Building a custom gaming PC requires a fair amount of prior knowledge of computer building – how A fits into B. For beginners, you could manage by reading the manuals included with your newly purchased hardware and work your way through it at a pace that you are comfortable at. However, you could be wasting a ton of time on one step that you personally do not feel comfortable with without noticing. When it comes to cable management, this would be the heavy hitter for time-wasting.
Cable management does not only include your power supply cables that needed to be routed through when installed. It also includes your front panel connectors from the front of the PC case, case fans cables, custom accessories and any SATA cables from mechanical hard drives or solid-state drives. Without having a mental map of where these cables should be routed when it comes to cable management time, your system is going to either have quite the mess in its front, or in its trunk. So if you are wanting to make your PC is worthy of putting on display, then get ready as we will be diving into our recommendations for how to build a clean custom gaming PC below.
We believe cable management is super important when it comes to building a custom gaming PC. It can mainly benefit the user’s system by providing better airflow for the internal system components will allow them to run cooler and quieter. By having tangled cables darting unchecked from one corner of the case to the other can restrict airflow, especially if when on the inner side of the case, where your components are on display. By streamlining cables and managing them on both sides, you allow the installed fans to do their job and keep the temperatures of your installed hardware in check.
Adding a new component in a computer with little to no cable management can be super stressful, as you may even have to remove a bunch of cable ties to even route the correct cable through. When there is not a complete mess everywhere, it is super-simplified to upgrade any component such as a new graphics card, a new hard drive, or solid-state drive. We believe attentive cable management can route a clear path to ports and bays, drastically speeding up the overall upgrade and maintenance time of your PC, so this is very important to keep in mind.
With all the time and effort you have put into the overall build, you will be wanting to show it off to anyone visiting you. If you bring your system to a friend’s LAN party or a special event, you can be sure that you will be receiving some positive comments from your friends or peers if you have done the job right. Keep in mind, it may also give you peace of mind by staring at your beautifully, cable-managed PC as if it was your first child.
Cable management is not a one-step action, but more of a process that involves considering the currently installed components you have, what you may upgrade to in the future, and the space within the configured case that you have to work with at all times.
We would recommend the have the following when preparing to build a system and to make sure you are prepared to cable manage your system well:
Pro-tip: Magnetic screwdrivers are highly recommended as they prevent you from dropping screws outside or inside your case (please do note that the magnetic tip of a screwdriver is very weak and will not have any effect on your internal PC components if you are worried).
Before you start choosing the components that will be used within your PC build, you should have a case chosen for your build – or, at least, a case size in mind.
We know that case manufacturers are consciously aware of the inherent struggles of proper cable management with each design they put to the market and unfortunately, not all cases are created equal. This has lead most case manufacturers to implement better management paths and more intuitive cable points for users such you and myself. When done correctly, this gives us a much easier time when building a new gaming PC.
If you are looking to build a brand new build, then it would be best to ensure that you buy a case fit for your purpose. Look at reviews and photos of the interior of desktop PC cases to confirm before purchasing, as you may like the exterior of the case, but will find it difficult to build within it which happens quite often. You could instead go with a custom PC builder such as the team here at Allied Gaming to build your custom gaming PC, which we offer on our Gaming Desktops page. However, it is up to you if you want to experience what it’s like building your own personal PC. We’re here to help you out regardless of the path you take.
One more thing we would like to mention is the overall size of a case can have an impact on how successful cable management most likely is within it. A roomier case will always be easier to manage, if the cable points are designed correctly, but will require longer cables which is dependent on the chosen Power Supply for your PC build. So plan as best as you can!
The majority of cables and connectors within a custom gaming PC come from the power supply, making it a central consideration during cable managing. With this in mind, we highly recommend choosing a modular PSU when configuring your own PC. There will be a price difference between a non-modular and a modular power supply, but in our opinion, it is most definitely worth the upgrade.
The ability to pick and choose which cables you want to be installed to your PSU, instead of a mess of wires fixed to the unit makes cable management a lot less stressful. With a non-modular power supply, unnecessary unused cables need to be managed, and swapping to a modular PSU resolves that from happening entirely.
There are a number of PC accessories on the market, but for a clean build, you want something that is both aesthetic and useful.
RGB fans are incredibly useful in this regard, as any build worth its salt is going to need some kind of cooling system, and unless you have a large budget and a lot of experience, you’ll probably steer clear of water cooling.
These fans cool your PC while providing a colorful glow and making your PC look like the work of art it is. Many of them also come with remote controls as well, so you can adjust the color to your preference at any given point in time.
For a more refined look, you can add as many personalized touches as you’d like, such as LED RGB strips, more refined and colorful thumb screws, or LED RGB water-cooling systems.
Even with the information in this article, there is still the chance that you aren’t going to have the time to do all of this yourself. Cable management and general organization of your case can be a complex task- one you aren’t willing to undertake.
Fortunately, Allied Gaming has outdone the competition in this regard, engineering a system where you can choose from a huge pool of highly efficient PC parts so you can boast a truly customized Gaming PC without actually having to build anything.
Our PC’s are designed to be efficient and aesthetically pleasing as well, so you no longer have a need to worry about replacing or rearranging the parts once it comes in.
Of course, if you want to leave the PC building up to the experts, each rig we offer comes with base specifications that are already specifically chosen to provide an outstanding user experience. We have three models – the compact Stinger, versatile Patriot, or the mighty M.O.A.B – each of which offers a unique look and feel, combined with versatility and flexibility. This means that having your custom-built gaming PC is now as simple as adding one to your cart and waiting for it to be delivered.
The best part? Once it gets to you, every Allied PC is ready to turn on go to work. All you need to do is plug it in!
So be sure to check out our pre-built custom PCs and get your own completely customizable, frustration-free PC build.
