PC hardware forum: Tips on arranging cables

Cable ties along with thier strap pads which with removal sticky backs can be placed whwere needed for ties best use. There are also cable spirals or looms which route wires through them. The spirals are easist as they wrap around like spiral notepads. Further, there is "shrink tubes/wrap" when applied you then use a heat source(hair dryer" and shrink the routed wires. Of course route wires/harness as best as possible and keep from hard or rubbing points. While you can route some wires/harness behind the mtrbd. its best NOT to as possible prolonged contact could be unknown until too late, beware. Anything else you create at will as you deem fit.

tada -----Willy

otherwise, u may wanna consider a new PC case. I hear some well designed PC cases have hidden compartments and holes to organize the wires better

I sympathize with your problem. I also just built my new computer. I used a Tsunami case and since it had a window on the side, it came with velcro and nylon ties. I found that tying off the power cables first, then the others was sort of OK. It can never be as neat as the old Macintosh amplifiers. They were the best you could buy in the old days and they tied all the wires off with string and then sealed the box with tar to keep everything in place (the vacuum tubes,of course were on top.) Frightening thought for a computer owner!

I dislike a case that is sloppy inside and out. On every computer I have built in the last few years, form has become almost important to me as function. The first thing you have to get over is the length of almost all of you your cables. No I am not quite insane enough to build my own IDE, SCCI and SATA cables. However, just about every other cable is fair game especially power cables and fan cables. All my case fans are custom length and cover in heat shrink. All my power cables for my hard drives and optical drives are also the same way. I refuse to use cable splitters \ adapters. I have been known to carefully cut down or lengthen the power cables to the MOBO. I frequently have added a lacing bar inside my case. Lastly, inside the case the shortest route might not be the cleanest route. As far as securing cables if you use plastic tie wraps less is more and make sure all the heads face the same way. Me I prefer lacing cord (a wax covered cotton twin used in telephony equipment installs) I like it for several reason is it never gets hard brittle and the only chance of getting cut with it is upon install unlike tie wraps. If you do use tie wraps make sure use Flush cutters and not diagonal cutters there is a difference and when lengthen or shorting a cable no butt connectors soldiering and heat shrink only. As for the back of the case some small flat stock bent neatly can make that plate of spaghetti back there into something as clean as a bathroom at a Japanese subway station. (Hears the trick buy all you cables a little long dress them neat into a box from both ends and hide the slack in the box. Also all your power cables are dressed back to this box as well. I made a nice wooden box that my monitors attach to and on inside it is a power strip that goes to my UPS and a USB hub. The result is all you see a couple of USB cables, a LAN Cable and 1 power cable. Know you want the funny part I dont own a computer case with a window in it.

Thanks for all your help, this will make a good Labor Day Weekend Project! Will update on how my case looks. Once again thank you everyone!

I would not route cables behind the motherboard as there is already limited airflow between the MB and the case.
When routing cables keep priorities straight:
1. Mechanical Connection - If the cable is stressed to the point of pulling out, it becomes useless.
2. Cooling and Airflow - The real reason for round cables is not to make the system look better. The flat cables tend to limit airflow in the case.
3. Asthetics - If you have a Window Case, or want to show off the internals there are some really cool cables that include an EL lighted wire as part of the cable. I like using the SATA cables with EL when building a multi-drive array.

I normally use small black zip ties to bundle the internal cables together and route them around the edges of the case being careful to not block airflow channels. If you are a tinkerer that will mean cutting the zip ties everytime you change out a cable, but that is really the only way to keep things looking organized.

Definitely, no matter what, DON'T EVER PUT WIRES BEHIND THE MOTHERBOARD!!! Most motherboards have little points from the solder spots on the back side. I have seen cases where those points actually penetrated the wires and caused a short-circuit which burned the mobo and the processor!
The only recommendation is to tape loose wires together. For example, the 4 wires which bring power to various components can be taped to form a single cable. Use different colors for identification.