Packing PC for a move

[cimage]

Hi

Seeking help from senior experienced & distinguished members here. I have been helped many times by members and I am grateful.

I am moving to a different state and I am not sure how to pack and what precautions I need to take to pack and move my PC. I plan to carry PC and other electronics with me on the flight.

I have original box for my monitor which is a relief. My concern is about the case. I have a full size case which houses 5 hard disk, DVD-R drive and 5 hard disks plus video card. By the way my PC is custom built.

I would appreciate if I can be helped out by guiding as to how I should pack the cabinet. I dread to disassemble and reassemble.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Dude]

cimage, your best option would be to contact the airline you are flying on to make sure you meet their requirements.

 

[cimage]

I talked to them they had stock answer " pack it securely and pay the extra baggage".

 

[Dude]

You could mail it, look here for tips and advice

:ar: Computer moves

 

[cimage]

You could mail it, look here for tips and advice

:ar: Computer moves

I am sorry if my original message is misleading. I need to know how to securely pack for the move and not how should I move.

Hope this clarifies.

 

[The Howling Wolves]

Why not ship your pc with Fed-ex or UPS and insure it.
Carry the backups with you.
THW

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

You could mail it, look here for tips and advice

:ar: Computer moves

I am sorry if my original message is misleading. I need to know how to securely pack for the move and not how should I move.

Hope this clarifies.

Go to Dude's link. It has a video on how to pack it.

I know you don't like this advice, but, frankly, you would be much better off shipping with a common carrier than as baggage on an airline. Just make sure it's well packed and insured (you will need receipts to make a claim although taking photos prior to packing might suffice to prove value).

While it may seem like overkill, I would pack it like the video showed, then nest it in another box that has sheets of foam surrounding the inside box. Make sure it is clearly marked fragile. If the video card is very large, it might not be a bad idea to remove it, put it in an antistatic bag, and ship it in it's own well padded box.

Btw, I worked in warehousing for 31 years with frequent stints in shipping and receiving.

 

[cimage]

You could mail it, look here for tips and advice

:ar: Computer moves

I am sorry if my original message is misleading. I need to know how to securely pack for the move and not how should I move.

Hope this clarifies.

Go to Dude's link. It has a video on how to pack it.

I know you don't like this advice, but, frankly, you would be much better off shipping with a common carrier than as baggage on an airline. Just make sure it's well packed and insured (you will need receipts to make a claim although taking photos prior to packing might suffice to prove value).

While it may seem like overkill, I would pack it like the video showed, then nest it in another box that has sheets of foam surrounding the inside box. Make sure it is clearly marked fragile. If the sound card is very large, it might not be a bad idea to remove it, put it in an antistatic bag, and ship it in it's own well padded box.

Btw, I worked in warehousing for 31 years with frequent stints in shipping and receiving.

Seems like great advise, thanks.

 

[Dude]

Click on Computer Moves in the post

 

[cimage]

Click on Computer Moves in the post

Found it, thanks. It is a relief to see that I don't have to take the PC apart. Will check with UPS/FedEX and yes will buy insurance.

Thanks

 

[Dude]

You're Welcome. Good luck with your move.

 

[Indianatone]

If you have an aftermarket heatsink I would remove that as the weight of the heatsink and fan can cause the mountings to break in shipping causing catastrophic damage to the motherboard, socket, cpu and add in cards such as video.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Click on Computer Moves in the post

Found it, thanks. It is a relief to see that I don't have to take the PC apart. Will check with UPS/FedEX and yes will buy insurance.

Thanks

I just looked at your specs and would strongly suggest you remove your video card and pack it separately as I mentioned before. You don't want that unsupported end bouncing around inside the case while in transit. Believe me, packages don't get treated all that well once out of your sight, even if marked fragile (all that does is make it harder for a carrier to deny a damage claim).

 

[Erick Aguilar]

Fill the inside of the computer with packing peanuts. They do not create static at all.
You can also use newspaper balls and such.

Later you can just blow it out and of course, don't forget to push on every component to make sure it didn't come loose on the move.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Fill the inside of the computer with packing peanuts. They do not create static at all...

Seriously? I'd like a drag of what you have been smoking! Packing peanuts are about the worst thing you could use because of the static they DO generate!

...You can also use newspaper balls and such...

Balled up newspapers would be better than the peanuts but even better than that would be to just remove the graphic card. It would be too easy to damage something by the time you cram the paper in tight enough to keep the card from bouncing around.

 

[Layback Bear]

1. Remove after market cpu cooler.
2. Remove video card
3. Remove ram.
4. Wrap the above with news paper.
5. Install 1/2/3 back in the tower with balled up news paper keep them separated and snug in the tower.
6. Get a box with enough room for 2 or 3 inches of room on each side and top and bottom.
7. After putting balled up news paper on the bottom of the box insert the tower and pack all the space with balled up news paper. This should give some degree on shock resistance and add little weight.
------------
As Lady Fitzgerald posted Do Not use packing peanuts.

 

[cimage]

1. Remove after market cpu cooler.
2. Remove video card
3. Remove ram.
4. Wrap the above with news paper.
5. Install 1/2/3 back in the tower with balled up news paper keep them separated and snug in the tower.
6. Get a box with enough room for 2 or 3 inches of room on each side and top and bottom.
7. After putting balled up news paper on the bottom of the box insert the tower and pack all the space with balled up news paper. This should give some degree on shock resistance and add little weight.
------------
As Lady Fitzgerald posted Do Not use packing peanuts.

Lady Bear, thanks again for point wise packing suggestion. Can you please clarify what is 1/2/3 back? Also I am thinking of packing StyroFoam between the tower and the box instead of balled news print for better stability.

 

[cimage]

Tons of useful advice, thanks folks. My special thanks go to Layback Bear, Lady Fitzgerald, Indianatone, & Dude.

I have talked to UPS for carrying the tower, yes with insurance(for replacement value) for $1500 bucks. They would need an invoice in the event a claim is filed. Since this is a custom built machine, I have upgraded components overtime so, I will need to arrange an invoice.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

1. Remove after market cpu cooler.
2. Remove video card
3. Remove ram.
4. Wrap the above with news paper.
5. Install 1/2/3 back in the tower with balled up news paper keep them separated and snug in the tower.
6. Get a box with enough room for 2 or 3 inches of room on each side and top and bottom.
7. After putting balled up news paper on the bottom of the box insert the tower and pack all the space with balled up news paper. This should give some degree on shock resistance and add little weight.
------------
As Lady Fitzgerald posted Do Not use packing peanuts.

Lady Bear, thanks again for point wise packing suggestion. Can you please clarify what is 1/2/3 back? Also I am thinking of packing StyroFoam between the tower and the box instead of balled news print for better stability.

"1/2/3 back" refers to items 1. CPU cooler, 2. Video card, and 3. RAM being removed from the motherboard, wrapped separately in newspaper, then placed back inside the tower (aka computer case) for shipping. I personally would prefer packaging those items separately to ensure they are properly padded. Putting them back inside the tower could allow them to bounce or otherwise put pressure on other components and cause damage.

The reason for removing the CPU cooler (I had forgotten to mention that one; the directions that came with my cooler specifically warn to remove it before moving the computer) and the video card is to avoid having them bounce around, damaging themselves and the motherboard. I don't see why the RAM should be removed but I'm outnumbered on that one and it can't hurt anyway. Just make sure the sticks go into an antistatic sleeve or is sandwiched in antistatic foam if you don't have the original packaging.

 

[Samurai Jack]

Hi
I have done a move from overseas, the most important thing was to put my C drive in my carry on.
You never know what could go wrong.