Keeping your cabling tidy outside your PC case is as important as inside the chassis. The latter can prove more challenging depending on how many parts you have installed inside your PC and whether the case has any cable management features. I've put together more desktop PCs than I can recall and have garnered some tips over the years. Here are some handy pointers to bear in mind to create a clean and tidy system.

3 Plan out your cable routing

The most vital part of the cable management process is having a plan. Before installing anything, analyze your PC case to see where routing channels are located. Are there grommets near the GPU and motherboard 24-pin connector? Are there any pre-installed velcro cable ties behind the motherboard tray? These are all useful features more PC cases are including and you don't have to spend a small fortune to enjoy using them. Have a few cable ties at hand that you can add to the mix, using available anchor points. All this together will ensure you have a clean and tidy PC.

2 Cable ties are your new best friend

Zip cable ties are excellent because they're small, tough, and easy to work with. One downside of these is the one-time use and need for a sharp tool to cut them. Velcro are slightly bulkier, but do mean you can quickly adjust them on the fly. Many PC cases will even include cable ties to help get you started. Cable ties are great for combining multiple cables for easier management and they can also be used to bundle up cables no longer required but cannot be removed — the front audio connector, for instance.

1 Use a modular power supply

If possible, switch to a modular (or semi-modular) power supply. Doing so will greatly reduce the amount of cabling inside your desktop PC. Non-modular PSUs have all cabling attached, even if you do not require them. A fully modular power supply will start with nothing connected, allowing you to specify precisely what you need to power everything within the chassis. The fewer cables you have to work with, the easier the job will be to hide and tidy everything, which is a bonus if this happens to be your first PC build from scratch.

If at first, you don't succeed, try again

You likely won't get everything perfect on the first go. You'll redo certain parts of the process and may even come up with better ideas along the way. This is all natural and part of managing cables. So long as you keep a clear and open mind, you should be able to utilize the tools at hand to avoid spaghetti junctions. Even cases with next to no cable management features will have a few anchor points to use. You may even have to think a little differently, especially when working with unique parts. And remember: you may need to access anything inside the PC later.