I 3D-printed my entire home lab's cable management, and it cost me less than $25

Published Sep 15, 2026, 11:00 AM EDT Ayush Pande is a PC hardware and gaming writer. When he's not working on a new article, you can find him with his head stuck inside a PC or tinkering with a server operating system. Besides computing, his interests include spending hours in long RPGs, yelling at his friends in co-op games, and practicing guitar. I spent my early 3D printing days creating aesthetically pleasing models and messing around with slicer settings. So, it didn’t take too long before I started to grow tired of printing every cosplay item, desk accessory, and figurine I’d find online. That’s when I stumbled into the rabbit hole of functional prints – models that have a practical utility beyond simply adorning my living space. Although I'm particularly fond of the 3D printed tripod mounts and Raspberry Pi MIPI latches, custom cable management tools are the ones I rely on the most when it comes to functional prints. In fact, I daresay my home lab would have devolved into a disorganized cable clutter if I had to rely on aftermarket solutions instead of custom models I created over the years with my 3D printer. Desk clips, grommets, and wire channels keep my home lab cable chaos in check They’re also fairly inexpensive to print Between my tendency to grab old hardware at flea markets and all the new paraphernalia I receive for reviews, my home lab has wires running all over the place. After all, each machine needs its own set of power and Ethernet cables, with GUI-laden everyday systems like my gaming laptop and test benches needing display output and keyboard + mouse cables. The cables by my microcontrollers and KVM docks only contribute to this clutter. So, I 3D printed a bunch of accessories to tackle my cable chaos. For my everyday machines, I ended up installing clips around the desks, so I can attach the unneeded cables at designated spots instead of leaving them dangling when I’m no longer using them. Power and Ethernet cables, in particular, get routed through the grommets I 3D printed for my desks, but I also run longer cables, like the one connecting my KVM dock to all my test benches, through them. I’ve also got my eye on grid systems for some under-the-table routing. But truth be told, I only ever printed two of the smaller models to route a select few cables instead of covering the underside of my desk with a carefully planned grid setup. Then you’ve got the cable channels, which I adore to bits. Even with all the grommets and desk clips, my cable management efforts would be pointless if I just left the entire pile of wires running all over the floor and into the other rooms. Since cable channels conceal these wires, I can just place them on the side of the wall, and with most models being easy to scale, I can modify their dimensions within the slicer as I see fit. But I’ve also got a handful of 3D prints managing the cables inside my PCs Tiny cable combs were a godsend for my home servers Since I can’t just lay cable channels inside the cramped space within my server rigs and gaming machines, I had to opt for tinier 3D-printed solutions. Smaller combs are pretty effective at grouping similar sets of wires. Likewise, I’ve made a bunch of tiny snap-on cable clips that stick to my PC case and keep wires close together (and to ensure I don’t have stray wire segments touching the cabinet fans). I’ve also made a PSU shroud bracket for one of my server rigs, as its non-modular power supply makes the front connections look rather messy. And while they aren’t strictly associated with managing cables, my screw trays help out quite a lot by ensuring I don’t lose those pesky motherboard screws when I’m mounting new accessories to the PC. But TPU and (to some extent) PLA+ have their perks for certain prints When it comes to the filament, I stick with PETG for the most part and avoid PLA like the plague for anything that goes inside my PCs. After all, the latter is prone to softening and warping at somewhat high temperatures, and even though my server rigs have decent ambient temps for the most part, they’re not cool enough to ensure my PLA prints don't get damaged over time. PLA is also pretty ineffective for cable management accessories where there’s always some mechanical stress on the print, as it becomes brittle when it’s subjected to a lot of force. PETG, on the other hand, is great for printing accessories that keep the cables secure inside self-hosting server rigs, and its ability to resist constant mechanical strength makes it pretty effective for cable clips that hold wires at 90° angles. That said, I typically use TPU for grommets, and PLA+ isn’t a terrible option for cable channels that aren’t exposed to a lot of heat and mechanical stress. The best part? Most of the prints, barring huge PLA+ cable channels, barely need more than 20 grams of filament. Even if I were to print a dozen more of these models, I wouldn't need more than a single PETG spool. Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2 Combo $399 $449 Save $50