I love micro-atx, always did. My previous two builds were matx, and so is my current ryzen+3800ti rig in a fractal Define Mini C. Good to see Fractal showing some love for matx again, however I'm still hoping for a Torrent matx case.
Home server with a mATX supermicro or asrock board in it with 6 3.5" drive capacity is what I've been looking for, most cases are a let down on how many disks they'll hold :-\
I have the original Meshify Mini and now have my system in the Define 7 Mini. I really wish the Define 7 Mini had an optional front mesh panel similar to the top so more air can be pulled through. It becomes a bit of a hot box even with the mesh top without fans. Yes you give up some sound, but that would be ok with me, it would then be the absolute perfect case. Also love all the tool-less features and easy remove panels. I would consider the Meshify 2 Mini if it weren't so flipping expensive. That said, I have always had Fractal cases because of their quality.
I love mATX. ATX seems like a waste these days with no addition GPU’s or add on cards. The irony is of course, it costs just as much or sometimes more to go slightly smaller. But I do love the form factor of mATX. I have a Meshify C Mini and it just looks so damn perfect size wise. Just wish there was a grey option with light glass. I want a clear glass version but the only choice is white. Hmmm.
The Define 7 Mini could have recycled the Pop chassis design and put a 5.25" bay on the bottom. The Define series is known for 5.25 bays and it would have worked here.
Micro ATX is perfect. ITX is just too much of a challenge with today's high power draw parts, let alone maintenance as noted. I'm still on a huge E-ATX supporting case (3x 230mm fans are in it if that's an indication) and it's just so much nicer to work with if you aren't constantly moving it.
Coincidentally I run a Proxmox system in a Define 7, ASRock X399M Taichi micro-ATX board, TR 1920X, Dark Rock Pro TR4, 4 HDD, 4 SSD, 2 m.2, Mellanox ConnectX-3 dual SFP, and have a Firepro S7150 that I want to try with VFIO.
I'd really wish for someone to actually review the HDD temperatures with all drives filled up in the bottom cage because spoiler alert: They will won't be happy and be half cooked! I did this with my Define 7 XL and with all the cables, big PSU and front mounted AIO those HDD (WD NAS drives) hit close to 54C in the summer sitting below that PSU shroud. So far I'm still using my old Define Nano S with 3 x 3.5" HDD and get way better temps because the HDD's are placed on the backside, the bottom, and the top with the original mounting brackets. Was hoping this case could replace it but I can already tell that's gonna be a hard pass!
these style M-ATX cases are great, (at least) 4 slots, top panel power switch and connectors, with or without glass side panel, they can easily be "mounted" horizontally (add rubber feet on back panel), meaning the USB etc are _not_ poking out the _front_ of the unit. I got a RED Brushed Aluminum unit like the Define 7 on Aliexpress for a similar price .. I have it set up as a "table space" in my camper (which only has 1 foot walkway and 1.5 foot bench space) with a 64Gb Ryzen 5000 series MB + RPi4 PiKVM inside the unit (its my RPi Build Server ;) ..
I've always gone for M-ATX when building my computers except for when I had no other choice or my budget was really low. It's the perfect size for most builds and it means you don't need a huge tower that takes up lots of space.
My AsRock Rack x570 board is micro-atx. I wish that Fractal would launch a rack mount Define case. This is great timing though as I am looking to upgrade my home server.
I completely agree with your comments. I'm waiting for the Rizen 7000 series announcements next month. It will be my Xmas build. I currently have a slightly overclocked I5-9600 that is almost as fast as any reasonably priced modern CPU. No graphics card - not a gamer so I'm hoping the 7000 with internal graphics will give me a big performance boost for my workstation type uses. Motherboard first then case and I will go with the Define 7 if the motherboard has usb-2 headers otherwise the Meshify 2 mini.
Im the oddball who loves micro atx or xl cases. Good Micro atx cases seems to be forgotten about in recent years though. Most manufacturers seem to have focused on compact atx cases. I’m not a fan of psu shrouds in the smaller cases though
Cool cases, not ugly. Hard to choose between fractal, cooler masterbox q300l, and some others but for the price...not many talks about cougar like the mx330x for micro atx builds...I am building slowly a small micro atx server so..good video good to see all those cases interior to see what can fit in.
Two Meshify 2 Nano should fit underneath a square Lack table if you want to build a Lack Stack. A good upgrade over the Focus G Mini for that purpose (one of the few airflow cases that fits).
I REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY want Fractal to design a case where the motherboard lays flat. With graphics cards getting heavier and bulkier it just makes sense to go back to oldschool design where the motherboard lays flat. I would LOVE a cube case from one of these brands with no glass, just all metal, all airflow, where the motherboard lays flat, fits full size graphics cards in terms of length, and still has room for radiators/aio's and tons of 3.5 HDD space. I cant stand how newer cases have like 1 or 2 HDD slots.... I already have TWO 16tb drives, an 8tb drive, a 500gb SSD, and then my NVME drives.... and I plan to expand my 16tb options. Sadly, I might have to buy a stupid external thing to hold 4-5 16tb drives because of how these stupid cases are all "minimalist" bullshit. And if they have tons of HDD space, they can't fit a full size gpu or high end cooling.... its crazy. Why can't I just get a good case? I can't stand glass house cases either. I don't want glass making my case unnecessarily heavy. Its added weight for zero performance. Its liberally form over function.... I want function over form.
Have you looked into a rackmount case? A short one maybe (what's the shortest size, 15 inches?)? 4U can fit 120mm fans, and there's a bunch of 4U cases on the market that are designed for 120mm fans too (hole spacing etc). Sliger just started offering some higher-quality ones, and for cheap I think Rosewill in the US and Inter-Tech in Europe have options that cost around what desktop cases cost (though I don't know about the quality there).
Alright I'm kind in love with these little cases. I've been thinking of making a very small compact transportable PC for a while as second backup PC and the mesifiy mini 2 looks perfect. I can use a bunch of parts I've got laying around too and it can just live on a shelf and get remoted into if I need to mess with it. May I'll setup some sort of remote rendering on it too for videos.
As someone who also likes having a backup transportable rig (for week+ long trips etc), I'm not sure this would be a good fit due to it's larger form factor and increased parts limitations. What has you sold on this case specifically verses something like the Meshlicious or the NR200 for a portable system?
@@Kelekona_808 When I said transportable I meant more that it's not a full sized case like my Meshify 2. I could stash this on a shelf or bring it with me in the car and not have to un-hook all the monitors/junk from my main pc. If I need to go to a family members place to get their PC working I can bring the smaller system a long without too much hassle and it would be able to play games no problem. It's also the perfect sized to be hooked up to a TV cart and wheeled around for gaming or virtual table tops. That said, if transportation was the key goal then the cases you mentioned would be better, the master box would be my pick it looks sick. However I don't think I'll be building a Mini ITX system any time soon. The builds always look very challenging, parts selection has to be perfect otherwise they won't fit and those smaller parts are more expensive. They often use non standard layouts and require AIO coolers to get the most out of the parts you install. The systems are also so tight that when some thing breaks it's a big hassle to get to the part. As to why I think I'll go with the the Meshify 2 mini well... 1# It's basically a very small version of a normal tower case. ( I've built plenty of PC's with that layout so there wont be too many surprises.) 2# I can use a basic air cooling setup. (It will be a bit loud under load but it will be fine, also I've had AIOs fail so I don't trust them) 3# The case will be widely available. (Small form factor cases can be hard to find in stock.) 4# I can use parts from my current setup. ( My current build uses a Micro ATX board and normal power supply, should fit right in.) 5# They are stylish, that wood grain PC setup looks great. 6# Easy of maintenance. (Opening the case up and changing parts/dusting it will be a lot easier than a Micro ITX build) All that said I'm waiting for the new Ryzen processors to come out this fall before committing to that build. The next main PC I build, with all new parts, is going to be a Ryzen workstation/gaming build. Going back to full ATX for the build so I can fit all the hard drive storage I'll be using for video editing. PS: I wish Fractal would make the Refine Mini with solid sides, a carry top handle and internal bracing for parts. It would make the perfect small form factor sleeper PC case, perfect for people who want mobile power but don't want it to take up space. I may be able to 3d print some graphics card braces and make a side panel though...hmm, worth thinking about.
I wish they remembered that one of the reasons that made Define Nano S good is a lack of the PSU shroud, which allowed the GPU to breathe. These two cases have 4-slot GPU clearance above the PSU shroud. 3-slot is a standard for current GPUs, with some of them being even thicker. That means the GPU will be almost flush against the PSU shroud and will suffocate, unless you have a 2-slot GPU by some chance. Things get even worse if you plan to use the bottom PCIe slot on the motherboard for anything. That is bad, Fractal, m'kay?
@@davep5698 It doesn't matter. That's still a lot of metal between fans and the GPU, plus you have a HDD case in between. So, how much of that air actually reaches the GPU? 10%, 20%? Not good.
