Hide Those Wires! [How To: Hide Wires]

[dethcap]

Hide Those Wires! The Official Guide of the [W]ire [H]iding [O]rganization

----------------[version 3.1]----------------

This newer revised version of “Hide Those Wires!” is separated in sections depending on your willingness to mess around with the innards of your rig, and how much time you have (witch ironically are directly related).

Even newer still is some directions form mod ideas and for custom wire jobs.
Latest Addition: Link's to other Guides

But before you jump right into re-wiring your rig there are some things that need to be explained first that might help you decide what way to go about this project.

First things first, why. Why would you even want to do this? There are two main reasons. One being increased airflow. The other being a better overall look to your rig. So if you have a window, or you suffer from an overheating processor (IE: a Prescott ) this is definitely the right place to turn.

The following guides are going to assume you have a typical Intel Pentium 4 Setup. But don't worry if you have an AMD Setup, or something in this guide dosn't apply to you, you should still be able to apply these methods to wires and cables not covered in these guides.

Also, all of the directions stated in the guides are relative to when you look at the case. So when i say back, i mean the part with all of the ports.

----------------[Cheatsheet]----------------

Amount of Time Required: 5-10 Minutes

If you don't want to re-wire your whole PC, here is cheatsheet. I personally don't condone the use of ties or tape, but if you want to see quick results, then there are a few things you can pick up at almost any computer store to get similar results without much effort. I would however use these only if you cannot follow along with the guides.

1. Rounded Cables
spaceCan be found at most computer stores.

2. Velcro Ties
spaceCan be found at Lowe's and other Major Hardware Stores along with some Computer stores.

3. Releasable Zip Ties
spaceCan be found at some hardware stores and online.

4. Electrical Tape

spaceCan be found at nearly all hardware stores.

----------------[Quick Guide]----------------

Amount of Time Required: 30-90 Minutes

In some cases you don't need a lot of work to make it look good or increase airflow. If you don't have a window, or you just don't have the time and can settle seeing a few wires, this guide is for you.

Prep:

Before you can start moving wires around you need to do some basic prep work. First, switch off your powersupply (if it has a switch) and unplug your computer. If you feel the need to, move your computer to your work area, or a clear desk. Take off the side panel (or top panel if you have a horizontal style desktop) of your case and set it aside for now. If you can, take off the other side panel (some cases allow you to take the right side panel off of them, this helps move wires around, but is not necessary)and set it aside. Unplug all of the wires and cables you can and remove them from the case (with the exception of the ones that are not removable). Once your case is clear of wires you are ready to proceed.

Step 1, Understanding What is Important:

When doing a quick wiring job it is important to know what needs the added airflow, and that is the processor. The processor is always going to appreciate the added airflow, so that is where you should focus on the most. Another place that could use the air is the graphics card. Newer cards are starting to require their own independent colling system. So it is not a bad idea to try to get your card more air.

Once you know what would benefit from the airflow, you can plan accordingly. When doing a quick job like this one it is important to work your wires around your fans, and thats it. While looks are fine and dandy, the only real reason to do a quick job like this is to quickly increase airflow without adding more fans.

Step 2, Getting Down and Dirty with your Rig:

After reading through all of that, your probably wondering when your going to get to do some actually work. Well here it is, the moment you have all been waiting for. The nitty gritty, getting down and dirty with your rig.

>Part 1: IDE Cables:

Since they are the biggest cables, your going to want to do them first. Assuming you have a pair of CD drives on the top of your case your going to start with your Secondary IDE Channel Cable First.

Run the cable up along the right side of the case until it is high enough to be plugged in. Bend and fold the cable until it is properly oriented to be plugged into the drive. Once you have done this plug it in. If the cable is too taught and is no longer against the right side of the case try to press it down while it is plugged in. If that dose not solve the situation, your going to have to deal with it how it is. Once the first device is plugged in, plug the second device in. Fold the slack between the devices up into itself (somewhat like rolling it up, but without making a log) and pressing it flat against the drives.

When you are satisfied with the job you have done with the cable, you can move on to your Primary IDE Channel cable. Assuming you have only a hard drive on this channel, your going to run the cable the same way you did the other. The only difference is that you will hide the slack behind the drive cage (where you mount your drives) on the right side of the case. Once this drive is plugged in you are ready to go on to the Floppy Disk Cable.

