, and said it makes an excellent foundation for a thermally demanding ATX build. Its complaints were thin sheet metal, fans without PWM control, no RGB, and strong competition at the price. It also noted a sticky power button on its sample, which Fractal corrected after May 2021.

Custom PC, whose review was published in May 2021 and updated in October 2023, measured a 50°C CPU temperature delta over ambient against 54°C for Fractal's Define 7 Compact, and a GPU delta of 41°C, one degree cooler than that case. It found the case extremely quiet at full fan speed despite the mesh front, and liked the removable roof for building and the radiator flexibility. Its caveats were limited storage, CPU cooling that was not category-leading, and value it called reasonable rather than excellent.

Price and availability

Tom's Hardware listed a $110 MSRP, adding that retailers were asking $134.99 at the time of its February 2021 review. Fractal's product page lists no price and shows the case as available through retailers, and Fractal also sells a Meshify 2 Compact Lite variant. Current prices vary by color and side panel, so check retailers before buying.

Who it's for

The Meshify 2 Compact suits builders who want a compact ATX tower with a mesh front, bundled fans and support for a 360mm front radiator, particularly if they care about noise as well as temperatures. Check the clearance figures above against your parts: a 341mm GPU limit and 169mm cooler height rule out some large cards and tall air coolers.

Skip it if you need E-ATX support, PWM-controlled stock fans or RGB lighting out of the box. The Corsair 4000D Airflow accepts E-ATX boards and offers more GPU room, while the NZXT H5 Flow also supports a 360mm front radiator. For the rest of the build, see our budget gaming PC build guide.

Bottom line

Published reviews agree that the Meshify 2 Compact cools well: Tom's Hardware praised its thermal performance and fans, and Custom PC found it quiet at full speed. The downsides are modest: limited storage, thin metal and non-PWM fans. It remains a strong choice for a compact airflow build, with price the main variable given its age.

Still planning airflow and cooling? Our Best Gaming Hardware in 2026 hub places the Fractal Design Meshify 2 Compact next to the other case and cooler guides and explains how to match them to your build.

Sources: Tom's Hardware - Fractal Design Meshify 2 Compact Review: Understated Excellence, Custom PC - Fractal Design Meshify 2 Compact review, Fractal Design - Meshify 2 Compact Black