Is there a Mesh version of the Define 7? or a Meshify alternative?
Depends on if you want to look at your hardware or not.
No thermal difference. The regular version is a solid steel panel with sound dampening. No venting.
I can’t imagine any thermal difference between the two.
There’s the Meshify S2. Same size, but meshify front.
But it’s more meant for custom water cooling loops.
Max 3 hdds are supported. And no 5.25 bay.
The meshify s2 might run a bit cooler. But with the Define 7 you can always just swing open the front panel for unrestricted airflow.
Take a look on fractals website:
https://www.fractal-design.com/products/cases/meshify/meshify-s2/black/
You can do 1 Slim DVD drive and 2 SSD Hot Swap bays in one 5.25 inch bay. Or you could do 2 Slim DVD drives in one bay.
What case is that?
Fractal Design Core 3500. Fits up to ATX (and SSI-EEB or something). Fits the Noctua NH-U14S (also using the 150mm fan). 4 HDD mounts and 2 SSD mounts (behind the motherboard, without sleds). It’s end of life but has aged fairly well. Mine houses a pair of X5550 Xeons (saved them from work) on a NOS Intel Board.
The Bay insert is a Chenbro-SK412 and the dual SSD Hot swap thing is sometimes a Rosewill RX-C202 although it is sold on ebay under a variety of names. All in all with a slim DVD drive the whole thing costs ~60$.
Seems quite high but I find the usability high enough for it to make sense. It’s currently in my Core 500 mini-ITX system.
I don’t know how the Define R5 Series aged but they must have come down in price, right? The only thing I see is lack of front Higher-than-3.0-USB
i have the core 3500. hate that thing.
I am considering other options like the Phanteks Enthoo Pro series and Coolermaster MasterCase / MasterBox
I have low standards 
suggestions for better cases?
Not to beat a dead horse, but the Define 7 ticks all your boxes you listed in your other hardware thread.
I also have a Be quiet 900 Pro.
Also a nice case. 2x5.25 bays, 9xhdd, e-atx, good water radiator support.
It’s more silence focused. But it can also swing the front panel open for unrestricted airflow if it’s working on something and it’s running hot.
I don’t have cases from other brands, so I can’t speak for them.
How would one compare the Define 7 vs the Enthoo Pro?
Reviews on youtube?
Enthoo Pro review by Hardware Canucks
Define 7 review by Hardware Canucks
Define 7 review by Gamers Nexus:
And there are probably a lot of written reviews of both cases.
Google is your friend.
What do you recommend for hot-swappable added bay for Fractal design Mesh 2 XL?
Define 7 XL
It’s nice but I feel the build quality isn’t that great compared to my old Lian Li V2120
It feels like a tin can
But it does the job - two Alphacool Eisbaer Extreme 280 - Black Edition (noob at water cooling -disclaimer)
Depends on how much you need to hot swap at once.
I use some different hot swap bays from Icy Dock.
https://www.icydock.com/index.php
They are on amazon, and probably a lot of other retailers. Donnu where you live.
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I have an 8 drive ssd icydock, takes up 2x 5.25 bays. It’s been great 
Define 7 / XL will offer Optic Drive Bay support [1 / 2 respectively]. Define cases have the most pliability, going from Liquid Cooling Oasis to an upright storage server [some case internal adjustments, would have to be done]–> you’d need to purchase additional drive sleds, should you forecast additional drives [sold in pairs of 2.5in / 3.5in drive support].
If you need to address more 5.25 Bays [Hot swap drive hub, front peripherals, etc.], may need to look at likes of Phanteks Enthoo series [they also have a sizeable front stack for 3.5in]
I ended up with the fractal Meshify 2 XL What do I need to convert the 6x SSD/HDD trays to be hot-swappable or do I need to remove them and add something else? Same idea as the ones in the back of the Liam Li 011 Dynamic but they can be accessed through the side door.
No 5.25 bay or [easy] openings, for hot-swapping… You may want to look at a Backside Hotswap slot
Thanks How well do the external docking stations with usb work? Ive been looking for an 3.5" docking as well but I not finding them.