Now that your Primary and Secondary IDE Channel Cables are Plugged in, you can go on to the Floppy IDE Channel Cable. All you have to do to conceal this cable is to run it down to the right of the drive cage and them back up. Then simply plug it in as normal. All you ended up doing was hiding the slack.

>Part 2: Power Cables:

Power Cables can be real pain in the ***, they are big, bulky, and everywhere, but it is not impossible to re-arrange them so that they are less noticeable.

First thing that you will want to overcome is the tedious task of connecting the motherboard to the powersupply. What you have here is a giant nest of 20 gague wire. This is always the worst set of wires to hide. You need it plugged in, and it apparently needs to be huge. But no matter what you think about this cable, it is quite simple to hide, in fact, it makes perfect sense. All you have to do is hide the large wire behind an even larger wire, IE: The Nice little nest of Gray IDE cables you have just made.

Take the wires and run it to the right of the IDE cables. Run it all the way down till it can be pushed under the Floppy IDE cable. Then just plug it in. Your going to need to use these wires to hold back the other wires.

The next part of powering the motherboard is the P4 plug (4-pin square molex). This wire can be easily bent around the bottom of the power supply. It will hold itself back.

Next is the device wires. Since this can be time consuming, don't obsess yourself with this. Simply route them around the main motherboard powersuply wire. They should look relativity presentable for the amount of time you spend on them.

Step 3, The Other Stuff:

SATA and Audio Cables don't need to be held back. They just consume time and don't help you out right now, but if you want to mess with them, just use your head about it.

Once you have done all of that, just take the time to plug everything else in and make sure you have not forgotten anything while you wired. Once you have checked everything, you are ready to turn your rig on. Since your not doing anything to the computer other then unplugging and re-plugging cables and wires your system is going to work fine (providing everything is plugged it). Once you have booted successfully, you are done. You should notice a slight drop in temperature if you have done this successfully. If not, don't fret, your still have a better looking rig.

----------------[The Hardcore Guide]----------------

Amount of Time Required: 90-300 Minutes ormore

Since this project can take some time, I decided to separate this by wire and cable, and not by device. Since i am doing it this way, this guide shouldn't need that much updating when new hardware is developed.

Prep:

Before you can start moving wires around you need to do some basic prep work. First, switch off your powersupply (if it has a switch) and unplug your computer. If you feel the need to, move your computer to your work area, or a clear desk. Take off the side panel (or top panel if you have a horizontal style desktop) of your case and set it aside for now. If you can, take off the other side panel (some cases allow you to take the right side panel off of them, this helps move wires around, but is not necessary)and set it aside. Unplug all of the wires and cables you can and remove them from the case (with the exception of the ones that are not removable). Once your case is clear of wires you are ready to start removing devices and card. Start by removing all PCI / PCI-E cards (with the exception of the AGP / Graphics Card). Once that is done, begin by removing all of the 3½ inch drives and devices. When you have done this you are ready to move some wires.

Step 1, Internal USB / 1394 Device Cables:

These cables are thick, gray, and annoying, but they can be hidden.

If the cable is coming from the rear of the computer (The ports are screwed into a PCI slot) be sure to place the device near the bottom of the case, but above a PCI / PCI-E card. This can be any card, I personally use a small USB card, but you can use a modem, an NIC, or a sound card.

First, screw in the USB / 1394 device. Route the wires between the far edge of the PCI / PCI-E slot and the back of the case. Next, insert the card that will conceal the cables. If the cables get pushed out when you insert the card just bring them out like normal and insert the card. If you have to, route the cables through the hole you have created. You can now plug the cable in.

If the cable is coming from the front of the computer (a dashboard, card reader, or other controller) make sure you have a lot of slack in the cable. If it's coming from the top of the case (card reader / controller) run the cables down the right side of the case between the right panel (or where it would be) and the drive cage. Run it down at the bottom of the motherboard tray and then plug it in. Slack should be concealed between the drive cage and the right panel.

If the cable is coming from a dashboard (unless your case has a dashboard on the top of the case, then you should use the method described in the previous paragraph) then you should route it through the hole on the right of the case. Run it down the corner of the right side of the case all the way to the back. Turn the cable around and plug it in. Conceal the slack under the bottom PCI card.