Yeah, this is good wisdom for the _overall_ noise level, but if you're sensitive to certain sounds then you might still want sound dampening. The foam material works well for high-pitched (short wavelength) sounds like what the other commenters listed.
I've given up hope for proper filtration in desktop PCs because everyone cares too much about looks. So far I'm perfectly happy with a high airflow case, with front intake fans that have high static pressure, and some cotton-blend furnace filters that I swap every 2 months. The fiberglass ones don't do anything useful enough to bother. If you live somewhere really dusty and especially if you have a pet that sheds, you can't beat it. I only have to clean inside my case once every 6 months, and even then there's not much to clean. At least this tiny case has some consideration towards filtration.
Have you looked into a rackmount case, maybe (4U so it can fit 120mm fans)? They are usually designed to be pretty well sealed so that the air can really only enter in the front and leave at the back. So if you put a good filter over the front, you should be pretty well set. Desktop cases usually have holes and seams everywhere so your only bet there would be massively positive pressure, I guess.
I love micro-atx, always did. My previous two builds were matx, and so is my current ryzen+3800ti rig in a fractal Define Mini C. Good to see Fractal showing some love for matx again, however I'm still hoping for a Torrent matx case.
Was actually looking into M-ATX cases last night! Perfect timing!
Trying to replace a Microserver with standard parts but ITX is so limiting.
Let's flip the script a bit, get a mATX board ANYWAY and it'll still look great in most ATX cases. Kaboom.
So the Nano cases house the Mini boards and the Mini cases house the Micro board. Makes nothing but sense 👍
Home server with a mATX supermicro or asrock board in it with 6 3.5" drive capacity is what I've been looking for, most cases are a let down on how many disks they'll hold :-\
There are so few small cases with good amount of 3.5 slots. The node 304 and 804 are still good options, but they need an update
They missed the mark with the Define, it needed to follow in the footsteps of the original Define Mini which is a great NAS case.
mATX has always been my favorite form factor, but the availability of motherboards has also always been an issue.
In the budget to mid range, it's very easy to find mATX boards. Especially on the AMD b550 side
I have the original Meshify Mini and now have my system in the Define 7 Mini. I really wish the Define 7 Mini had an optional front mesh panel similar to the top so more air can be pulled through. It becomes a bit of a hot box even with the mesh top without fans. Yes you give up some sound, but that would be ok with me, it would then be the absolute perfect case. Also love all the tool-less features and easy remove panels. I would consider the Meshify 2 Mini if it weren't so flipping expensive. That said, I have always had Fractal cases because of their quality.
Let's get an answer to the real question in the room... will red shirt Wendell live until the end of the episode?
Are you posting this under every Level1Techs video where he wears a red shirt? :D I feel like I've seen this comment multiple times now.
The main issue with building micro-ATX that I have encountered is motherboard selection. There are very few good options.
Still rocking a r5 with dual sound damping panels... fractal makes great cases!
I am happy to see options without glass side panels.
I love mATX. ATX seems like a waste these days with no addition GPU’s or add on cards. The irony is of course, it costs just as much or sometimes more to go slightly smaller. But I do love the form factor of mATX. I have a Meshify C Mini and it just looks so damn perfect size wise. Just wish there was a grey option with light glass. I want a clear glass version but the only choice is white. Hmmm.
both look real nice but I was forewarned, like #404
I don’t like them, not much space for hdd
The Define 7 Mini could have recycled the Pop chassis design and put a 5.25" bay on the bottom. The Define series is known for 5.25 bays and it would have worked here.
Micro ATX is perfect. ITX is just too much of a challenge with today's high power draw parts, let alone maintenance as noted. I'm still on a huge E-ATX supporting case (3x 230mm fans are in it if that's an indication) and it's just so much nicer to work with if you aren't constantly moving it.
Coincidentally I run a Proxmox system in a Define 7, ASRock X399M Taichi micro-ATX board, TR 1920X, Dark Rock Pro TR4, 4 HDD, 4 SSD, 2 m.2, Mellanox ConnectX-3 dual SFP, and have a Firepro S7150 that I want to try with VFIO.
I'd really wish for someone to actually review the HDD temperatures with all drives filled up in the bottom cage because spoiler alert: They will won't be happy and be half cooked! I did this with my Define 7 XL and with all the cables, big PSU and front mounted AIO those HDD (WD NAS drives) hit close to 54C in the summer sitting below that PSU shroud. So far I'm still using my old Define Nano S with 3 x 3.5" HDD and get way better temps because the HDD's are placed on the backside, the bottom, and the top with the original mounting brackets. Was hoping this case could replace it but I can already tell that's gonna be a hard pass!
