Service Reference Guide, dc5100 376220-001 7–13
Removal and Replacement Procedures— Small Form Factor (SFF) Chassis
7.6 Cable Management
The Slim Tower chassis is a very compact computer and proper routing of the internal cables is
critical to the operation of the computer. Follow good cable management practices when working
inside the computer.
■ Keep cables away from major heat sources like the heatsink.
■ Do not jam cables on top of expansion cards or memory modules.Printed circuit cards like
these are not designed to take excessive pressure on them.
■ Keep cables clear of sliding parts like the drive cage to prevent their being cut when the drive
cage is being seated.
■ Keep cables clear of rotating parts like the power supply to prevent their being cut or crimped
when the power supply is lowered.
■ When folding a flat ribbon cable, never fold to a sharp crease. Sharp creases may damage the
wires.
■ Some flat ribbon cables come prefolded. Never change the folds on these cables.
■ Do not bend any cable sharply. A sharp bend can break the internal wires.
■ Never bend a SATA data cable tighter than a 30 mm (1.18 in) radius.
■ Never crease a SATA data cable.
■ Do not rely on components like the drive cage, power supply, or computer cover to push
cables down into the chassis. Always position the cables to lay properly by themselves.