Step 2, Prepping Drives and Cards:

At this point there are some things that need to be mounted and plugged in before you can proceed.

First off, Mount all secondary hard drives (such as a slave drive or SATA drives). SATA Drives can be mounted normally. But if you have a secondary IDE drive you will want to mount it backwards (as advised by .:indrid_cold:.).

After that you should plug in your Floppy Drive.

You can now plug in all of your PCI / PCI-E cards wherever you please. But if they require any other cables or wires, don't plug them in just yet.

Step 3, Three Pin Molex Fans:

Once your PCI cards are in place you are ready to plug your Three Pin Molex Fans in.

For the upper rear fan (or rear fan if you have a single fan) take the wire and plug it into the nearest plug (it should be between the back of the HSF and the rear of the case). Hide the slack in the groove to the right of the fan.

For the lower rear fan make sure you mount it with the wire coming out to the right (so you have the most slack). Run the wire down the gaps in the PCI / PCI-E / AGP slots all the way to the bottom of the motherboard. Then you simply plug it in, however this is not a simple task, you may want to lay the case down on it's side or get a flashlight.

For the CPU fan (assuming you have a stock Pentium 4 HSF) mount the HSF so that the wire is closest to the plug that it needs to go to. Run the cable around the tab above, and plug it in. You may have to do this one wire at a time.

Step 4, IDE Cables:

This is the biggest problem. Three big gray ribbons. Almost enough for a man to lose faith in flat cables, but don't fear, this is actually pretty easy to solve, it just takes a lot of bending and twisting.

You would think that i would start at the beginning, but on the contrary, your going to want to start somewhere near the end.

Before you can do anything else your going to need to plug the floppy drive cable into the motherboard. This one cable will hold back a lot of wires, so it is important you don't have any visible slack. Run it to the right of the drive cage and bend it 45º up. Run it to about the height of the floppy drive. Bend it again in a somewhat arch and twist it 180º. Run it directly under the floppy drive. While holding it up, mount the hard drive directly under it [make sure that your cable is properly oriented, that is what the 180º twist was for, if you didn't need it, undo it before mounting the hard drive] (you can use the standard method, or indrid's method, I would recommend the standard one if you have only the one IDE hard drive) so that the cable is wedged between the two drives. Then simply plug it in. Hide all slack to the right of the drive cage.

Now that you have a way to hold back the other IDE cables, you can move on to the Secondary IDE Channel Cable (Most likely the CD / DVD drives). Plug the able into the motherboard. Fold it 45º up and feed it between the right of the case and the floppy cable. Run it up all the way to the second CD drive (assuming you have a dual drive setup). Bend the cable 45º and twist it 90º in the same motion (creating somewhat of an arch). Plug the bottom device in. Plug the top device in. Take the slack between the drives and fold it into itself (like a roll, but flat).

Once you have that done, you are ready to do the Primary IDE Channel Cable. There are three possible setups for this channel, so ill try to cover them to the best of my ability.

If you have two hard drives they are most likely mounted backwards (as i suggested earlier). Take the cable and bend it 90º towards the right side of the computer. Then bend it another 90º to make it run parallel to the right panel. Run it all the way to the front and bend it 90º toward the left side of the computer. When it is under the drives, bend it 45º up and plug the devices in. You don't need to pick the slack up between the two drives as this will not be seen anyways. however, you may want to do this.

If you have only one hard drive on this channel, your drive is most likely mounted normally. Bend the cable 45º up and run it up just below the floppy drive. Bend/twist it 45º/90º and plug it in. if you have a lot of slack, hide it between the right panel and the drive cage.

If you have one hard drive, and one CD drive on the same channel your drive MUST be mounted normally. Do all of the same things you would if you had a single hard drive (described above). Then take the second plug and run it right up. Hide the slack between the drives in the fourth 5¼ bay (or if this bay is occupied, use the technique described when you did the Secondary IDE Channel Cable). Slack between the motherboard and the hard drive should be concealed like the mono-drive setup described earlier.

