BleepingComputer.com: cable management

what is the best cable management solution i just built a new custom computer around Christmas and the wiring is an absolute mess thanks to the layout and i was wondering if anyone had any suggestions.

well, a lot of it depends on the case and parts used. Most of your upper end PSUs these days have the cables wrapped which helps some, modular power supplies help a LOT. But a lot of it is the case-some cases just dont allow for good cable management. The best way is to have the cables in such a way they don't block airflow, like shoved between the hard drive/optical drive bays and the back side of the case if theres room. If theres no way to maneaver the cables out of the way, I like to use twist ties to group them all together and out of the direct line of path of any intake fans, usually as close to the outer wall of the case as possible. Some cases, like the CM690 that Im using, have clips on the motherboard tray to run cables through, whats most important is that have solid airflow from front to back, and I try to keep the cables away from the high heat areas like the CPU and the video card. Here are some pictures of 2 computers using the CM690, one is mine the other I built for a friend. Both, due to the hardware have a lot of cables, though my friends a little less since I put a modular PSU in his, and mine does not. http://s406.photobucket.com/albums/pp141/t...nt=P1020930.jpg go ahead and breeze through them. Its not pretty, and I may have been able to do a better job, but both works well, operating temps are well within safe. and with mine, with all the cables you do see, there is an equal amount hidden in between the motherboard tray and the back of the case, so believe it or not that is a lot better then it looks.

Well here is my setup like i said it is a mess.

that is a bit of a mess, however, while I cant get the best look, it appears theres some room above the optical drive bays and even a empty 5.25 in bay there. I would try shoving excess cabling into there, even if its not the entire cable, just getting part of it out of the way would help a lot. Try twist tying the cables that wont fit together and perhaps to the outside edge (open end of the case) of the 5.25 inch bays. Whats important is air flow and system temps, if the system is keeping cool enough, it does't have to look pretty (unless you have a see through case and want it to look pretty) it just has to work.

air flow at this point is not a problem ever since i added two fans it has gotten better, but I'm going to try and move some away from the ram cards.

Well thanks for the suggestions, well I guess I'll be going back outside in the awesome weather today i live in NY and it is 80 degrees out right now.

ooooh dont make me jealous lol.

ah you'll get the good weather soon

My advice: find some scissors.

I somehow don't think cutting out the extra wire is a good idea. If you cut off the extra wires, you have the possibility of shorts if you don't tap em off properly, and you may need them in the future, and cutting and splicing to make them shorter can cause issues as well. not to mention voids the warranty. There is enough room in that case, in fact with nearly any case, that some creativity, and twist ties, will at the very least keep the cables out of the way of the parts that run the hottest for proper cooling and allow access to the areas that are most often modified.