I built my son a ITX build. not my style, i like full towers and super towers. have a Threadripper in a TT core x71TG
these style M-ATX cases are great, (at least) 4 slots, top panel power switch and connectors, with or without glass side panel, they can easily be "mounted" horizontally (add rubber feet on back panel), meaning the USB etc are _not_ poking out the _front_ of the unit. I got a RED Brushed Aluminum unit like the Define 7 on Aliexpress for a similar price .. I have it set up as a "table space" in my camper (which only has 1 foot walkway and 1.5 foot bench space) with a 64Gb Ryzen 5000 series MB + RPi4 PiKVM inside the unit (its my RPi Build Server ;) ..
Sorry RIP Optain.
I've always gone for M-ATX when building my computers except for when I had no other choice or my budget was really low. It's the perfect size for most builds and it means you don't need a huge tower that takes up lots of space.
My AsRock Rack x570 board is micro-atx. I wish that Fractal would launch a rack mount Define case. This is great timing though as I am looking to upgrade my home server.
I completely agree with your comments. I'm waiting for the Rizen 7000 series announcements next month. It will be my Xmas build. I currently have a slightly overclocked I5-9600 that is almost as fast as any reasonably priced modern CPU. No graphics card - not a gamer so I'm hoping the 7000 with internal graphics will give me a big performance boost for my workstation type uses. Motherboard first then case and I will go with the Define 7 if the motherboard has usb-2 headers otherwise the Meshify 2 mini.
idk if i never noticed it before, but i loooove the wallpaper in the background 🥰
hehe literally just built an asrock b550m steal ryzen build in a Pop air mini last night! ive been indoctrinated by Wendell :) not a bad thing
Im the oddball who loves micro atx or xl cases. Good Micro atx cases seems to be forgotten about in recent years though. Most manufacturers seem to have focused on compact atx cases. I’m not a fan of psu shrouds in the smaller cases though
Cool cases, not ugly. Hard to choose between fractal, cooler masterbox q300l, and some others but for the price...not many talks about cougar like the mx330x for micro atx builds...I am building slowly a small micro atx server so..good video good to see all those cases interior to see what can fit in.
Two Meshify 2 Nano should fit underneath a square Lack table if you want to build a Lack Stack. A good upgrade over the Focus G Mini for that purpose (one of the few airflow cases that fits).
the Silverstone mATX CS330 looks very nice for a home or small business server.
Cartoon memes worked well with Wendel's antics. Thanks for the reviews on the new mini lineup.
Oh that reminds me, I need wheels for my Define case.
First
as much as i love the define 7 mini... i just dont like that it doesent have a white option
Thanks Brudda , , ,
I REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY want Fractal to design a case where the motherboard lays flat. With graphics cards getting heavier and bulkier it just makes sense to go back to oldschool design where the motherboard lays flat. I would LOVE a cube case from one of these brands with no glass, just all metal, all airflow, where the motherboard lays flat, fits full size graphics cards in terms of length, and still has room for radiators/aio's and tons of 3.5 HDD space. I cant stand how newer cases have like 1 or 2 HDD slots.... I already have TWO 16tb drives, an 8tb drive, a 500gb SSD, and then my NVME drives.... and I plan to expand my 16tb options. Sadly, I might have to buy a stupid external thing to hold 4-5 16tb drives because of how these stupid cases are all "minimalist" bullshit. And if they have tons of HDD space, they can't fit a full size gpu or high end cooling.... its crazy. Why can't I just get a good case? I can't stand glass house cases either. I don't want glass making my case unnecessarily heavy. Its added weight for zero performance. Its liberally form over function.... I want function over form.
Have you looked into a rackmount case? A short one maybe (what's the shortest size, 15 inches?)? 4U can fit 120mm fans, and there's a bunch of 4U cases on the market that are designed for 120mm fans too (hole spacing etc). Sliger just started offering some higher-quality ones, and for cheap I think Rosewill in the US and Inter-Tech in Europe have options that cost around what desktop cases cost (though I don't know about the quality there).
Alright I'm kind in love with these little cases. I've been thinking of making a very small compact transportable PC for a while as second backup PC and the mesifiy mini 2 looks perfect. I can use a bunch of parts I've got laying around too and it can just live on a shelf and get remoted into if I need to mess with it. May I'll setup some sort of remote rendering on it too for videos.
