Cable Extenders/Closing the Case

I took the time while I was waiting for my PSU cable extenders and researched some peripherals for my build. I was yet to find a keyboard, mouse, and monitor, so I was borrowing from my dad at the time. Although they worked for the time being, I did want to get some of my own that had features for gaming and ease of use, like bluetooth and game-specific buttons. Using my Mac, I was able to also create a Windows installer that would work to get my new computer up at running on Windows 10. To test its success, I downloaded my favorite game, Apex Legends, and gave it a test run with my XBOX controller.

It worked great! I was able to play several games to test out different graphics and cooling settings, and finally got it to a point I was comfortable to run games at high settings. 

I did this by using a combination of different softwares: NZXT CAM, Corsair iCUE, and MSI Afterburner. I was yet to find a software that I could use to control all different cooling elements [intake fans, exhaust fans, AIO, GPU fans], so I was using these in tandem to keep it cool. I shortly found out, however, that my AIO was in fact not responding to a fan curve, which would be very important down the like as I ran larger workloads and games. This was due to not having enough USB slots available on the MB, being a small form-factor mini-itx. I ordered a USB hub, that would solve this problem for me, and would still fit inside the backside of my case.

And then my cable extensions came! 

They were some non-branded, braided cables from a seller on Amazon called ‘MC Dream.’ But they had fairly high reviews and looked to be of very high quality. They were nylon braided as well, which looked much better than the cheap, tangly cabling that came standard with the PSU. A great addition to solve my problem, and give my PC an aesthetic touch for the cables that did have to show. These were priced at $27.99 when I purchased them, and chose the all black colorway. Even though they added to the overall price of my build, they ended up being essential, and I think they definitely improved the overall look. With a large glass panel, I wanted everything to look as neat and tidy as possible. 

The cable extenders were very easy to install, they mated right up with the connectors from the PSU and then into my components from there [MB, GPU, front panel]. I even had some extra extenders to use down the line if i ever needed to. One of my favorite touches were the cable clips/combs that also came with. They help separate the individual cables for a clean look, and help keep any loose cables from dangling into any fans.

Plus: they matched the same braided material used on my AIO pump for added seamlessness in aesthetic styling.

So far, I was extremely pleased with how clean this build came out! From this point, I had found and ordered peripherals to get this PC completely set up, and even managed to find a temporary desk to try out while still quarantined for the foreseeable future. Everything was finally coming together!