i was just wondering how u guys are able to get your cables so nice and neat, i can never seem to make mine tidy lol

Well let's see some pics of your setup and let us be the judge.

If you haven't already, sheathing your wires is a start, stuffing them behind drives and tying them back with zip ties helps. I cut my PSU wires to exact lengths to reduce the mess and installed custom powering terminals, but it's a really tedious wiring job. You can check out how I did it in my pic gallery.

It all comes down to be creative in your own way and making things organized. Better wiring means better airflow, and more aesthetically pleasing in general.

Perhaps you could help me then?

UP:

First, head over to the closest WalMart/Target/KMart and the Automotive section. Get some zip-ties. Your favorite color (or not), in several lengths... Alternately, Lowe's or Home Despot are usually very well stocked. For your case and PSU, I would suggest sticking to BLACK zip-ties.

Unplug the machine and pop the sides off (yes, both sides). Unplug the PSU plugs from everything.

Keep as many PSU cables as you can from coming down into the main area of the case (my definition: between you and the motherboard, as you're looking in the window, as this is usually where the most ventilation is needed, and what most people are drawn to when they look inside)

Using only the cables you need, plug all your devices in (hard drive(s), floppy, motherboard connectors, video card(s), etc). From the PSU itself, where all the cables come out of the box, find the first point along the motherboard tray/case frame where you can zip-tie the whole mass of IN-USE cables together. Follow that cluster of cables and space out the tie-downs until you have to let one or more of the cables go off their own way towards whatever they are powering. Repeat until you have everything as neat as you can.

The UNUSED cables, try to bundle them together, sort of like you did when you first ZT'd the IN-USE cables to the frame/mobo tray. Find the closest place where they can be looped up and ZT'd out of sight (on top of the PSU, if your case has the room and/or a place to ZT them to, for example).

Now that the PSU is done, let's work on those fan and HDD cables. After figuring out how to hide or neaten up the PSU cables, these should be a breeze.

Fan cables can be ZT'd together, like those two that run along the top of the mobo in the first pic. Ones that hang down like the one for the rear fan can be bundled up onto themselves and then ZT'd... And so it goes, until you have a relatively neat and well-ventilated case. You did fix the orientation on the Zalman 9500, didn't you?

I'll post up some pics of what I'm talking about if you prefer, but I think you get the idea.

dude...it doesn't look that bad...

Quote: Originally Posted by Bane dude...it doesn't look that bad...

No, not as bad as some I have seen in the much-too-near-past . One was such a rat's nest of cables (flat ribbons EVERYFREAKINWHERE, even in front/around/above the HSF)

On the other hand, I've seen some that defy logic they're so neat. You take a look, and it's SO neat, you have to look closer to figure out what they did...

Thing is, he asked for advice on tidying up his cables, and I gave him a relatively low-cost option. There is ALWAYS room for improvement, right?

EDIT: Case-in-point, take a look at THIS wiring job... I gave him a 10/10 for it... VERY NICE!

EDIT: If you're going to use UV-reactive anything, cable management is KEY... Look at THIS and tell me it looks nice, I dare you!

Zip ties . I am rearanging stuff and installing all the time and zip ties are a pain so i use the free wire ties that come w/ garbage bags.

Well, to each his own, and that's all well and good. The Predator case guy probably has a BASTAGE of a time if he ever swaps out his motherboard...

Point I'm trying to make is, one of UP's first posts was about his machine overheating. No, it's not just a cable management thing, but CM does play a big part in keeping a case at proper, if not low temps, IMO.

MC&C, I'm not dissing on garbage bag twistie-ties, as long as you can keep your cables neat with recycled dog turds, more power to ya. If you can keep 'em managed AND make it look good as well, you are the King Pimp in my book...

Just gave me a thought: In the Army, they're having us "dummy-cord" just about any and every piece of gear and equipment... If I do another military-themed mod, I'll have to remember to get a spool of 550 paracord from the Supply clerk at my unit, for the sole purpose of cable management...

Sry m8, didn't mean to sound offensive My own rig is messier than that lol. And i spent 2 hours trying to clean it up :S

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Did I miss anything?

I wouldn't claim http://forums.pcapex.com/showthread.php?t=36000 as a masterpiece of cable tidying , but it might give you some ideas

I've been sleeving all the fan & ccfl cabling using AC Ryan 3mm "FlexSleeve". Works like a charm!
No need to remove the connectors... just sleeve the cables & use a tie wrap on both ends.
It was so easy I actually enjoyed the job!

TDR