Bringing PC overseas?

[TimberWolfMk2]

Hi guys,

Gonna be starting a new job overseas in the next month or so and I'm thinking of bringing my PC (which I just upgraded not long ago) over as well. Seeing how check-in luggage are generally treated, I don't see many options.

1) Disassemble and bring the core components (SSD/Gfx card/RAM/Mobo/CPU/PSU), buy new casing and monitor over there and reassemble.
2) Get a flight case for the tower like these ones and hand carry in the cabin.
http://www.flightcasewarehouse.co.uk/industry/index.asp?section=desktop-computer-cases-2467
http://www.theflightcasecompany.com/dell-xps-24-all-in-one-carry-bag

Some things to note - I'm not confident enough to reassemble my rig myself (rig was built by PC Themes) and I don't have a laptop (not inclined to buy one either). Right now, I'm tempted to go with option 2 but I don't know if the cases are sturdy enough or able to fit into the cabin's overhead compartments.

What would you guys suggest?

 

[PoloBoiBoi]

no mechanical hdd?

 

[Granzon]

You are in the same plight as me. I will be going for overseas work regularly as well and thinking of bringing my PC there. I called the airlines and they said so long as you pack your PC well, they will generally allow us to ship it. Luckily or unluckily, my PC bought only a few months before and hence the original packaging with all the styrofoam and shock absorbing packaging still intact, hence I don't have to make additional special arrangements for the packaging.

Hope the packaging can withstand the rigours of the trip. Not sure how much it will cost additional though to ship the item. I am going to buy from airlines 40 kg additional luggage weight.

Lastly, good luck to you too.

 

[PoloBoiBoi]

actually the more important thing is there is no loose screws and standoffs, at least they should be tight enough to hold all the components in any given orientation

for mechanical hdd its better to take out and carry it separately, i think normal airplane vibrations is ok, but for air turbulance it might make the hdd head crash

 

[TimberWolfMk2]

Yup I have a mechanical HDD as well. Will take it out before taking the PC onto the plane. As for the other components & casing, will definitely make sure they are screwed and secured tightly beforehand also. Though I'm not too sure if turbulence will cause any damage if I go with option 2 and leave them in the casing.

 

[TimberWolfMk2]

You are in the same plight as me. I will be going for overseas work regularly as well and thinking of bringing my PC there. I called the airlines and they said so long as you pack your PC well, they will generally allow us to ship it. Luckily or unluckily, my PC bought only a few months before and hence the original packaging with all the styrofoam and shock absorbing packaging still intact, hence I don't have to make additional special arrangements for the packaging.

Hope the packaging can withstand the rigours of the trip. Not sure how much it will cost additional though to ship the item. I am going to buy from airlines 40 kg additional luggage weight.

Lastly, good luck to you too.

Lucky u still have the packaging. I've thrown away most of mine already, so need to source for new boxes. Honestly I don't think the weight limit is an issue (esp with 40kg). The problem is with the airport baggage handling. I've seen people saying even with styrofoam/bubblewrap/fragile stickers, they still end up with damaged goods on arrival. If I can, I will still prefer to hand carry but my tower with the components inside most likely will breach the 7kg limit.

 

[LiLAsN]

Lucky u still have the packaging. I've thrown away most of mine already, so need to source for new boxes. Honestly I don't think the weight limit is an issue (esp with 40kg). The problem is with the airport baggage handling. I've seen people saying even with styrofoam/bubblewrap/fragile stickers, they still end up with damaged goods on arrival. If I can, I will still prefer to hand carry but my tower with the components inside most likely will breach the 7kg limit.

You can consider using Qoo10's Q-Express to ship you the individual components if you want. As for packaging, you can buy the boxes and bubble wraps which I feel are a must at your nearest SingPost office. Just a thought since Q-Express is cheap and even if you deliver like a lot of individual packages, they tend to sort them and deliver all of the packages at once instead of multiple deliveries.

 

[joshuaho]

Pack ur graphic card separately from the case when transporting

PM me for cookie (; HardwareZone Forums app

 

[HeadphonesXD]

I move my PC overseas when I was interning overseas.

I dismantled it, wrap everything in an anti-static bag and 2 layers bubble wrap individually.

Checked-in my HDD, SSD, GPU and hand carried my PSU and MOBO (with my ram on it)

 

[Rashkae]

Disassemble it and be aware that the destination country may demand you pay GST

 

[FatalityV]

Pack ur graphic card separately from the case when transporting

PM me for cookie (; HardwareZone Forums app

yea this one quite impt. Dont want to end up with a gpu that snapped off from the pci slot on arrival

 

[FlipGor]

Cable ties ish your best friend. Tie everything down. Like everything

 

[limcc]

If you don't want to dismantle everything, I would say leave the motherboard inside and remove processor heatsink+fan, Graphic card, RAM and SSD/HDD. motherboard don't usually move if the screw is tighten properly, PSU too. if you have other cards, remove them too.

Gaming Graphic card are usually heavy, leaving them hanging on the move may break things; RAM is sensitive to radiation and static electricity, consider remove the processor but may break the pins for inexperience user; SSD/HDD store personal data, you don't want anyone to read them; heatsink+fan may rip the motherboard apart if handler throwing them around.

I never ship PC thru air but had car transport a tower casing standing with Thermalright TRUE120, with 120mm fan, the combo weight over 800g. passed thru woodland/JB custom with lots and lots of humps and bums and numberous potholes of JB roads. after 1 hour of driving, I just couldn't free myself from the fears of breaking the mobo, lay it flat for the rest of the journey. Fortunately, mobo still holds when I start it up later. you may not have the luck thru those shipper throwing the luggage around.

 

[murphyslaw]

And take into consideration whether your destination country runs 240v or 110v...

 

[ZrE0_Cha0s]

I would suggest that TS have to look @ some assemble video and learn how to assemble and disassemble on his on and send those parts for shipping to the countries and get a casing and monitor on this on while over there.

 

[Phelan]

And take into consideration whether your destination country runs 240v or 110v...

As long as the PSU is bronze and above, it's auto-switching.