You only need one free 3.5" bay to have another helpful component in your computer. The CI-01 can read almost all popular memory cards and reach a maximal data transfer rate of 480Mbit/s. Furthermore you have an integrated USB 3.0 socket to transfer data with 5Gbit/s. If your motherboard is not ready for USB 3.0 pin header, you can use the separate USB 2.0 plug. After connecting, you can use the USB 3.0 socket as an USB 2.0 socket.