Cable routing inside case

[joshc]

So I have spent about 5 hours so far on my first build and I have some questions about routing cables inside the case. I have a s939 3200 w/ MSI Neo4 platinum mobo and ThermalTake tsunami case plus OCZ modstream 450 PSU.

It sucks because my DVD/RW, Floppy, and Hard Drive all connect to the mobo in this tight space. Furthermore, I got a rounded floppy cable and IDE cable for my DVD/RW w/ my mobo so I have had to use those. They are really too damn long so is it ok if I have bend these cables into some open drive bays? What do you guys suggest I do with these damn rounded cables?

Also, the damn power connectors from the OCZ PSU are so damn thick and don't bend very well and make a real mess inside the case. Any hints on routing this stuff?

Thanks.

 

[joshc]

burp...wanna get it right

 

[John P]

I stick my cables in open bays, on top of CD drives, or behind them in a one window case. You probably don't want to stick them on top of a hard drive since they get hot. Go over to svc.com and order yourself several different length cables (they are inexpensive and shipping is reasonable) so you can experiment with some shorter cables to see if they would help out.

PC Toys Rounded ATA/IDE 133 Cables at SVC.com

PC Toys Rounded Floppy Cables at SVC.com

Sometimes you can stick the extra power connectors on top of the power supply or in the top bay if it's open.

Have fun!

 

[Goi]

My case isn't the neatest in the world, but I use 18" rounded cables, which aren't terribly long, but it's actually the max IDE spec'ed length AFAIK. For all overly long cables, I usually either fold them a few times and zip-tie them, tie them either to themselves or to the sides of the case, or when not possible stuff them into empty drive bays. I've seen really neat cases where the cables are routed along the sides of the case, underneath the motherboard, or even behind the motherboard tray, but that's not very feasible with rounded cables due to their thickness.

 

[joshc]

I just wanted to make sure it was ok to put some "loops" in them. With some ties the IDE cables get neat but my OCZ PSU has cables that are sheathed in plastic and they are really tough to twist and it seems that they don't wnat to be twisted.

Anyone got pics to their cabling jobs? I found a few pics by searching through the forums but I'd love to see more.