IDE Wrapping. And dust.

[QUOTH]

I *think* I have seen a couple of posts on here saying round IDE cables are not advised. Can they be wrapped so they are round and neat or not?

Oh, and is there any reason I cant use electrical tape on the inside of my case to tidy cables?



So My case is really dusty, I'm planing to clean it out. Can I use a [horse?] hair paint brusy to dust the case? Can't help but think of rubbing a baloon against someones hair and generating static.

So how do you clean your PC? How do you stop dust build up? More air in? more air out? Filters.


Thanks guys and gals.

Q

 

[Team42]

Originally posted by: QUOTH
Oh, and is there any reason I cant use electrical tape on the inside of my case to tidy cables?

Yeah...use of electrical tape on the inside of a case is an offence under Article 15(3) of the Computer Case (Modification) (Electical Cable Tidying) Order 2007.

But, the PC Police are a bit busy targetting people who use UV flourescent (that's bound to be spelt incorrectly) cable wrapping right now (believe me, it's getting waaaaaaay out of hand these days) you'll prob get off with it if you don't tell anyone.

Whatever works is good: I use insulating (electrical) tape. It can be a bit messy if you need to change things. Split plastic conduit is prob the easiest to use, but why go to the expense if you can get away with insulating tape? And it's cheap and comes in lots of different colours too!

Don't know about round IDE cables. Except I wish my SATA cables were round instead of flat. And not made from some stupid armour plated plastic...

Re: dust. Filters, filters, filters. And a clean room. More air in means more dust in, and dust is attracted to electrically charged components. More airflow won't stop the dust settling. It just gives more dust an opportunity to get in amongst your most treasured possessions. Get into the habit of using a compressed air duster to blow air out (with the PC switched off, of course). Clean it out, then check after a month to see what it's like. It only takes a few minutes but it's worth the (slight) inconvenience.

T42

 

[Zepper]

You don't want to run high frequency cables against the metal surfaces of your case. That was reinforced to me while testing some SATA cables recently. They should cross metal on a narrow edge and at as close to 90 deg as possible. There are stick-on cable clips for both flat and round cable bundles out there so you can keep your cables from contacting metal. Here is one but IDK the dimensions and they're cheap: http://www.bgmicro.com/index.a...=VIEWPROD&ProdID=10746

Here's some more cable and wire management stuff:
http://www.jameco.com/webapp/w...d=-1&categoryId=256020

You could also use double sided foam tape or Velcro to keep flat cables away from the metal some.

.bh.

 

[QUOTH]

OK, could you define high frequency cables? or low freq cables if its easier

I guess that means running nothing under motherboard.

Is this a technical, possible, manufacturerswatchingtherebacks never happen in real life kind of precaution?


Filter materials? Thin foam? Tight alu mesh?



WOWWOW, what a project. Black net cable wrap looks cool. Does it have a specific name?

 

[QUOTH]

Originally posted by: Team42

Originally posted by: QUOTH
Oh, and is there any reason I cant use electrical tape on the inside of my case to tidy cables?

Yeah...use of electrical tape on the inside of a case is an offence under Article 15(3) of the Computer Case (Modification) (Electical Cable Tidying) Order 2007.

But, the PC Police are a bit busy targetting people who use UV flourescent (that's bound to be spelt incorrectly) cable wrapping right now (believe me, it's getting waaaaaaay out of hand these days) you'll prob get off with it if you don't tell anyone.

T42

I thought so! Are you shure? What about the Plain Post Officers? They could be watching the thread right now.... Erm, yeah, so as i was saying I was joking. I have never thought about UV wrapping....

 

[Zepper]

People run stuff under the mobo all the time, just keep your pata, usb, sata, FW cables off the metal at least the thickness of that double sided sticky foam tape and protect them from trees on the bottom side of the mobo (trees are the legs of the components that don't get trimmed off properly close to the mobo, some can be very sharp - I usually trim the trees from all my PCBs as necessary). All you need is a good pair of side cutters (diagonal cutters where the cutting edge is on the outside instead of in the center of the blades) and some patience I usually clip 4 or 5 trees at a time. Just be careful not to short any battery leads in the process (I remove any batteries before starting) or do some similar "duuuuh" exercise...

.bh.

 

[QUOTH]

Shurely if the cable is held in place befure it goes under the mobo and after, it can't move thus cant get damaged By trees. I believe I also saw a post where someone said they taped their cable to the motherboards uderside, around the trees where needed?

