What's the point of individually sleeved PSU cables?

[flexy]

Anyone enlighten me?

I mean individual wires is obviously for the cables being more flexible as compared to bundled PSU cables with one sleeve (they can be incredibly stiff)....but why then sleeve them....to me it seems this is solely for looks because it looks "cooler" than bare wires? In other words: An irrelevant gimmick, sort-of?

 

[Cerb]

Basically, yes. It helps protect the insulation, but giving more wire for flexibility does that, too. For example, Seasonic used to have their cables twisted (which added substantial length to the cable, and required use of more flexible cable), and I never had any problems with it. The added length, and tendency to make gentle curves, kept the cables from rubbing on hard edges too much. But, with the price of copper wire, these days, it's probably cheaper to sleeve them.

 

[WilliamM2]

It's just for looks. It started out with case modders doing it themselves, and the PSU manufacturers saw a market.

I don't find it any stiffer than the old individual wires, as they used to zip tie those together in several places, which may have actually been stiffer yet.

 

[Cerb]

I don't find it any stiffer than the old individual wires, as they used to zip tie those together in several places, which may have actually been stiffer yet.

I've had to cut PSU zip-ties on several occasions, to make longer PSUs work, in some cases, to be able to bend the main power cable assembly around to where it needs to go.