In the event you have a 5¼ floppy drive, your not going to be able to use the method described above for the 3½ floppy drive. You will have to combine the methods used for the other IDE cables. The slack between the two floppy drives can be easily concealed within the 5¼ drive. Just be careful you don't put it on the motor.

Step 5, Powering the Motherboard:

First thing that you will want to overcome is the tedious task of connecting the motherboard to the powersupply. What you have here is a giant nest of 20 gague wire. This is always the worst set of wires to hide. You need it plugged in, and it apparently needs to be huge. But no matter what you think about this cable, it is quite simple to hide, in fact, it makes perfect sense. All you have to do is hide the large wire behind an even larger wire, IE: The Nice little nest of Gray IDE cables you have just made.

Take the wires and run it to the right of the IDE cables. Run it all the way down till it can be pushed under the Floppy IDE cable. Then just plug it in.

The trouble with this is the other plug, the P4 Plug is easy, but i mean that extra plug. Most people hide it under the motherboard tray, but not all cases have a lot of space behind the tray. So a simpler solution is to take the cable and twist it around the other mess of cables. Sure this makes it look bigger, but it looks better then having another group of wires go off on a tangent. Wrap it around about 1 and ½ times. Then tuck it between the right side of the case and the drive cage.

As for the P4 plug (4-pin square molex plug),wrap it around the main set of wires. Bottom First, then come up and run it through itself. Then simply plug it in. Try to make it run against the powersupply. If it dosn't, thats not a problem.

Step 6, Powering the PCI / PCI-E Cards:

Newer graphics cards are starting to require a 4 pin molex connection from the powersupply. And i assume other cards will eventually follow. However since i don't have any experience with this, i cant offer up much advice. However i would guess that it is a good idea to take the power supply cable that you plan to use and run it down the back of the case over the top of the card, and eventually into the card.

Step 7, Powering the Other Devices:

This is another thing that gets to people. This is a relatively simple thing to overcome, but again, it can be time consuming.

For the top two drives/devices run the cable up and around top the top device. Plug it in. Run it down to the second device and plug that in. If there is a floppy drive connector on the cable, run it back up to the first device by twisting it around the wire.

For the hard drive/s run the cable with the large motherboard supply by wrapping it around it (once). The Plug the drive/s in. If they are reverse mount, simply go around to the right of the drive cage and plug them in.

If you do happen to have reversed hard drives, then your not going to be able to power the drive without an adapter. Most computer stores carry the proper adapter for the job, but i would recommend looking for a Y type splitter with the plug.

For the top fan take the wire and run it down the right side of the drive cage. Once it is horizontal with the fourth or third bay put it in there. take the connection for the third or second bay device and plug it into the splitter on the fan, then take the other end of the splitter and plug it into the device.

For the side fan your going to need something that i despise (but i now admit is it is good and well), tape. Electrical, duct, scotch, it's all good. Your not going to be using much, so it isn't going to matter what you have, just anything lieing around will do. Re-mount the fan so that the wire comes out right by the edge of the window. Route it under and round the top of the window. Tape it where you feel it is necessary (believe me, i have tried, it isn't going to stay on it's own). When it is about 2/3 of the way to the other end of the window stop taping. When you put the panel back on you will plug the top device into it and plug it into the top device.

If you have front fans that need to be plugged in, simply route the wires around the right side of the drive cage and into the bay with all of the other splitters. Make connections as you would if they were not here.

Step 8, Audio Connections:

For drive connections simply plug them in like normal. If you have more then one cable then braid them together (take them and twist the whole ways of both cables so they are essentially one cable). Run them under the sound card and then across the motherboard to either between the Primary and Secondary Channel IDE cables or the Secondary IDE Channel Cable and the Floppy Cable. Then run them behind the IDE cables. Push them through any gap you see fit to so that they can be plugged in, then plug them in.

As for TAD (usually sound card to 56.6k modem) just attach it like normal, just push the slack between the cards.

Step 9, Special PCI Cables and Wires:

Some cards (like never sound cards) have other things that can be plugged into them. Such as a game controller / midi port. Since all of them are different, there is no specific way to conceal these cables and wires. Just remember to utilize the gap between the card and the motherboard.

Step 10, The Front Switches and LED's:

Another pain in the arse, these wires are a pain, but can be worked with.

