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Vantec Cable Sleeving Kit Vantec Cable Sleeving Kit: Case wires a mess? Wire looms work, but the end result is a little ghetto. We look at Vantec's more elegant solution.
Date: April 2, 2004
Provided By:
Written By:
Price:


It's very common these days to see cases with windows showing off the interior. You can see your big bore watercooling setup along with the UV Reactive dye you used in the water. Your £400/$600 Graphics card that runs Q3 at over 1000 frames per second. The latest Intel motherboard with its 6gig processor (overclocked of course). And the obligatory nest of wires that goes with it.

Some folks will sit there for an hour or so and spend time routing their cables so that the majority of it isn't seen, but there will always inevitably be some on show. Also it isn't always that easy to hide the wiring, so the next best thing is to make the wiring itself part of the attraction of the interior. Enter one Vantec Cable Sleeving Kit and a bit of patience.

 

Model
CSK-80-BL, CSK-80-BK,
CSK-80UV-GR, CSK-80UV-RD,
CSK-80UV-YL

Package Includes
10 ft. - 1/8" sleeving
10 ft. - 1/4" sleeving
5 ft. - 3/8" sleeving
5 ft. - 1/2" sleeving
10 - tie wraps
1 ft. - 9mm Heatshrink Tubing
1 ft. - 20mm Heatshrink Tubing
6 in. - 25mm Heatshrink Tubing

Features
Protect your cables and wires
Reduce mess and clutter inside your case
Improve airflow while reducing heat

The Vantec Cable Sleeving Kits come in various UV Reactive colours designed to match the colour theme of your system. The Kit itself is packed up into a circular bundle with the heatshrink tubing and tie wraps in the middle. Once inside you can spread everything out and see just how much braiding you're given.

The braiding itself is of high quality and a piece of cake to install, although I did find the instructions on the back in need of re-wording. Maybe it was just me but when you are told to compress the braiding to make it expand, well (idiot that I am) I sat there squeezing the braiding expecting it to then miraculously expand but of course that isn't what the instructions meant. What you are supposed to do is compress the braiding from end to end, so the strands of the braiding, much like a Chinese finger trap, expands.

After this it is a matter of patience. You'll want some free time for this, as it can take a while to thread the braiding along the cables. I personally found it easier and ultimately a better finish to the sleeving if I was to first remove any plugs or connectors on the wiring. The instructions say that the braiding should expand and fit over most connectors but I found that the square nature and sharp corners of the connectors would catch and increase the amount of care and time needed to thread the braiding. It was simply easier and overall quicker to remove the connectors, apply the braiding and then replace the connectors afterwards. But then with a kit like this you can pretty much apply it as you see fit. The main thing with it is patience.

So far I have done half (the half I use) of the cables on my PSU, all the cables on my CCFLs and fans, plus a couple of extra's on other fans just for practice. I still have over half the kit left too which means I can either finish the PSU or apply this braiding to the cables of any future purchases. It does take time, but this is simply the nature of the product. I would have liked to have seen some tool to aid in removing 3 pin connectors and 4 Pin Molex connectors, as I feel this would complete the kit overall.

Final Words

Yes, Final Words so soon. I really don't think there is much to say about a kit like this, it either works or it doesn't. It is easy or it isn't. It is quality or it is trash. Their really isn't a middle ground as such. The Vantec Cable Sleeving Kits come with everything you need including heatshrink tubing and cable ties (your choice as to which you use) and plenty of braiding in 4 sizes.

The instructions need re-wording so idiots like me don't make the mistake of thinking it will magically expand (certainly one of those memories I shall cherish and store in with the other "duh" items) but with patience and a bit of common sense you can easily tidy up the interior of your system and most likely have some left over. The end result is very tidy, and of course can be colour matched to your system. Its one of those subtle afterthought kind of things that only makes a real impact when you see the difference before and after. Apart from the instructions, I like it.

Pros: Good end result, Choice of heatshrink or cable ties, 4 sizes of braiding, Plenty of braiding included

Cons: Instructions need to be made a little clearer

Bottom Line: This isn't a must have item, but if you are looking for a simple yet effective way to tidy your system interior then the Vantec Cable Sleeving Kits will do the trick. You can pick this kit up from our friends at .

Any Questions or Comments, you can discuss it in our Forums.

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