As someone who also likes having a backup transportable rig (for week+ long trips etc), I'm not sure this would be a good fit due to it's larger form factor and increased parts limitations. What has you sold on this case specifically verses something like the Meshlicious or the NR200 for a portable system?
@@Kelekona_808 When I said transportable I meant more that it's not a full sized case like my Meshify 2. I could stash this on a shelf or bring it with me in the car and not have to un-hook all the monitors/junk from my main pc. If I need to go to a family members place to get their PC working I can bring the smaller system a long without too much hassle and it would be able to play games no problem. It's also the perfect sized to be hooked up to a TV cart and wheeled around for gaming or virtual table tops.
That said, if transportation was the key goal then the cases you mentioned would be better, the master box would be my pick it looks sick. However I don't think I'll be building a Mini ITX system any time soon. The builds always look very challenging, parts selection has to be perfect otherwise they won't fit and those smaller parts are more expensive. They often use non standard layouts and require AIO coolers to get the most out of the parts you install. The systems are also so tight that when some thing breaks it's a big hassle to get to the part.
As to why I think I'll go with the the Meshify 2 mini well...
1# It's basically a very small version of a normal tower case. ( I've built plenty of PC's with that layout so there wont be too many surprises.)
2# I can use a basic air cooling setup. (It will be a bit loud under load but it will be fine, also I've had AIOs fail so I don't trust them)
3# The case will be widely available. (Small form factor cases can be hard to find in stock.)
4# I can use parts from my current setup. ( My current build uses a Micro ATX board and normal power supply, should fit right in.)
5# They are stylish, that wood grain PC setup looks great.
6# Easy of maintenance. (Opening the case up and changing parts/dusting it will be a lot easier than a Micro ITX build)
All that said I'm waiting for the new Ryzen processors to come out this fall before committing to that build. The next main PC I build, with all new parts, is going to be a Ryzen workstation/gaming build. Going back to full ATX for the build so I can fit all the hard drive storage I'll be using for video editing.
PS: I wish Fractal would make the Refine Mini with solid sides, a carry top handle and internal bracing for parts. It would make the perfect small form factor sleeper PC case, perfect for people who want mobile power but don't want it to take up space. I may be able to 3d print some graphics card braces and make a side panel though...hmm, worth thinking about.
Woot!
I wish the matx Meshify came with a solid steel sides
I wish they remembered that one of the reasons that made Define Nano S good is a lack of the PSU shroud, which allowed the GPU to breathe. These two cases have 4-slot GPU clearance above the PSU shroud. 3-slot is a standard for current GPUs, with some of them being even thicker. That means the GPU will be almost flush against the PSU shroud and will suffocate, unless you have a 2-slot GPU by some chance. Things get even worse if you plan to use the bottom PCIe slot on the motherboard for anything. That is bad, Fractal, m'kay?
@@davep5698 It doesn't matter. That's still a lot of metal between fans and the GPU, plus you have a HDD case in between. So, how much of that air actually reaches the GPU? 10%, 20%? Not good.
unrestricted airflow is quieter than sound dampening material in practice. the fans won't need to ramp up.
That's true but us with Tinnitus are a bit more concerned with coilwhine
And HDD platter whine ain't gonna get dampened by extra holes either.
Yeah, this is good wisdom for the _overall_ noise level, but if you're sensitive to certain sounds then you might still want sound dampening. The foam material works well for high-pitched (short wavelength) sounds like what the other commenters listed.
What is THE SMALLEST case that will handle an ATX board?
depends from how much of a fan you are of choking the heatsinks
I’m wondering if the panels from these two cases are interchangeable
buy both and find out :D
I've given up hope for proper filtration in desktop PCs because everyone cares too much about looks. So far I'm perfectly happy with a high airflow case, with front intake fans that have high static pressure, and some cotton-blend furnace filters that I swap every 2 months. The fiberglass ones don't do anything useful enough to bother. If you live somewhere really dusty and especially if you have a pet that sheds, you can't beat it. I only have to clean inside my case once every 6 months, and even then there's not much to clean. At least this tiny case has some consideration towards filtration.
And having to remove the door to remove something simple as the filter.
Have you looked into a rackmount case, maybe (4U so it can fit 120mm fans)? They are usually designed to be pretty well sealed so that the air can really only enter in the front and leave at the back. So if you put a good filter over the front, you should be pretty well set.
Desktop cases usually have holes and seams everywhere so your only bet there would be massively positive pressure, I guess.
The wood grain looks nice!
Have it - Love it!
Yep, he right.
Every time I see sound dampening in a case I think fire hazard. I wonder if that material is fire resistant?