A little cable management can turn you from mess to masterpiece
and I’m here to show you how it’s done.
This is DIY in 5!
Hello everyone!
Welcome to DIY in 5 - the show where we help make tech simple for the everyday user.
I’m Trisha Hershberger and today, we are going to tackle one of the toughest parts
of a PC Build - cable management - aka the art of organizing your cables, wires
and other lines of communication between your electronic components.
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First off, why bother with cable management if it’s such a pain?
What if I don’t care if my PC looks good?
First of all, you’re missing out.
Many of today’s modern components look really good - sleek design, built in RGB lighting,
etc - and that’s part of what you are paying for when you purchase them.
It’d be a real kick in the motherboard to pay for something that looks that good
then never be able to see it.
Secondly, good cable management can improve airflow and therefore might (it’s debatable)
help increase performance in your new build.
Now I have your attention.
Also, a clean looking system is easier to upgrade should you need to get
one specific component out or in without much trouble.
Now that we’ve got the why, let’s get into the how.
Whether you are building a new PC from scratch or trying to better organize a PC that you’ve
had for a bit, there are some basic tools that will come in handy:
zip or hair ties, Velcro straps or twist ties, wire cutters or fingernail clippers, a screwdriver and,
as always when working on any pc project - your anti-static wrist strap so you don’t accidentally
fry any of your components while performing open case surgery.
If you are building new, consider getting a case with built-in cable management features
like routing holes or cable clips - or even some with a shrouded section specifically to hide cables.
If your case doesn’t have these features, no worries, you can always do without or even
make your own version if you want to go the extra mile.
Next, let’s plan out where your cables are going to go.
If you are working with a case that hides one area and shows another via glass panel
or no siding at all, plan to route your cables toward the side with less to show
so that you can show off the open side neatly.
Now, if you find a cable isn’t long enough for your desired route, you can purchase a
cable extension, giving you more options by allowing you to route your cables anyway you
want without worrying about distance.
When planning your cable routes, start at the PSU and end at the component.
Make sure your cables are out of the way of any moving parts or main components and always
group them together to maximize airflow.
I always use a twist tie to group when I’m planning things out then replace
the twist tie with something that looks a little nicer once I have everything finalized.
If you are building new, I recommend installing your smaller components:
SSDs, cooling fans, etc in the case before cable management
and leaving the larger items, RAM, CPU and heatsink connected to the motherboard
outside of the case to be installed afterwards.
Start with the smaller cable first and end with the biggies.
This will ensure that the tiny cables get the love they need and will even be held
more securely in place once the bigger cables are all set.
Once you have all the cables connected, make sure that your case will close.
If not, you may need to rethink your routes and how you are grouping everything together.
Then secure away!
Extra credit - if you really want to go above and beyond, you could invest in cable management accessories
designed to match the rest of your intended PC aesthetic.
Custom cables can be ordered to fit your case’s dimension and color scheme exactly
from sites like CableMod or Amazon.
You can also get or make cable sleeves so you have control over the material as well.
Cable management combs, not only keep your cables together, they do so in a way that makes them
look like they are all in a perfectly straight lined instead of clumped together via zip tie.
Honestly, I feel like I could do an entire series just on cable management as this is
the part of any PC Build that makes even seasoned pros shudder!
If you have any questions not answered in this video or tips we didn’t mention,
please share away in the comments.
We’ll do our best to answer everyone.
Or if you have a build with A+ cable management that you’d like to share with our viewers,
please go ahead and tweet them using #DIYin5.
Thanks so much for watching everyone and I’ll see you next time.