Introduction
The SSUPD Meshlicious changed the Small Form Factor (SFF) landscape with its fully mesh, vertical tower design, proving that ITX cases can offer phenomenal cooling without compromising on high-end hardware support. With the release of NVIDIA’s RTX 40 SUPER series, the MSI GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER Gaming X Slim has emerged as a perfectly balanced card offering high performance in a uniquely slender profile. Let’s analyze the physical dimensions, clearance tolerances, and thermal dynamics of fitting this MSI “Slim” card into the Meshlicious ITX chassis.
Hardware Analysis: MSI RTX 4070 SUPER Gaming X Slim
Despite the “Slim” moniker, this MSI card is not a tiny ITX placeholder. It is still a formidable triple-fan cooler designed to keep the 4070 SUPER die icy cold. It measures 307mm in length, 125mm in height, and occupies exactly 2.3 slots (46mm in thickness). MSI designed this specific cooler specifically to alleviate clearance headaches in mid-towers and SFF cases while retaining the premium aesthetics and low noise levels of their standard Gaming X Trio line.
Clearance Breakdown in the SSUPD Meshlicious
The Meshlicious is famous for its adjustable motherboard spine. You can build it in a 3-slot GPU configuration (leaving 53mm for the CPU cooler) or a 4-slot GPU configuration (reducing CPU cooler clearance to 73mm).
Length Clearance: The Meshlicious supports GPUs up to 336mm in length when the front chamber is configured with standard 25mm thick fans and an AIO radiator. The MSI 4070 SUPER Slim’s 307mm length fits beautifully, leaving almost 30mm of clearance at the bottom (or top, depending on orientation) for cable routing. This extra space is particularly useful for routing the stiff display cables that plug into the bottom of the case.
Thickness and Spine Configuration: Because the MSI card is only 46mm thick (2.3 slots), it perfectly fits into the standard 3-slot GPU configuration of the Meshlicious. This is the optimal setup! By keeping the case in 3-slot mode, the GPU has about 15mm of breathing room before the mesh side panel, which eliminates any turbulence noise that occurs when fans sit flush against the mesh. Furthermore, this leaves the maximum 73mm clearance on the CPU side, allowing you to use a beefy low-profile cooler or comfortably fit the pump block of a high-end 280mm AIO liquid cooler.
12VHPWR Cable Routing: The Meshlicious’s vertical GPU orientation means the 12VHPWR power cable will face the front panel (where the AIO radiator normally sits). The 125mm height of the MSI card leaves ample room in the depth axis. You will easily be able to route the native 12VHPWR cable or standard adapter curve safely towards the power supply without aggressive, dangerous bends.
Conclusion
The MSI RTX 4070 SUPER Gaming X Slim is arguably one of the most perfect GPU pairings for the SSUPD Meshlicious. Its 2.3-slot thickness allows you to maintain the case’s 3-slot configuration, maximizing CPU cooling potential while eliminating side-panel turbulence noise. The length allows for easy display cable management. It is a highly recommended, headache-free combination for a premium 1440p SFF build.