Suitcasing A Desktop for Air Travel

I have a fully built midtower system that will be transported by check-in luggage and need some insight of the components that should be removed in light of the rough handling it could encounter once it leaves my hands. I know the ideal way is remove them all and put them in my carry-on but it's not an option. The only item I really see is the hard drive.

The check-in luggage is very ridgid on all sides except the top. The desktop case is being repacked in the same shipping material that it came in except for the box. I plan on wrapping the case in plastic (wet suitcasaes from "whatever" are still common in flying) for the 10 hr day.

Thank you

 

http://www.skbcases.com/

 

For a one-off trip but with the advantage of reusing the suitcase why not get a Samsonite or similar. They are pretty rock solid on all sides.
As for packaging can you fill the unused space inside the cabinet with bubble wrap, either folded or 'scrunched up'. Not sure whether it would cause any static problems but you could look into that.

 

Remove the CPU's heatsink fan (HSF) assembly before shipping - especially if an aftermarket HSF. These tend to be very heavy and just hang on the motherboard. If the PC is bounced too hard, it can over-stress the CPU socket and/or motherboard itself.

Thoroughly clean the CPU and heatsink mating surfaces with 91 - 93% isopropyl alcohol before packing. Make sure you observe proper ESD precautions to prevent damage from a static discharge.

At your destination, apply a fresh new layer of TIM (thermal interface material) and remount the HSF. Thoroughly inspect the interior to ensure all add-in cards, memory modules, power and data cables are securely fastened, and did not wiggle loose.

As for the hard drive, they actually are pretty rugged and can take some considerable abuse - IF not powered on. My greater concern with the hard drive is if your computer comes up missing, so might any personal data or important files. So I might pull the drive and carry that with me. I would also copy any critical files on the drive to a flash drive or some other convenient backup device - just in case.

 

digerati, way overkill for shipping a desktop or rack system. As for the OP shipping one time, it is not even worth it for the costs to fly and risk loosing it through the airlines, or having it delayed. Anyone that ships units, will ship the FedEx overnight both ways. With Laptops being more powerful than a desktop, this is overkill.

 

Are you kidding me? It is not overkill at all, as ANYONE who has had a suitcase totally destroyed by airline baggage handlers will know.

Totally immaterial. Read the OP's post. The PC is not being shipped by FedEx.

Huh? Who said anything about laptops - or rack systems? (1) This is NOT a laptop, and (2), the "blanket statement" that laptops are more powerful than desktops is simply, categorically, false!

Clearly! rolleyes

 

digirati, unless someone does this stuff for their job, shipping on a airplane is the worst way to send a desktop, especially that that stuff gets thrown around and gets stolen. You want to ship something, ship it Fedex.

I personally see no reason to cart a desktop someplace, just to take it back home, when there are laptops that put desktops to shame these days.

 

You remember that Samsonite commercial, with the bellboy in the elevator?

It is a suitcase, after all.

I say bubble wrap. Lots o' bubble wrap...



:-D

 

You remember the gorilla in the 70's? That is your ground crews handling your bags.

 

Who cares? That is totally NOT the point, and totally immaterial to this thread. And completely unhelpful for the OP. So you are just wasting everyone's time! I am not arguing that FedEx would be better. But the OP did not ask, "what is the best way to ship a PC". He asked what is the best way to prepare a PC to take with him on his trip.

Who cares? This thread is not about you! So again, not the point! And totally unhelpful for the OP.

And your obsession with laptops is totally off-topic too! Who cares about your opinion of laptops. The OP has a PC!

But regardless, the best PC will put the best notebook to shame any day of the week. Notebooks are proprietary. They have limited expansion capability. They have limited customization capability. They inherently have heat problems. They do not accommodate proper cleaning. They have limited upgrade capability. They are more expensive. They have small monitors. They have small keyboards. They have touchpads. They have lousy speakers.

But most importantly, graybeard47 has a PC.

 

digerati, the only person making this thread about them is you. I love people like you, that take stuff to the extreme, but never learn.

 

My apologies go out to graybeard47. Sorry for these unnecessary distractions. It seems obvious you are fully aware of the risks of shipping a PC in the baggage hold of an airliner, or else you would not be asking these questions. While true, overnight FedEx would mostly likely be safer (in terms of potential damage), it is very expensive - over $300, for example, for a 50lb package from Denver (80020) to Tampa (33602) by FedEx. And of course, it will not be there when you arrive.

**********

lol

Right, because each one of your posts have been so helpful to the OP, providing so much information to help him safely transport his "PC" (not notebook) with him on his flight, so it can be there when he arrives. rolleyes

Will I don't love people like you who, instead of helping others with their technical problems, push their own OT agendas, and are incapable of defending their positions on the merits of the facts so they launch personal affronts against anyone who does not agree with them. Real mature there, brownizs. rolleyes

 

Thank goodness for Admins...............

 

I've shipped desktops with the USPS.

The worst thing that ever happened was a SATA cable came loose, because it wasn't a fancy one with nice clips on it.

As long as the PC is tight, and you protect it well with packaging material, I sincerely doubt a powered down HDD will encounter enough G's to cause any damage.

:cool