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- We already have Lian Li’s SL Wireless fans that can connect up to 4 fans in a row with a battery and connected via a wireless USB dongle.
- Other than that, stealth components are more common in the industry with backplate motherboards and back power connector-based GPUs.
- Some AIO coolers allow you to have clever routing techniques that minimise the cables to make it appear wireless.
The idea of having a cable-free setup sounds like a dream for most. Not only does the entire PC build look extremely sleek, but it’ll also remove much of the hassle of installing the components itself. But what if I tell you that this dream isn’t that far away?
How Far Are We From A Cable-Free Setup
Wireless gaming peripherals, especially keyboards and mice, are now being perfected to reduce latency, and they have advanced so much that wired ones often feel like a useless investment in the modern age.
Apart from these peripherals, my primary focus is on incorporating cable-free components into your PC. Although we don’t currently have wireless components, we do have a concept that suggests we’re shifting towards a wireless future.
The Future Is Already Here
We already have a wireless PC case fan that doesn’t require any wire whatsoever. Lian Li has led this innovation with their SL Wireless fans featuring LCD displays. The premise is that you slide each fan and connect them just like any other Lian Li fan, but now you also get a wireless battery pack attached to them.
And then you connect these fans via a wireless USB dongle for connectivity, and you get a completely wireless fan setup. You can choose either the standard or reverse-blade fans, and both come with the Infinity Mirror aesthetic.
“Stealth” In Gaming Components
This was the first step to actually go completely wireless. Apart from that, we also see another concept emerge in the gaming industry that isn’t completely wireless but gets the job done: the concept of stealth. This is where the components are designed in a way to hide the cables
Stealth GPUs
What’s interesting is that this has been out in the market, but many people are unaware of it. We already have the stealth series GPUs like the 5090 Stealth Ice, which is designed to hide the power cable.
This way, when you see the GPU from your PC, you don’t see that 12VHPWR cable dangling in front of the GPU. Instead, it is located at the back of the motherboard. I’ve always hated seeing that cable emerge because it hinders the aesthetics.
Motherboards
Motherboards hopped on this trend and are more common for stealth than other components. Boards such as the Auros stealth series offer backplate connectivity, where you can plug the power and the cables from the backside rather than the front.
Instead, the front side is fully covered, leaving space for only the attachable components like RAM, GPU, and CPU. Even the SSD tray is hidden in a sleek way that complements the design of the motherboard.
This removes the eyesore of 24-pin and 8-pin SATA cables cluttering the front side of your board, which is usually what’s on the display. After all of this mess has been removed, it looks like an extremely neat setup.
AIO Coolers
AIO coolers are also stepping into this trend. Some AIO coolers, like the Lian Li’s Hydroshift II, allow you to cleverly minimize the cable length when you route their cables through the tubing along the radiator’s edge.
This minimizes the two tubes that go from your pump block to the radiator, and it looks as if the tubing came in a reduced length. Pair it with daisy-chained fans in a cable routing-friendly case like the Lian Li O11 Dynamic Mini V2 Flow, and you get a heavenly setup that literally looks like it’s wireless.
What About Storage Devices?
While this is all that we’ve gotten, we can see how we can actually go all in when it comes to cable-free setup. As for the storage devices, they’re pretty hidden inside the case already.
However, we’re already seeing people shift to cloud storage, and it’ll be a matter of time before they make the complete transition and abandon storage devices like HDDs and SSDs altogether.
Verdict
All-in-all, we’re seeing a future where cable management will become irrelevant. Currently, the Stealth editions are on the expensive side, but it is expected that this will become the norm before we fully transition to a wire-free setup.
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[Comparisons Expert]
Shehryar Khan, a seasoned PC hardware expert, brings over three years of extensive experience and a deep passion for the world of technology. With a love for building PCs and a genuine enthusiasm for exploring the latest advancements in components, his expertise shines through his work and dedication towards this field. Currently, Shehryar is rocking a custom loop setup for his built.
Get In Touch: shehryar@tech4gamers.com
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