Mounting a PCI expansion card in a 5.25in drive slot

[eyalsh]

Hi guys,

 

I'm looking into mounting a PCI expansion card into one of my unused 5.25 inch drive slots (specifically a usb 3.1 gen 2 card).

 

So far I've only found a Japanese product called PE4F that costs 100$, and this ioi product that isn't sold anywhere.

 

Does anyone here have experience with this kind of modding?

What would it take to craft a solution like this myself?

 

[Zubkover]

*looks at it*
NOW THAT'S FKIN INTERESTING

[Ryujin2003]

Um. It's really weird that these pictures are all in OEM cases...

 

Why are you trying to do this? And no, I've never done anything with like this.

 

Didn't know it was a thing until today.

[eyalsh]

Because i want to have a fast usb connection at the front of the case (my motherboard does not have a 3.1 gen don't panel connector, only a port at the back of the case)

[unknownmiscreant]

Regular pcie riser and some metal work work would probably fit the bill. However the pe4f is likely gonna be a good option if you want an easy solution. I bought a express card to x16 adapter from them a while back for an eGPU and it worked perfectly. Mfactors storage would be worth checking as they can be cheaper. 

[eyalsh]

19 hours ago, unknownmiscreant said:

Regular pcie riser and some metal work work would probably fit the bill. However the pe4f is likely gonna be a good option if you want an easy solution. I bought a express card to x16 adapter from them a while back for an eGPU and it worked perfectly. Mfactors storage would be worth checking as they can be cheaper. 

I assumed that a pcie extension cable will be needed, but I don't have the equipment or the know-how for metal works.

 

Though, I am thinking on 3d printing a mounting station for the pcie card.

 

FYI, do you think that RF protection is needed for the pcie extension cable?

[eyalsh]

21 hours ago, Pangea2017 said:

screwable USB Type c moded to your front and run a cable through the case back to your card at the back

https://www.ebay.de/itm/20cm-USB-3-1-Front-Panel-Header-to-USB-C-Female-Cable-with-Panel-Mount-Screw/122838310271?hash=item1c99bbdd7f:g:-ugAAOSwy~BaIUSJ

I'll keep this option as a last resort. I'm not loving the idea of passing a cable from the back of the case, through the interior of the case and onto the 5.25in drive bay.

[unknownmiscreant]

14 minutes ago, eyalsh said:

I assumed that a pcie extension cable will be needed, but I don't have the equipment or the know-how for metal works.

 

Though, I am thinking on 3d printing a mounting station for the pcie card.

 

FYI, do you think that RF protection is needed for the pcie extension cable?

3D printing will work as long as the card you plan to mount will not go above 40 Celcius, as ABS plastic (commonly used in 3D printing) will start deforming at 50C. PLA is likely worse.

 

Shielded vs unshielded riser leads really don't make much difference in most cases. Its mainly an extra layer of security to ensure signal stability. If the environment you use your computer in is electrically quiet and you have metal side panels it is likely not required. However I would buy a shielded riser mainly due the unshielded ones being poor quality and hence will be subject to other reliability issues.