Ask anyone who’s built a PC and they’ll tell you that PC cable management gives you more in peace of mind that it takes up in man-hours. With ‘clean up your room’ being a rallying cry and a mantra for a big chunk of the generation, it’s only fair that when it comes to things like programming or gaming, PC cable management is also taken into account.
From the budget buys to the best gaming PCs, cable management is key to the experience of keeping your room and your thoughts uncluttered; everything is where it needs to be, including your focus.
On the other hand, poor PC cable management slowly entangles not just the physical space you have available, but the very span of your attention.
While some of the best computer cases and Micro ATX cases allow for better cable management by design, we all know well enough that you can always make a mess where you want to.
Fortunately, this article will lay down some concrete steps you can take and some areas you can focus on when managing your cables to take your setup from disorganized and unkempt to sleek and professional in no time, through the use of easy-to-use and quick to set up products readily available in the market.
The Zen Approach To PC Cable Management
With or without the right tools in your arsenal, a plan of attack is the key to victory.
One good reason to prioritize cable management is to ensure your PC doesn’t suffer from overheating. Cables can block fans or restrict airflow.
For this, plan your layout in advance, mentally or physically, with a notepad, grouping cables into runs. This helps in finding cables later when adding or removing components from the rig, as well as making sure no bulkier cables keep causing problems due to lack of prioritization.
The PC Cable Management Tools You Need
Nothing feels better than spending money on your PC setup and leveling it up. However, you can’t have the best power supply with cables getting in the way (and worse, peripheral cable connectors so close to making a mess of things themselves), so let’s going with our recommendations for the organizational tools you can purchase, custom-built by the pros to help you with your PC cable management.
One of the best power outlets out there, the Orico 10 Outlet Power Strip is a gamechanger for centralizing the direction of your wires. With a total voltage of 1250W and a sleek design with 10 three-prong and four USB ports and outlets, you can’t go wrong with its 12-month warranty, especially if you pair it with some double-sided tape to take the cables under your desk and stick them underneath.
For this, your good old 3M tape is recommended, given its durability that makes it a good purchase for use with some of the other accessories as well, such as for taping a power box to the bottom of the desk too.
Power boxes can also be organized using a cable box. Yecaye’s Cable Management Organizer comes with a lifetime warranty and is made up of two cable boxes, large and medium, and both electrically insulated using ABS materials.
Combining these with clips and covers helps you tie up any loose ends, bundle multiple strays together in a pinch, in addition to helping you label your wires (such as with MOMOONNON tags) for pro-level PC cable management.
For covers, we recommend the Envel cable sleeves. The length is easily adjustable (by cutting it, but still) and the material (high-quality neoprene) makes it both flexible and durable for up to 12 cables. For clips, the 16-set variety pack offered by Ohill is a good one, albeit a little basic-looking and perhaps too functional for its own good, for which our ‘sexier’ alternative is GWHOLE, with clips that come in a set of 100. The adhesive is 3M and with their extremely versatile design, you can use them on tiles, wood, metal, glass, and even materials made of ABS.
Another awesome tool you can use is a cable raceway. Cable raceways can simultaneously route and effectively hide cables and wires, particularly those running along with the floors and walls, in addition to protecting them. The J-Channel Cable Raceway is particularly affordable, and at 48 inches long and an inch deep, it’s a classy solution for your cable woes. The back has an adhesive strip which also makes it easy to set up.
