Cable Wraps and Silicone Lining

[BG4533]

First, I am purchasing an Antec Truepower 430 and 5 NMB fans. I would like to cover these cables with sleeving like Flexo Pet at SVC. I was wondering what sizes people think I would need and how much I would need to cover all of the cables of the PSU and fans. I would like the cables to fit well and look nice. Would 5ft of 1/2" sleeve and 5ft of 1/4" sleeve fit well and be enough? Would 1/8" sleeve be better over the fan wires? Also, How much better and more functional is it to use Heatshrink tubing rather than just wire ties, Is it worth the cost of the tubing and the purchasing of a heat gun?

Second, I have heard metal on metal contact between drives, fans, etc is the source of much vibration and noise in the computer. Many places reccomend rubber washers and Directron sells silicone liners for fans and PSUs, but these are sort of expensive and I would like to line my drives a little as well. Does anyone know where I could buy thin sheets of silicone material for this use?

Thanks,
Brian

 

[beatle]

I just bought rubber grommets from the hardware store for 5-10 cents. It didn't make much of a difference to me.

 

[Drewpy]

Grommets are the only thing that will appreciably cut down on vibration. A simple washer fails to eliminate the contact between the device and the case through the mounting screws. Grommets isolate the mounting screws from the case, while securing the device at the same time. Cutting sheets of rubber/silicone won't actually accomplish much to reduce vibration.

As for using heatshrink tubing to cover wires, its not the greatest idea. Once the tubing has shrunk onto the wires it often becomes significantly more difficult to route the wires. The tubing prevents the wires from slipping over each other to adjust for their different radii going around corners. It won't stiffen the wires totally, it will just make it harder to get things where you want them, and you'll definately need to use cable ties to keep it in place. Whether the look of the finished product out weighs the dificulty of achieving the finished product is up to you.

 

[jarsoffart]

Remember if you're using grommets/washers that you'll need to bend your hard drive cage to compensate for the added width.