Assembly

Cable management

This is not only about looks. Tidy cables improve airflow and make every later change to the build far easier.

1 min readBeginnerUpdated August 1, 2026

Step 1 of 2
Plan the routes before connecting
Route a cable behind the tray before plugging it in. Doing it the other way round usually ends with unplugging everything and starting again.
Use the grommeted pass-throughs — they are positioned exactly where the motherboard connectors are.
There is usually 20 to 30 millimetres of space behind the motherboard tray. That is enough for every cable, but only if they do not all cross at one point.
Step 2 of 2
Cables and airflow
A cable pulled across a fan intake restricts flow and generates noise. The space in front of the front fans and under the graphics card matters most.
Tighten cable ties only enough to hold the bundle together. An overtightened bundle makes later changes awkward, and on thin front-panel cables it can damage the insulation.
Coil excess cable into loose loops at least five centimetres across. Tight coils in power cables put needless stress on the insulation.
Case airflow. Side view. Cool air enters at the front and bottom, hot air leaves at the rear and top — following the fact that warm air rises on its own. The power supply draws its own air from beneath the case and exhausts it straight outside, so it never mixes with the rest. The aim is slightly more intake than exhaust: the case then sits at mild positive pressure and dust enters through the filters rather than through every seam.

Building a PC step by step
A complete walkthrough from unboxing to first boot. Order matters — the sequence here saves a lot of backtracking.

Plan the routes before connecting