Although the most modern PC cases already dispense with 5.25-inch bays (frequently used by optical drives such as DVD players), there are still many cases that carry them, and often they remain unused. To take advantage of them, in this article we are going to give you some ideas so that you can use them with the best PC accessories that will allow you to expand your storage to give your computer a touch of personalization.
Despite the fact that almost all of us have at some point had a CD / DVD drive or writer on the PC, today they are practically no longer in use, and proof of this is that most modern boxes no longer even incorporate 5.25 inches. However, as many boxes continue to incorporate them, below we will see what you can do with them.
Expand PC storage with 5.25-inch bays
Given the small size of 2.5-inch SSDs (and mechanical hard drives of this size), we can integrate up to six additional storage units for the PC in a single 5.25-inch bay. This Icy Dock ExpressCage MB326SP-B rack incorporates everything you need for these six units, and also you will only need a SATA power connector to service all six units (yes, you will need six SATA data cables, one per disk). It also has two fans to keep them at a good temperature.
This is just an example, because you also have accessories to add a single 3.5-inch hard drive (or several, occupying several 5.25-inch bays).
Expand connectivity by adding USB ports or card readers
If your box doesn’t have enough front USB ports but your board has plenty of internal connectors, then you can expand your device’s connectivity by adding more USB ports. For example, this Hima brand front hub adds two USB 2.0, two USB 3.0 and even a USB-C 3.1, in addition to mini jacks for headphones and microphone (although in this case they would be to replace the ones that come in the box, since that the boards only have an internal audio connector). You have many other different models that even add an SD / Micro SD card reader.
Control the speed of your fans
There are tons of different panel options that install in 5.25-inch bays to control system fans. As an example, this NZXT Sentry 3 panel allows you to control up to five fans independently and visually, with a touch screen that will allow us to modify the speed of each one at the moment. In addition, it includes five temperature sensors to know the internal temperatures of the PC in real time without the need for any software.
Reuse a slim reader in 5.25-inch bays
Many times, when you go to recycle an old laptop, you remove the components first. And, on many occasions, we will have a slim DVD player or writer but you will not know what to do with it. Well, with an adapter like the one shown here you can use it to take advantage of one of the 5.25-inch bays in your box and install the unit there. It is not optimal, but at least you will give it a second life.
Turn the bay into a drawer
With this accessory you can convert a 5.25-inch bay from your PC into a drawer where you can store things. It never hurts to have a little “extra storage” on your PC, even literally.
Liquid cooling tank
Some manufacturers like Alphacool have accessories that allow the use of 5.25-inch bays to fit the tank of the liquid cooling system there. Also, in these cases they usually have a transparent front panel so that we can see the coolant level from the outside.
