Cable Management?

[JB4times4]

So I've been working on managing the cables in my case for about a week now. I started with a new mobo/case and then found out i needed an 8 pin extender. This is what it is at now:
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f367/JB4JB4JB4JB4/Case%20Modding/2010-01-06170229.jpg
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f367/JB4JB4JB4JB4/Case%20Modding/2010-01-12193108.jpg
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f367/JB4JB4JB4JB4/Case%20Modding/2010-01-06191345.jpg

I plan on replacing the bright orange sata cables with blue uv reactive ones that are almost exact length, and putting in 2 blue uv lights (top and bottom).

Now onto my questions:
What can i do with the massive wad of cords going out the bottom hole from my psu?
What else would you do/not do?

[Airbozo]

I wrap my spare psu cables around the mobo plate and secure them out of sight. Takes a little work and some experimenting to see if the side panel will close, but it is worth it in the end.

I am also a tie wrap freak. Why use 1 when 10 will fit.

[x88x]

Looks pretty good so far. Loads better than some I've seen... One thing you could do to clean up the SATA cables is to turn your HDDs around, bundle all the SATA cables together, and run them either down over and up, or down back behind the MBB panel, over, back through the 5.25" supports, and up to the drives.

As for the PSU cables, there's not really a whole lot you can do between the PSU and the hole in the MBB panel, short of cutting off the unused cables inside the PSU or sleeving them all together,which would require completely redoing all the wiring you've done already.

Always remember; zip ties are your friend. :D They're cheap and plentiful, and hold tighter than the reversible ones you get with PSUs do.

[JB4times4]

I wrap my spare psu cables around the mobo plate and secure them out of sight. Takes a little work and some experimenting to see if the side panel will close, but it is worth it in the end.

I am also a tie wrap freak. Why use 1 when 10 will fit.

I did wrap the psu cables around the mobo plate. thats what the first picture is.


Looks pretty good so far. Loads better than some I've seen... One thing you could do to clean up the SATA cables is to turn your HDDs around, bundle all the SATA cables together, and run them either down over and up, or down back behind the MBB panel, over, back through the 5.25" supports, and up to the drives.

I tried to turn my hard drives around but I couldn't figure out how. I tried turning the whole mounting sleeve (is that the right term?) around and putting the fan on the other side. The problem was that then the hard drives stuck out of the front of my case. I guess maybe simply turning them around would work, not sure about the screw holes though.


As for the PSU cables, there's not really a whole lot you can do between the PSU and the hole in the MBB panel, short of cutting off the unused cables inside the PSU or sleeving them all together,which would require completely redoing all the wiring you've done already.

The wiring was only about 20 minutes so I'm not too worried about that. I'm not sure about cutting them though in case I need more, but I guess I could cut all but 1 extra sata and 1 extra 4pin molex.


Always remember; zip ties are your friend. :D They're cheap and plentiful, and hold tighter than the reversible ones you get with PSUs do.

Where would you have me use the zipties? The back side is easy to get the side panel on and other then that I'm not sure where I would use them.

[billygoat333]

you could get some black pvc pipe and run the cords through there from the psu to the motherboard plate. or get some plexi or painted metal and create a cover.

[x88x]

The screw holes for the HDDs should line up correctly...I think..the idea is to just flip the drives themselves around. As for the zip-ties, I wasn't really referencing any particular spot, just in general I love zip ties :P Personally I like to have my cabling tied down so that no matter how the case moves, I know my cables aren't gonna move. Another useful thing is those plastic zip-ties mounts; basically just a piece of plastic with holes in it to hook zip-ties around, mounted on self-adhesive foam. They make it easy to add anchor points wherever you might need/want them.

[JB4times4]

you could get some black pvc pipe and run the cords through there from the psu to the motherboard plate. or get some plexi or painted metal and create a cover.

Could I paint the pvc with like, uv reactive paint?



The screw holes for the HDDs should line up correctly...I think..the idea is to just flip the drives themselves around.

Ya, after you made the first post it kind of triggered in my head to try just flipping the HDDs themselves around. I'll try that when I get a few minutes.


As for the zip-ties, I wasn't really referencing any particular spot, just in general I love zip ties :P Personally I like to have my cabling tied down so that no matter how the case moves, I know my cables aren't gonna move.

In my case are there any cables that you would tie down, that I don't have tied down?


Another useful thing is those plastic zip-ties mounts; basically just a piece of plastic with holes in it to hook zip-ties around, mounted on self-adhesive foam. They make it easy to add anchor points wherever you might need/want them.

Where do you find these?


and a question in general: What are good sites to find modding supplies etc.
thanks everyone for your help!

[x88x]

In my case are there any cables that you would tie down, that I don't have tied down?
My basic rule of thumb is that if I can poke it and it moves, and it is at all possible to secure it more, then it needs to be secured more. So, the cables on the back of your MBB tray, for example. I would get some tie anchors on there and tie down the loops of cabling.


Where do you find these?
I actually just got a bag of them from Lowes.
http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq3/x13931x/HPIM0558.jpg


and a question in general: What are good sites to find modding supplies etc.
http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/modwiki/index.php/List_Of_Suppliers

[JB4times4]

Thanks for all of your help!

Do you happen to know/remember what those are called or what section you found them in?

[x88x]

Hmmm, let's see... According to the package, they're called 'mounting bases'. I found them near the zip ties.

[JB4times4]

Awesome! thanks.

[aintnothang]

You can get them at HD in the same isle.