One of the most most important parts of custom building computers is proper cable management. There’s a lot of people who are able to build their custom PC’s, but put little effort into the process. Maybe it’s excitement of having all your new parts, maybe it’s just not caring as it serves as a simple tool to game on.
Outside of the aesthetic benefits there are some very important reasons to strive for good cable management. For one, it improves airflow in the case, as the fans are unobstructed by clutter. This reduces temperatures inside the case which impacts the longevity of your components, and allows for more parts or increased overclocking potential. Another reason is that is also reduces the amount of dust that can collect in the case, as the surface area is significantly reduced. This allows for better temperatures as well, but also increases the lifespan on your moving parts such as fans. Finally, it makes gaining access to components or switching out parts like a video card a total breeze.
An important factor in proper cable management is the case and whether or not it promotes cable management as one of its features. Fractal Design and Corsair have really pushed this concept forward in recent years. The cases generally feature cutouts near the power supply and motherboard tray that allows you to route the cables behind and out of sight. Corsair goes a step further and includes a large amount of room behind the motherboard tray to make it even easier to route the cables.
This guide will focus specifically on the Arc Mini, as the cable management is fairly similar to most modern cases. Before you begin, you need the three tools that make proper management possible:
As you can see, there are a few cutouts along the motherboard tray with rubber grommets to pass through cables. This is one of the most basic features that should be included in your case decision.
The infamous PSU squid is alive and well here. These are uni-sleeved cables, which add extra clutter compared to most stock PSU cables. The fact that this is a mATX case adds further difficulties, as there is very little room to work with. The more I have these out of the way, the cooler the components will stay from a steady airflow.
The first cable that should be routed is the CPU/EPS 8 pin power plug. This is generally located in the upper right hand corner of the motherboard. You want to do this before installing any radiators or CPU heatsinks, as they’ll generally make it nearly impossible to plug it in.
Next, I prefer to route the front I/O panel wires. There are generally little nooks and crannies that you can put these through to keep them interfering with the component cables. Cutouts near the PSU can often be used for this purpose.
Now it’s time to put the power cables through the back panel. The PSU cables go through the cutout near the PSU. Fan cables should be routed through any available opening nearest the fan.
From here, it’s as simple as finding the nearest cutout to where the plugs go. The 24 pin ATX power cable is routed through the middle, while the two PCI-E power cables are routed through the bottom hole. This way, the cable stays near the HDD cage instead of above it to avoid disrupting airflow to the video card.
We have quite the mess on our hands now. This is where the zip ties and masking tape come in hand. Every situation will be different here, so you’ll have to use your own discretion. The basic principle though is to spread out the cables as much as possible, preventing any one area from having a mass of cables. If they stack up too much, you won’t be able to put your back panel on.
With the majority of cables now secured, I continue on with the fan, molex, and SATA power cables.
One of the things I love about Fractal –and many modern– cases is that the HDD cages are mounted in a way that the power and data cables are plugged in on the back panel. This allows you to again keep the cables out of sight.
Now secure the rest of the power cables in any spaces available, keeping with the same principle of spreading them out as much as possible. Though still fairly unsightly, the cables are now secured enough to allow the back panel to close.
Though the back is unsightly, we have a much better interior.
Here the cables are almost entirely hidden with only what is necessary visible. In addition, they’re almost completely out of the way of any airflow. This will keep everything cool and clean for a long while. Though many upgrades can cost hundreds of dollars, this is one that will only cost you a few hours of your time.
-zfz.Michalius
