I Have A Love-Hate Relationship With Back-Connect Builds

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Dr. Usman Saleem

At Tech4Gamers, I’m the PC Hardware Specialist, primarily contributing to the “Best-Ofs” section. I provide thoughtful buying advice based on thorough testing and personal expertise. I also review hardware products and games to keep things fresh.

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Being a PC enthusiast, I have always hated managing the cables at the front as well as the back side of the chassis. It was a time-consuming process and often took the appeal of the build from the front. Now that back-connect PC builds are a thing, I love some aspects of it and, at the same time, hate some, too.

What I Love About These Builds

Back-connect PC builds offer a few plausible solutions to some of the very common problems with traditional PC builds. 

Easy Building & Minimal Cable Clutter 

One of the best things about back-connect PC builds that I like is the whole building process, which is considerably easier compared to traditional PC builds. As it’s known, normally, all the components have their power connectors and other headers on the front side. 

This makes the entire building process, especially managing all the different cables at the front, quite exhausting. This is where the back-connect PC builds shine, connectors on back-connect PC components (motherboard to be specific) are on the back side which helps manage the cables a lot easier and mitigates the clutter from the front. 

Greater Cooling & Aesthetics

Since all the cables are at the back of the chassis and the front is free of cables, the airflow improves quite a bit, resulting in better and more effective cooling, which is a positive thing for the components inside, especially if your set-up is already in a hot place. The chances of components overheating are reduced by a significant margin, which is a win-win for someone like me who lives in a high-temperature area. 

Moreover, the fewer cables on the front, the cleaner and more visually appealing the PC build looks. I like the PC this way more. However, some people would prefer the custom-sleeved cables to be present. It all comes down to personal preferences, but we surely can’t ignore the fact that the front without the clutter of cables just looks better.

Reasons Why I’m Not Fully Invested

Like everything else, the back-connect PC builds aren’t much different and perfect. They have their fair share of negative aspects to take into consideration. 

Costs More To Get Started  

Being not widely popular and manufactured, the back-connect PC components suffer from a higher MSRP that’s slapped onto them. Especially when you compare them side by side with their traditional counterparts. Sometimes, you’re paying almost double the price of the traditional variant to get those back-connect ports.

The B650M Project Zero from MSI is a great example to get an idea because the traditional variant of this motherboard hovers around $120-130 online. Whereas, its back-connect variant is being sold at $299.99 on Newegg and other online retailers.

The same is the case with the chassis, the back-connect variant of the MSI MAG Pano M100R PZ is priced at $110, while its traditional variant which is called FORGE M100R instead costs just $75. The premium that companies are charging just for providing back-connect support might not seem worth it to everyone, and I dislike this aspect of it as well.

Compatibility & Variety Concerns

Back-connect PC components are impressive for sure, but they lack compatibility with most traditional components like you can’t fit a back-connect motherboard in a traditional chassis.

This compatibility issue raises concerns for many, including me. Moreover, there isn’t a lot of variety available for the components in the market, so you have to select from a limited number of options if you’ve decided to build a back-connect PC only. 

A Straightforward Solution That Needs Time 

As these back-connect components are fairly new in the market, it’s going to take a while to become more mainstream and catch a wider market for itself.

The few cons that this kind currently has will also be eliminated soon as more and more manufacturers jump on the back-connect components bandwagon. Until then, I can’t fully invest myself into back-connect PC builds and defend them everywhere. 

Dr. Usman Saleem

[Reviews Specialist]

Usman Saleem brings 8+ years of comprehensive PC hardware expertise to the table. His journey in the tech world has involved in-depth tech analysis and insightful PC hardware reviews, perfecting over 6+ years of dedicated work. Usman’s commitment to staying authentic and relevant in the field is underscored by many professional certifications, including a recent one in Google IT Support Specialization.

8+ years of specialized PC hardware coverage
6+ years of in-depth PC hardware analysis and reviews
Lead PC hardware expert across multiple tech journalism platforms
Certified in Google IT Support Specialization

Get In Touch: usman@old.tech4gamers.com