[SOLVED] CASE -- 2.5" SSD-HDD SLOTS -- Meshify C Mini

Solution
Regardless the pressure inside your PC (positive, negative or neutral), you still need fan filters to avoid dust buildup inside the PC, since air is going into the PC case and also out of the PC case.

As far as fan amount goes, that depends on the GPU you go for. For low heat output GPU, e.g GTX 1050 Ti, the 2x stock fans case comes with would be enough cooling wise. But if you're putting e.g GTX 1080 Ti into there which has aftermarket cooler as well (not blower-type), then it's high heat production could rise the PC case internal temps quite high and 2x fans may not be enough.
Here, try with 2x stock fans first. If temps get too high, buy additional fans.

Demciflex filters that i bought are specifically made for my Corsair cases and...

Aeacus

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Well, as written in case specs, you can put into there:
2x 3.5" drives + 3x 2.5" drives
or
5x 2.5" drives

Btw, 2.5" HDD is same size as 2.5" SSD.

And expansion slots (5x) refer to the rear of the case and on PCI-E slots. E.g when you put micro-ATX MoBo into it which has (from top to bottom):
1) 1x PCI-E x16 slot
2) 1x PCI-E x4 slot
3) 1x PCI-E x4 slot
4) 1x PCI-E x16 slot
5) empty space on MoBo

Then with 5x expansion slots on PC case, you can put dual-slot GPU into lowest PCI-E slot but not triple-slot GPU, e.g:
1) 1x PCI-E x16 slot - dual-slot GPU
2) 1x PCI-E x4 slot - dual-slot GPU
3) 1x PCI-E x4 slot - free
4) 1x PCI-E x16 slot - dual-slot GPU
5) empty space on MoBo - dual-slot GPU
 

jumbo_trucker

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thanks
i'm waiting for ryzen 3000 apu and i think i'll buy only one gpu so i need only one slot pcie
do you think this case is good or there are some cases cheapest and best?

 

Aeacus

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Since choosing a PC case is personal choice, go with the case you like the most.

As far as my personal opinion goes, it has a bit plain looks to me. Also, it doesn't have any 5.25" external bays which i find very useful. Other than that, it has meshed front panel for good airflow. Though, the foam filter may be a bit too thick and hinder the airflow quite a bit.
 

jumbo_trucker

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could you kindly suggest me some other matx case model that you think is best?

 

Aeacus

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Like i said, choosing a case is personal choice. But since you asked my opinion then here are some good micro-ATX cases that i'd go for:

Fractal Design Focus G Mini, specs: http://www.fractal-design.com/home/product/cases/focus-series/focus-g-mini
Thermaltake Core V21, specs: https://www.thermaltake.com/products-model.aspx?id=C_00002559

Focus G Mini is miniature version of my Corsair 760T V2 Black case where my Skylake build sits in (full specs with pics in my sig). It also has very good frontal airflow and 2x 5.25" external bays (e.g for ODD, fan controller, card reader etc). On top of that, it also has very good fan support:
front: 2x 140mm
top: 2x 140mm
rear: 1x 120mm
bottom: 1x 120mm

Core V21, in the other hand, is the most customizable cube case that i know. It's also stackable with another Core V21 if you need more space. Due to it's customizability, it's fan support is far greater even that of most full-tower ATX cases. In it, you can put up to 13x 120mm fans or 9x 140mm fans. In comparison, my Corsair 750D Airflow Edition full-tower ATX case (Haswell build) supports only 6x 140mm fans and 2x 120mm fans (total of 8x fans). Another feature it has is the MoBo tray placement. With it, you can build your system as vertical (normal way) or horizontal (very good looking IMO).
I also considered heavily getting Core V21 for my AMD build but the deal breaker for me was the lack of any 5.25" external bays and i needed at least one.
 

jumbo_trucker

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Thanks for your help
I'm also seeing this sharkoon v1000
https://en.sharkoon.com/product/13968
what do you think?


 

Aeacus

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Sharkoon cases, while mostly unknown in The States, they are readily available in the Europe. My AMD build also has Sharkoon case, a DG7000-G Green,
specs: https://en.sharkoon.com/product/1678/DG7000-G

Since my build theme in AMD build is black & green, DG7000-G Green case is one of the very few cases which i found to have the needed color theme (e.g MoBo tray is green). Also, case supports 140mm fans all around, has 2x 5.25" external bays with TG side panel and unremovable PSU shroud as well (which hides my Seasonic Focus+ 550 (80+ Platinum) PSU). Though, case doesn't have a reset button. Build quality wise, my 2x Corsair cases have much better build quality than my Sharkoon case.

Sharkoon cases are cheap and relatively nice looking. Feature wise, there's room for improvement (e.g better cable routing with more space behind MoBo tray; inclusion of reset button). Build quality could also be better but that rises the price of the case.

