We usually worry a lot about our components before we actually get them. I mean, hey, a good graphics card and a cool build will automatically enhance the aesthetic value of your rig. But I believe there’s a lot more to it that we often tend to miss.
Some even don’t bother about tidying things up, regular cleaning or proper cable management. I don’t know about you, but my PC is like my baby, and I prefer keeping it well organized and as little messy as possible.
This write-up is going to be about cable management in specific. I’ll guide you through the “whats” and “hows” by imparting some handy PC case cable management tips. Read carefully and act accordingly if you want your cables to be as neatly assigned as possible.
Contents
Why Is Proper PC Cable Management Important?
Cable management can actually come in real handy if you do it right. You might not be able to do it perfectly on the first try. But you may be surprised by how many times you’ll have to reroute a few cables here and there for your own build or a friend’s PC.
Now, let’s point out the basic necessities.
-
Better Temps
It might sound a bit out of the box to hear that cable management can have impact on the PC temperatures, but it can be an issue in extreme cases. Disorganized cables can block fan vents. If that happens, be sure that it’ll generate some extra heat.
-
Upgrade Convenience
PC building isn’t really a static thing. You’ll probably end up upgrading your components after a specific time frame. There’s realty no escaping it. Be it gaming or productive workflow, better hardware is always in demand.
Here’s the thing. Suppose you’re trying to swap your GPU for a more powerful one. But the new one requires yet another 6/9 pin connector. If you don’t have your PSU cables well organized, you might have a tough time finding where that particular connector cable is tangled in.
So yes, convenience matters. Proper cable management can go a long way in making upgrades easier.
-
Aesthetic Finesse
There was a time when you could just get away with being lazy and not just care about proper PC case cable management. The transparent acrylic or tempered glass view trend is a fairly new thing. Most people wouldn’t prefer a clear view of the mess you’ve created incise your case.
So, if looks matter to you, it’s very necessary to know more about proper cable management. Knowing won’t be enough, though. You’ll want to keep your cables as neatly arranged as possible.
Things to Consider for Proper Cable Management
There’s no doubt about it; cable management is a skill. But no matter how efficient and knowledgeable you are about cable routing and placement, you might want to do a bit of planning beforehand. Take these pieces of advice to heart. They’ll come in handy.
-
Go with Modular PSUs
I’m not saying that non-modular PSUs don’t deliver proper power or don’t work. It’s just that you can’t discard the cables that you don’t need. You have to deal with every single one. You might even end up having to jam them all under the lower shroud.
What’s wrong with that? Well, this might lead to problems in closing the opposite side panel.
Properly built cases seem crowded anyway. So, it can really be a pain in the neck to deal with unnecessary cables. Semi-modular and modular PSUs are a lifesaver in this case. As they do offer the option to discard the unnecessary cables.
-
Pick Your Case Wisely
There are cases that look just darn awesome and have great build quality. However, some do tend to miss out on proper cable management features. Some even deliberately avoid them to cut production costs. You might want to be extra picky in this regard.
Rubber grommets, extra space behind the motherboard tray, and good cable routing channels can really help out in making cable management easier. As far as PC case cable management tips go, this one might be the most valuable. “Don’t go for the ones that omit cable management features.”
But some brands take extra care of these factors. Some NZXT cases have a dedicated cable management bar, which is really nice to have. So, keep a lookout for space and proper cable hiding features.
-
Keep the Cable Ties Ready
Trust me when I say this, good cable management requires cable ties. Without them, you really can’t hold things together. You’ll want to use them to organize cables and set them up in a tie-down point. This is mostly done on the backside of the case to make the front view as clean as possible.
If you’re worried about cable ties, as they require cutting with sharp objects in the removal process, there’s an alternative. You’ll also do good by placing some Velcro straps in the right areas. These should work just fine as well.
The Awaited Tips
The stuff I’ve talked about so far are tips as well. But let’s get a bit more specific. I’m about to lay out a set of tips that you’ll want to keep in mind while you’re in action. Here goes!
- Route each cable with a proper plan. Be sure of where you want to route and place a cable and where it’s going to connect in the end.
- Placement matters. The SATA cables will slide from the side, and the CPU fan power cables should come by through the top right. Make sure you don’t mix things up.
- Connect and place smaller cables first as the larger sleeved cables tend to hide the larger ones beneath. This results in a cleaner look.
- Take a look at the case from the front. If any cable is sneaking beneath a larger cable, use your fingers to put it in its rightful place.
- Some cables can’t be hidden. No use worrying about it. Yes, I’m talking about the ones like the GPU power cables.
- You might want to use some toys or accessories to hide or camouflage the minor eyesores of your case. Suppose a single cable is looking a bit odd, place a toy spider man in the right spot, and you’re done.
- Keep things as compact as possible. Use cable ties to organize the cables in the most minimal way possible without causing any malfunction. The more compressed the area consumption, the cleaner the look.
Managing the End
As a set of practical PC case cable management tips, I think what we’ve talked about should be more than enough. But still, if you want a visual representation, you can look into videos or other custom PC builds to figure out the ways to achieve wonders.
I should say this; you won’t become a pro on your first cable management task. Perfection takes time. So, keep at it, and you’ll definitely pull through. That’s pretty much it for now. Remember, it’s better to be sweaty try-hard than to be no good at all.
Leave a Reply