With the many different versions of the Fractal Design Meshify 3, lets focus on the pricing across the four black ones for the sake of this review. Both the solid and tempered glass variants with three Momentum 14 PWM fans but no RGB elements clock in at $140. Then the next step-up is a version with tempered glass and RGB equipped Momentum 14 RGB fans, but no further lighting features for $160, thus a $20 premium. This variant of the chassis will likely be the most appealing to most if you don't mind the size.

Then, lastly, there is the reviewed Meshify 3 Ambience Pro RGB at $220, which represents an additional $60 for the built-in body LEDs and Adjust Pro Hub. In terms of general pricing structure, that all makes sense. The Meshify 3 TG MSRP is actually a tad cheaper than what the Meshify 2 equivalent currently retails for.

That would be perfectly fine or in fact awesome, if you were to get the GPU space, AIO liquid cooling support and other details like cable management grommets, but instead the Meshify 3 has more in common with a Meshify 2 Compact. Fractal has refined their line-up. So once you start looking at what the Meshify 2 Compact retails for, things suddenly start making a lot more sense. Going from $125 from the previous gen, to $140 in the equivalent version, one can see the updates in 280 vs. 240 mm AIO in the ceiling, 349 mm vs. 341 mm GPU length and so on.

So ignoring for a moment that we reviewed the decked out version of the case, if you look purely at the Meshify 3 Solid or TG, it is a step in the right direction, even if we could have hoped for slightly more aligned pricing.

Naturally, the Meshify 2 Compact did not ever come in any fancy flavors with RGB or retail-grade, custom software backed controllers. So you have to judge for yourself if the extra cost is worth it. I would argue that the RGB version could absolutely be due to the excellent fans being more accessibly PWM based. However once you get into the cost of what translates to aesthetics in form of the 100 built in LEDs or controller, the return of investment feels mostly sentimental and arguing its value in a compact chassis like this is an uphill battle.

Looking at the case, Fractal has done an excellent job with its relentless attention to design details, with some nice and unique implementations around storage and cable management. On top of that, the plentiful use of steel makes the case extremely sturdy to boot. On the flip side, there are some aspects that make the case feel a bit too simple, as there are a few cable management/cable routing compromises, simple but functional expansion slots, no HDD LED or reset button and missing grommets.

So just looking at the Meshify 3 as a compact (all the pun intended) chassis, it can easily be recommended, as you would go into the purchase with the limitations in mind for the benefit of less real estate needed on your desk. If that's your jam, you will likely prefer the non-RGB or RGB version over the Meshify 3 Ambience Pro RGB and end up spending the $60 savings on components. That said, those who have the budget for a $200+ case, will likely also want the most recent GPUs and longer AIOs thus very likely making the Meshify 3 XL Ambience Pro RGB the far more appealing choice. But hey, if you want compact and have the budget for the bling, the Fractal Design Meshify 3 Ambience Pro RGB is one heck of a beautiful case, also recommendable, with the additional "But Expensive" tag for the intended target audience.