Btw, Sharkoon V1000 Window case reminds me Corsair Spec-M2 micro-ATX case,
specs: https://www.corsair.com/eu/en/Categories/Products/Cases/Carbide-Series%E2%84%A2-SPEC-M2-MicroATX-Gaming-Case/p/CC-9011087-WW
 

jumbo_trucker

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thanks
i'm looking for a made in usa case possibly

 

Aeacus

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Yeah, that doesn't happen. Reason why,
link: https://www.neweggbusiness.com/smartbuyer/components/born-in-the-usa-computer-hardware-made-in-america/

What you can do, is buying PC case from USA located or USA based company.
 

jumbo_trucker

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thanks
i read the post and i think it's hard to looking for a made in usa 100% case because mostly are chinese.

do not brands of American cases exist ?

 

Aeacus

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When it comes to the popular case manufacturers, their HQ is located in:
USA - Corsair, NZXT, Rosewill, Sentey
Sweden - Fractal Design
Netherlands - Phanteks
Germany - Sharkoon
Taiwan - Cooler Master, Thermaltake, Silverstone, BitFenix, Lian-Li, InWin, Gigabyte, Apevia, Enermax
South Korea - Zalman
China - Deepcool

So, take your pick.

Of course there are over 100+ PC case brands out there and some of them can be located in the USA as well, but i don't get payed enough to go over each and every one of them to find out where their HQ is located.
 

jumbo_trucker

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no problem
thanks for your help

I will orient myself on the American brands and on the fractal limit considering that the model of cases reflects my tastes and my needs

as for the fans I read that those that are placed in front of and behind the case must have capacity and that it is better than the one behind turns faster than the front? if I'm not mistaken.
which fans would you recommend?



 

Aeacus

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What's your full system specs? Also, when it comes to the fans, there's a lot of leeway. E.g: Which color fans? Non-LED fans or LED fans or RGB LED fans? Focus on airflow? Focus on static pressure? Focus on noise? Focus on fan cost?

I need to know answers to those questions above since there isn't one universal fan for everyone. Each fan has it's pros and cons. Also, have you decided on the PC case? And what's your CPU cooling method; air cooler or AIO? If AIO, how big of a rad you're planning to get?

Though, airflow rule of thumb is: front & bottom - intake; top & rear - exhaust.
 

jumbo_trucker

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MERGED QUESTION
Question from jumbo_trucker : "Fans -- Speed -- Case -- Airflow"

Hello,
I would like to take this case Meshify C Mini - Dark TG
https://www.fractal-design.com/home/...meshify-c-mini

already has 2 fans included (FRONT-REAR)

I would like to know which additional fans would be better considering
- little noise
- good airflow
- speed

I've read that you can run at different speeds for better cooling

_ At what speed do you turn them (FRONT-REAR)?

_What to consider and how to choose them when you buy?

Thanks
Greetings
 

Aeacus

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When it comes to the fans, you can't have both at the same time: good airflow and low noise. Either it's good airflow with high noise OR bad airflow with low noise.

Though, there are fans out there that struck near perfect balance between good airflow, good static pressure and relatively low level of noise. But those fans come with premium price and question here is if you're willing to pay the price.

If you are, then look towards Corsair ML Pro series fans,
120mm, specs: https://www.corsair.com/us/en/LED-Color/Fan-Size/Package-Quantity/ml-pro-led-config/p/CO-9050042-WW
140mm, specs: https://www.corsair.com/us/en/LED-Color/Fan-Size/Package-Quantity/ml-pro-led-config/p/CO-9050048-WW
review 01: https://www.kitguru.net/components/cooling/leo-waldock/corsair-ml140-and-ml120-fans/
review 02: https://thepcenthusiast.com/corsair-ml120-pro-led-120mm-pwm-premium-fan-review/
120mm, pcpp: https://pcpartpicker.com/products/compare/LkJkcf,GXkwrH,MpBrxr,wPFXsY/
140mm, pcpp: https://pcpartpicker.com/products/compare/D34NnQ,cfyxFT,sYNypg,ycH48d/

In my Skylake and Haswell builds (full specs with pics in my sig), i have those very same fans in use (red LED in Skylake, blue LED in Haswell) since these fans are one of the best (if not the best) fans when it comes to the balance in airflow and static pressure. Sure, ML Pro LED fans have premium price but they also have mag-lev bearing (one of the few fans that have it).

Pros/cons wise, you're looking at:
120mm
Pros
* great airflow (12 - 75 CFM)
* great static pressure (0.2 - 4.2 mmH2O)
* great RPM range (400 - 2400 RPM)
* PWM control (4-pin fan)
* mag-lev bearing (300.000+ work hours)
* 4 color options (red, blue, white LED and non-LED version)
* warranty 5 years

Mediocre
* noise output (16 - 37 dB(A))
* power draw 0.299 A

Cons
* price

140mm
Pros
* great airflow (20 - 97 CFM)
* great static pressure (0.2 - 3.0 mmH2O)
* great RPM range (400 - 2000 RPM)
* PWM control (4-pin fan)
* mag-lev bearing (300.000+ work hours)
* 4 color options (red, blue, white LED and non-LED version)
* warranty 5 years