Hmm, I always wondered if those stray "pins" where there for a reason.

 

[Zepper]

I guess it just costs too much to trim the trees at the factory as that would require some humans to do it - at least for now. The leads are precut just short enough for proper machine insertion and wave soldering. I always understood that those pointy pins could be a source of RFI radiation. Not to mention finger and cable sticking and slicing. I've occasionally gotten some ribbon cables stuck from pins on the back of add-on cards.

If you decide to trim your own trees, be sure to follow anti static protocols.

.bh.

 

[QUOTH]

Such as? Feel free to throw me alink if its easier then explaining. I have a fair idea, but you want to be shure about this stuff.

WOO, new stuff arives today. Looking forward to cleaning out my case.


So can I use a natural fibre brush to clean dust from crevices, or will it create static?

 

[DerwenArtos12]

Originally posted by: QUOTH
Such as? Feel free to throw me alink if its easier then explaining. I have a fair idea, but you want to be shure about this stuff.

WOO, new stuff arives today. Looking forward to cleaning out my case.


So can I use a natural fibre brush to clean dust from crevices, or will it create static?

Use compressed air, either from the can or from a compressor but, make sure your compressor has inline oil filters and a condesation loop. AKA, your dads construction air compressor is not a safe way to go. If properly lubed they will spray a fine mist of oil all over everything and depending on the size, maybe some water too. I use canned air, it's pretty cheap and I know I'm safe so long as i hold it upright, unless I'm trying to freeze something or someone.

I do not condone or promote the use of canned air products in any way other than specifically reccomended by the manufacturer and detailed on the product itself. I am not liable for any injuries or damages brought about by the improper use of such products.

 

[Zepper]

No, just leave your PSU plugged in but with the power switch in the off position. The ground path will bleed of any static from your brushing. I hold the metal ferrule of the brush with one hand and the case with the other, bleeds off the static thru me - such a tingle.

You can either wear an anti-static wrist strap attached to ground or touch a ground frequently while you're working to keep the static neutralized. I just touch a grounded case frame frequently while I'm working - actually keep one hand on a frame as much as possible. Of course, I've checked and tested the outlets to be sure they have a true earth ground as static energy will only drain off to earth. Otherwise the energy just transfers from one place to another, it's never totally gone.

.bh.

 

[QUOTH]

So how long would a 200ml can last?

Any trick to test that without the proper tools?

I'm thinking about taping one of my hands to the [metal part of the] case if I find myself forgetting

Oh, I need to know about cleaning off TIM aswell.


BTW are Antec case fans any good?

 

[Zepper]

If it's the grease type, then alcohol generally works well. Get some high percent isopropyl at your pharmacy or big box store like WalMart. If it's the rubbery stuff, I scrape most off first with a plastic tool so as not to scratch the surfaces, then I use lighter fluid (naphtha) to remove the remainder followed by an alcohol rinse and dry with a coffee filter or other lint-free stuff.

An outlet tester should be less than $5. at your local home center or discount hardware or big box store. Every home should have one and test all outlets while you're at it. Never know where you'll find a miswired outlet.

Antec Tricool 120mm are supposed to be decent at low and med speeds, of course high is going to be noisy. Others aren't much good. Yate Loons are the fans of choice here for value for money. The D12SL or SM w/ closed corners (the open corner version is noisier) are popular. The new Scythe 38mm thick ones are nice if you want to pay more and have room. There are some other boutique fans that are decent but cost too much, IMO. jab-tech.com is where i generally buy my fans and accys - many Y-Ls have quantity pricing - some other models too.

.bh.

 

[AmberClad]

Why are round IDE cables not advised? I've never had an issue using them.

And why is electrical tape not advised? I use it to tie up my various PSU, I/O, and fan cables inside the case.

 

[DerwenArtos12]

Originally posted by: AmberClad
Why are round IDE cables not advised? I've never had an issue using them.

And why is electrical tape not advised? I use it to tie up my various PSU, I/O, and fan cables inside the case.

round cables are especially difficult to route and will take up more space, therefore hindering more airflow, than a properly sliced or folded ribbon cable. Electrical tape isn't advised because it's tacky looking and leaves a residue. So long as you're not tapping SATA or IDE cables directly to the case it won't make any difference. I use electrical tape behind the motherboard tray to hide things and some thick double sticky tape to space off SATA cables that I want to run behind the tray. I've also used some aluminum weaved shielding on SATA cables so I can put them right against the tray but, it's notably more expensive.

