Question about cable management & casefans...

[Xpred]

Question about cable management & casefans...

Hello everyone. I want to know what's the best way to maximize air flow and provide a cleaner look through organization and such for the inside of my case. I'm talking about organizing and using different types of cables possibly so that air can travel better, but anyways I just have some basic questions...

1. How are those cables where they already come organized? Like some of the DFI lanparty mobos where it comes with the floppy/IDE cables that already are all wrapped and organized to go? I've seem them alot at computer stores now and I'm quite tempted to buy them... How are these for airflow and such?

2. Is it okay to put your IDE/floppy/PSU cables on top of the drives? (either floppy/optical/hard)? In order to maximize my airflow, I tend to push the parts that are sticking out back on top or in the drive bay slots, so they don't get in the way... but I'm afraid these cables might heat properties or be conductive or something like that...?

3. What do you recommend on those other PSU connectors that you never do? Like tape them down or tie them up? I just usually let them lay around or touch the bottom of the case. If taping/tying, where is it best to tie them back up? The PSU cover?

4. Any other tips to cable managing/maximizing airflow?

 

[Bona Fide]

Most cables are sleeved in some protective material. If you ever have bare copper wires sticking out, that's a bad thing. So you can run them across the top. As far as those "pre-wrapped" cables you're talking about, the ones with the DFI boards are just round cables for SATA drives and such. They improve airflow since they're much easier to move around than ribbon cables. With the unused PSU cables, I just leave them up top and tie them up.

 

[scrawnypaleguy]

Good questions. Most of it really depends on what type of case you have, but there are some general tips that you can follow:

1) The round cables that you're talking about do help, but if you really want to keep things clean you can fold the flat ribbon cables like paper and make them parallel to your case sides (preferably right up against the side of your case that the motherboard is attached to).
2) Sure, you can put cables and stuff on top of cd and floppy drives, but if your case has a fan right in front of the hard drive (which most cases do), you wouldn't want to stick cables in there, since they'll impede airflow and minimize cooling not only for your hard drive, but for the rest of your components as well.
3) For the extra connectors, I usually just tuck them in between the drive bays and the side panel where your motherboard is; this will keep them out of sight and out of the way of airflow.
4) You know those black twisty-tie things that come with stuff? The ones that organize cables and stuff in the packaging? Use those. A lot of those.

 

[Xpred]

Ah... yes, those black twisty things. Ya know where I could purchase some of those, hehe?

 

[CraKaJaX]

They usually come with your case or PSU, mine did anyway. If not you can buy some here.

 

[BSEagle1]

Heya Xpred,

-Firstly, I recommend buying round cables for your drives. You can find a wide variety over at www.xoxide.com.

--Secondly, there are several options for your PSU cables. You could either go with one of the wire loom/heatwrap products out there, or go the cheaper and (in my opinion) more flexible route of zip ties. You can find these at most any hardware store; try and buy the small ones...full size will work, but the miniature zip ties (may be called cable ties) work best. You can use these to shorten up the PSU wires by folding them back on eachother and zipping them, and then bunch them up somewhere out of the way.

--Lastly, after you get everything put together, make another run with the cable ties to see if you can zip any cables together to further maximize efficiency. Though you shouldn't zip anything up period until after you have everything plugged in