Mediocre
* noise output (16 - 37 dB(A))
* power draw 0.276 A

Cons
* price

To get the best possible airflow with the least amount of noise, install as many fans in your case as possible. Preferably 140mm rather than 120mm since 140mm fan moves more air and does that more quietly than it's (same spec) 120mm counterpart. Making the fan setup in the Meshify C Mini case as follows:
front - 2x 140mm intake
bottom - 1x 120mm intake
top - 2x 140mm exhaust
rear - 1x 120mm exhaust

With 6x fans, where you have 3x intake and 3x exhaust fans, you'd get neutral pressure. Also, while installing 6x fans in your PC may look like that you'd get extremely loud noise out of your PC, it's actually vice-versa. The trick is that the more fans you have inside the case, the less each fan has to work to maintain the airflow and the less noise fans produce.
And that is also a main reason why i have 7x high-end case fans in my Skylake and Haswell builds (Corsair ML Pro LED and NZXT AER140 RGB). Mostly 140mm but few 120mm as well. Since i have that many case fans, i can keep all of my case fans spinning between 800 - 1100 RPM and thanks to this, my PCs are very quiet while still having proper airflow inside my full-tower ATX cases.
 

jumbo_trucker

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I will initially start an apu ryzen 3000 when it comes out and maybe a gpu in the future.
so i guess i will not need many fans. correct?
at the limit I will take those you have recommended.
I do not want to spend too much on fans.
so rgb and aesthetics do not interest me.
I was thinking of taking the same fan model of the case. just that I do not know where to place it.
or suggest other solutions or fan models?

 

Aeacus

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Meshify C Mini already comes with 2x Dynamic X2 GP-12 120mm fans, one as front intake, another as rear exhaust, completing the minimum airflow setup in a PC.

The 6x fan method i explained above is to get best possible airflow with least amount of noise. Of course, if you think that the 2x stock 120mm fans are enough, you don't have to buy more case fans. But if you see that the 2x stock fans doesn't seem to get the job done (high temps in PC), you can always add more fans to your PC.
 

jumbo_trucker

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I was thinking of buying another fan to put behind the same as that of the cases at the limit.
putting it behind I will have more air coming out than the one that enters.
what do you think about it?
 

Aeacus

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With 2x exhaust fans and 1x intake fan, you'd get negative pressure. There are pros and cons with positive and negative pressure and here's the difference:

Positive pressure (higher air intake than air exhaust)
Pros
Less dust enters the system
All case openings contribute to getting heat out

Cons
Less cooling than negative or neutral pressure
Can create stagnant air inside the case which causes internal temps to rise

Negative pressure (higher air exhaust than air intake)
Pros
Better cooling than positive or neutral pressure
Amplification of natural convection

Cons
More dust enters the system
All case openings contribute to the air intake

Neutral pressure (same amount of intake and exhaust)
Pros/Cons
Between the two above

Further reading about setting up airflow: http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/faq/id-1858957/airflow-101-setting-fans-keeping-computer-cool.html

I run my Skylake and Haswell builds in negative pressure for optimal cooling. Since i have all intake holes and grilles covered with Demciflex filters, there's no problem for dust entering my systems.
 

jumbo_trucker

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Ok
thank you

with the case I have (meshify) negative or positive pressure advice?

I favor the negative one with the caution to put the dust filters
in case you could advise me which filters to buy for this case?
in case you do not use the filters every time you need to clean the pc?

 

Aeacus

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If you're unsure about which pressure (negative vs positive) to go for, aim towards neutral pressure.

For filters, like i said above, i'm using Demciflex filters for my PCs,
link: https://www.demcifilter.com/why-demciflex

And preview video as well. Not the best quality but it gets the point across,
youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcJYl8UdPjw

Since i have Corsair cases in use, Demciflex has made custom filter kits for many popular cases, including mine. There are filter kits available even for Fractal Design cases but not specifically for Meshify C Mini. For your case, you're left using the standard sized filters,
link: https://www.demcifilter.com/products

Thing with filters is, that for me, it's far easier to clean my magnetically held place filters at the outside of the PC, rather than opening up my system and getting the dust out between each and every small spot where dust settles.

Under the spoiler are few images of my Demciflex filters as well, click on spoiler to view.
Demciflex filter kit for Corsair 760T
pNLeaxc.jpg

Left: Demciflex filter + stock filter/grille
Middle: stock filter/grille
Right: no filter
Hyj7iXX.jpg

It's clearly visible when filter get's dusty and needs cleaning. On the image are bottom filter (the dusty one) and PSU filter.
FJOplrM.jpg
 

jumbo_trucker

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ok I have to inform better about the filters for this case
in case I decide to put a fan behind

therefore already the two fans of stock of the cases should be sufficient for a neutral pressure

and in case you want to always get a neutral pressure, buy 2 fans equal to those of the case and put them 1 forward and 1 behind
correct?

I'm not sure but maybe this case already has magnetic dust filters

Dust filters

Bottom fan + PSU

Front fans

Top panel


I do not know if the filters are only on the top of the case
https://www.fractal-design.com/home/product/cases/meshify/meshify-c-mini