The easiest way to do this is to run them through the right hole in your chassis. Then run them down the right side of the case. Plug them in like normal and hide the slack between the right side of the case and the drive cage.

Some people like to put them behind the motherboard tray and plug them in from under the tray. While shows less of the wire, it is harder to do. Most people will have to actually cut their tray in order to do this.

Step 11, Re-assembly

Once you have finished with everything it is time to put your side panel back in. Once you've done that and plugged your PC in, turn it on, check it out, and check your temps. See if this did anything for your Airflow.

Thats it, your done. nothing else to do.

----------------[Common Mods]----------------

There are tons of mods out there, and alot on these forums that have **** good instructions. This section is going to house tips on how to optimize your wires after these mods.

-Window
A window will add blindspots to your case (well, not really, it will let you see the innards of you case, but you will still have blindspots). Take advantage of these, use them (with either tape or your imagination) to conceal wires.

----------------[Hiding Common Electrical Componants]----------------

-Toggle Switches
While they may not be THAT common, they may have amde thier way into your case, and if they have, dont fret, you can still have them be functional and out of the way.

The Mod Approach
If you have a dremel and are comfortable with it, you can simply cut a hole the diamiter of the base of the switch in the window (probly on the top front if you use it alot). Just cut the hole. You can screw the switch in, or just glue it.

The Easy/'Lazy' Approach
If you dont want to cut holes, you can put the wires in the drive cage and the switch in front of that.

----------------[Extended Reading]----------------

The following is a list of links to guides or FAQ's to things i didnt/cant cover.

>Gideon Tech's Guide to Installing Plastic Sleeving
>>Required Items - See Guide
>eHow's Guide to Soldering Wires (General Information)
>>Required Items
>>>Soldering Gun
>>>>Can be purchised in most electronic stores (such as RadioShack)
>>>Rosin-core Solder
>>>>Can be purchised in most electronic / hardware stores

!!!More to be Added Soon, Check Back Often for Updates!!!

----------------[Examples (Submitted by Various Members)]----------------

For picture examples look around the thread... or go here and look around.

[Galadar]

its okaaay for a stickaaay
no pics?

[YiZZo]

yea, i was gonna say to add pics too. but none the less very nice guide!

[dethcap]

Pictures Added,
Going to work on it some more to include Guides on Soldering Wires and stuff.

[Tim]

Okay I must confess I didn't read it all......but change the letter type to the normal forum lettertype....this is awful....

btw many of the links below don't work

overall looks good.....

[aikitim]

great job , but most of the links don work as Tim said....

[Spinal]

vantec sleeving kit + 6 hours does the job, did for me

[dethcap]

Originally Posted by Tim

Okay I must confess I didn't read it all......but change the letter type to the normal forum lettertype....this is awful....

btw many of the links below don't work

overall looks good.....

Yeah, working on the Links.
But what's wrong with Courier?

[Tim]

Originally Posted by dethcap

Yeah, working on the Links.
But what's wrong with Courier?

well look at all the sticky's.....Jason likes it in the normal font...

[dethcap]

but then you loose all of the subliminal ASCII messages

variable width fonts are so overrated.

[YiZZo]

Originally Posted by dethcap

Pictures Added,
Going to work on it some more to include Guides on Soldering Wires and stuff.

i would like to read the Soldering guide. i got a solder in my computer tool kit i bought. but i dont know how to solder cant wait till the guide comes out

[Korpse]

when i get more HDDs and a new DVD drive maybe then ill try and make my case "wireless"

[dethcap]

Originally Posted by YiZZo

i would like to read the Soldering guide. i got a solder it my computer tool kit i about. but i dont know how to solder cant wait till the guide comes out

Just click the link i posted, should help you out.

[QuikSilver]

Here is my latest wire management job since the one he linked to is really old:

[Ekar]

Can't open de links for the pictures ?

[Topher]

I can't open the links either

[dethcap]

like i said before, working on it....

[Mindwarp]

I have the UV sheething and the UV shrink tubing...and now a guide.
No more excuses, eh?

[nEwB:(ModdEr]

I like it :0

[YiZZo]

Originally Posted by dethcap

Just click the link i posted, should help you out.

great link dethcap! now imma go practice soldering!
****, my grammer is so wack on my original post. sorry i was drunk.