Hey there DragonBlogger readers! Most PCs I’ve seen in real life or online usually reside in a PC Case. And in most situations, these cases have at least a couple of front 5.25″ drive bays. Now, most casual users install something like a DVD or a Blu Ray player. Or if they need it, they would prefer installing an all in one memory card and USB 3.0 Hub into their spare slots. Going further, some may get fan controllers for their, well, fans. This is a quick list of some of the upgrades you should consider getting.

DVD/Bluray Writer

This is probably the first thing you should consider. Of course, these days nearly everything can be done digitally without the need for physically media (installing drivers or getting a new version of Windows). Still, its better to be safe than sorry. However if you like to watch Bluray movies on your PC or perhaps you need to burn some large files onto a Bluray Disc then this is an obvious choice for your empty drive bay.

This LG drive can write and read all sorts of Blurays and DVDs and runs on SATA.

Fan Controller

The second thing you should consider, in my opinion, for your spare drive bay is a nice fan controller. There are a lot of cheap ones out there that work just fine but a nice solid fan controller adds a feeling of overall quality in your build. Most fan controllers will come with the capability of controlling at least 4 fans and would usually draw power from a 4 pin molex directly from your PSU. Below are two high quality fan controllers. The NZXT Sentry LX High Performance Fan Controller can be installed into any dual 5.25″ bays.

Multi I/O Ports

This next one is quite useful for unexpected situations. It includes several ports from USB 2.0/3.0 to memory cards to audio jacks to E-SATA, this one has it all. Combining this accessory with the next one will give you remarkable productivity in unexpected circumstances.

Storage Drawer

As we move toward the crazy stuff storage comes into mind. These are actually pretty practical is your think about them. Of course, you won’t be able to fit anything too big in them but for things like spare flash drives and memory cards? These are perfect.

5.25″ to 3.5″ Converter

A converter simply consumes the extra space to that you may be able to install your 3.5″ drives (hard drives). This specific one converts three 5.25″ bays into four 3.5″ ones. It comes with its own cooling fan which should keep the temperatures nice and low.