 

[AmberClad]

Originally posted by: DerwenArtos12
round cables are especially difficult to route and will take up more space, therefore hindering more airflow, than a properly sliced or folded ribbon cable. Electrical tape isn't advised because it's tacky looking and leaves a residue. So long as you're not tapping SATA or IDE cables directly to the case it won't make any difference. I use electrical tape behind the motherboard tray to hide things and some thick double sticky tape to space off SATA cables that I want to run behind the tray. I've also used some aluminum weaved shielding on SATA cables so I can put them right against the tray but, it's notably more expensive.

Kind of a moot point in my case (pun intended ), since the reason I use the electrical tape in the first place is to bundle the cables up and hide them inside a drive bay (it's easier to untape than it is to snip off cable ties).

This might be a personal preference and it might vary depending on the chassis being used, but I find the round IDE cables easier to deal than the flat cables I used to use.

 

[DerwenArtos12]

Originally posted by: AmberClad

Originally posted by: DerwenArtos12
round cables are especially difficult to route and will take up more space, therefore hindering more airflow, than a properly sliced or folded ribbon cable. Electrical tape isn't advised because it's tacky looking and leaves a residue. So long as you're not tapping SATA or IDE cables directly to the case it won't make any difference. I use electrical tape behind the motherboard tray to hide things and some thick double sticky tape to space off SATA cables that I want to run behind the tray. I've also used some aluminum weaved shielding on SATA cables so I can put them right against the tray but, it's notably more expensive.

Kind of a moot point in my case (pun intended ), since the reason I use the electrical tape in the first place is to bundle the cables up and hide them inside a drive bay (it's easier to untape than it is to snip off cable ties).

This might be a personal preference and it might vary depending on the chassis being used, but I find the round IDE cables easier to deal than the flat cables I used to use.

They're easier to just throw in, yea but, slicing a ribbon cable gives a lot more flexibility to really tuck them back out of the way. I've actaully started buying rounded cables and just cutting off the plastic so I don't have to go through the time of slicing the cable myself.

 

[QUOTH]

Of all the cables spare cables I have, I don't have a spare IDE to practice on

 

[Zepper]

AC,

When electrical tape gets warm, the adhesive can separate and leave messy, black goo on the walls of your case or wherever you stuck it. Generally meant to be stuck to itself, not to anything else.

.bh.

 

[QUOTH]

I'm thinking of using electrical tape to tape the cable ties to the case.


Stick a cale tidy down at 90 degree angle to tape. Lye cable ontop of cable tie indirection of tape. Tie cable tidy.

The tape is still touching the cable, but its the outerside, not the glued side. And there is less contact.

Yay, cable managemnt is fun. Any tips for splitting IDE ribbons? Is it difficult?

Q

 

[QueBert]

if rounded cables are bad (have heard both good/bad depending who I talk to) and sliced cables are better/more flexible. I have a stupid question, why haven't I seen custom sliced cables for sale? I'm sure somebody sells them, but you'd think they would be easy to find with all the hype about how good they are.

 

[zagood]

Originally posted by: QueBert
if rounded cables are bad (have heard both good/bad depending who I talk to) and sliced cables are better/more flexible. I have a stupid question, why haven't I seen custom sliced cables for sale? I'm sure somebody sells them, but you'd think they would be easy to find with all the hype about how good they are.

One of my motherboards actually came with sliced/loomed ribbon cables. Pretty cool.

-z

 

[DerwenArtos12]

Originally posted by: zagood

Originally posted by: QueBert
if rounded cables are bad (have heard both good/bad depending who I talk to) and sliced cables are better/more flexible. I have a stupid question, why haven't I seen custom sliced cables for sale? I'm sure somebody sells them, but you'd think they would be easy to find with all the hype about how good they are.

One of my motherboards actually came with sliced/loomed ribbon cables. Pretty cool.

-z

MSI ships most of it's boards with a sliced/loomed floppy cable, I don't buy a big variety of motherboards though so I'm not sure beyond that.

I don't know that any companies will really sell them because they're not pretty and they don't have a wide enough appeal to make it worthwhile for them from a business standpoint.