Any of you use these multi function front panels on your PC? I've toyed with the idea of getting one for yonks but many of the ones I've looked at seem to concentrate on controlling fan speeds (and up to 3 fans.. WOW!) and controlling fan speeds isn't what I'm after. USB ports.. perhaps firewire.. maybe a card reader.
If any of you use one, let me know what for and what you think of the one you have I don't want to be spending a lot of money on one either
Dave, I've got an Akasa front panel that provides one USB port and acts as a multi card reader (which is what I wanted it for). It didn't cost much and does what it said on the tin (box) - definately worth it for me as I had no other means of reading things like SD cards directly.
All I have on the front is the card reader and a few USB ports. Everything else I have plugged in round the back i.e. printer, webcam, keyboard etc so don't need anything else on the front. My keyboard has the volume controls so no need for anything else
TBH.. the Thermaltake case I have already has a top panel with cables for firewire, sound and USB and while I think having ports on the top of a case is naff, I'd use the USB were it not for the fact the connectors are the older 5-pin type and the motherboard spares are 10-1. My old XP2400 case has a double USB port on the front case and I really miss not having this. It's so much easier to plug in a Skype phone or card reader (or joystick for that matter) than farting about on your hands and knees The Antec case on the XP3200 system had 2 ports on the front but I used the spare mobo connection for a back plate.. more fool me The card reader/usb panel sounds right (I can do without the others) but I need one that will take my old SmartMedia as well as my CF cards. I'm sure someone makes one.. I just need to find it
Dave, I just bought an external card reader (I don't have a spare USB connector on the mo-bo unfortunately and I need all them USB slots on the case). I got it for about £10 give or take, AND I made sure it could read SDHC cards as well as old fashioned SD cards. In fact it was the fact that my old reader didn't like SDHC that prompted me to get it.
Now don't think "I don't have any SDHC cards so I don't need that", because they're getting cheaper and cheaper each day and any new camera, camcorder, memory capable device that you get from now on will support them. I have 3 (yes well one came free) 16GB cards for the camcorder, an 8GB one in the Wii and another 8GB one in the stills camera now... And the price of them has plummetted since I bought the first 16GB one in June.
At dabs.com, I looked at the internal readers and as I say I couldn't get one in my box. They're as cheap as £7 there, but anything between £10 and £20 will get you something pretty good looking and reliable. All the ones I've seen fit very nicely in a spare 3 1/2" floppy drive bay.
Dave , it occurred to me this morning.... You say that you have a 5 pin connector and the board has a 10 pin connector.... you do realise that the 10 pin connector on the board is just two 5's pin connectors side by side. The 10 pin one is for 2 USB ports, the 5 pin, for one.
Yes I did mate but wasn't sure if those particular plugs can be used in that hole if you see what I mean. I've read warnings before somewhere and didn't feel like blowing this mobo up through ignorance The 5-pin connectors used to fit on 5-pin sockets once upon a time (easy) and the newer 'double' sockets are 10-1 (10 minus 1 = 9). The connectors that fit these have one hole in the corner blanked to match the blank on the mobo. Granted.. the 5-pin plugs only have 4 wires going to them and I can see the logic in putting both into one mobo socket but why then do the dual sockets have 9 pins and not 8. Too many questions and too big a yellow streak down my back
EDIT..
I think I've answered my own question here Looking at a 10-1 connector, it only has wires going to the first 4 holes on either side so I may risk life and limb and connect the 2 5-pin plugs I have into one of the 10-1 sockets. What could possibly go wrong!
Yes Dave thats right. I have an ASUS board too and its the same config. If you look in teh manual it will show you the pin outs of the connector on the board and you'll see that there is only one logical way the 5 pin connector should sit on the pins
I have a card reader, with an extra USB port on it, on my old system here. I like it because I don't have to bother with all the software that accompanied my two digital cameras. I just stick the memory card in, and can browse, copy, paste, cue Photoshop etc from there.
I don't want to be spending a lot of money on one either 
The card reader/usb panel sounds right (I can do without the others) but I need one that will take my old SmartMedia as well as my CF cards. I'm sure someone makes one.. I just need to find it 
The 5-pin connectors used to fit on 5-pin sockets once upon a time (easy) and the newer 'double' sockets are 10-1 (10 minus 1 = 9). The connectors that fit these have one hole in the corner blanked to match the blank on the mobo. Granted.. the 5-pin plugs only have 4 wires going to them and I can see the logic in putting both into one mobo socket but why then do the dual sockets have 9 pins and not 8. Too many questions and too big a yellow streak down my back 
