Useful things for available front bays?

[kranky]

Doing a big rebuild shortly and will have plenty of available 5.25" front drive bays in the full-tower case. Any ideas for useful (not gimmicky) things to consider?

First to be considered was the Enermax fan controller/media reader/USB/Firewire device, but it doesn't look like the internal cables are long enough from what I read somewhere (which is strange, since the Enermax PSU has enormously long cables), so that may be out. If not this one, I'll get some other type of media card reader.

 

[cw42]

cupholder

cigg lighter

 

[kranky]

The cupholder is an interesting idea (just ran across one of those earlier today on some site) but I'm too paranoid about having liquids that close to the rig.

 

[klah]

How about a 6" LCD, and have it display Samurize.

http://www.abxzone.com/forums/...php?attachmentid=12661

Or one of the single-bay models from crystalfontz or matrixorbital.

 

[fastvideo]

put 2 fans blowing in.

 

[Philippine Mango]

I can't image some one would pay for a cup holder, which actually gives me an idea. Just use a broke optical drive and if you want make the hole slightly bigger and voila you got a free cup holder (Broken optical drive not included).

 

[madogvt]

Originally posted by: kranky


First to be considered was the Enermax fan controller/media reader/USB/Firewire device, but it doesn't look like the internal cables are long enough from what I read somewhere (which is strange, since the Enermax PSU has enormously long cables), so that may be out. If not this one, I'll get some other type of media card reader.

I have this fan controller/reader and like it. Didn't notice the cables being short FWIW. I have it in the first 5.25" bay above my floppy in full tower case .

 

[rjb]

I find this useful.

 

[Tiamat]

If you want the SB Audigy 2 ZS Internal 5.25" breakout box

Some sort of fan controller

DVD Burner

DVD Rom

Harddrive Cooler

Mini LCD

 

[Horsepower]

I have the Audigy 2 in one, a FrontX with 2 USBs and a serial port, 2 removeable hard drive racks (1-SATA and 1 IDE), but I still have a BLANK!

 

[kranky]

Thanks to madogvt for providing additional info via PM.

The Video Magician that rjb linked to looks like a very good candidate - I hadn't seen anything like that before! I don't think I could use removable HDDs or the mini LCD (very cool, though).

 

[LED]

Oldie but Goodie...I like my NewQ Platinum...seen it for for sale Here

 

[razorweb]

search on engadget. they had a story on a company in china that sells drawers for the bay. its brilliant. they filed it under the "why didn't we think of that first" category.

 

[Blain]

This has to be one of the most useful things to fill a drive bay with! :laugh: