computer as part of check-in luggages

[jkstrange]

i'm thinking of check in my computer together with my luggages on my trip back home.
i can remove the graphic card, ssd, hdd out of it, pack each of it separately with bubble wrap... but i don't think i can remove my air cooler off the mobo. so,is it ok to just stuff lots of bubble wraps into my computer case?
and i gonna fill up the remaining space of my pc case box with bubble wrap as well.
with all the bubble wraps, will it be enough for my pc to survive the trip?

i'd think of sending my pc home via courier, but the price is too expensive.

 

[mudpuppet]

It's unfortunately a gamble and there are just as many people who have no problems as there are with some problems. I've had a friend and even my little brother fly with their PCs and not have any issues and I've read plenty of stories of error codes after getting off the plane. I wouldn't stuff bubble wrap inside your case, but you'd be fine to stick some in with your clothes around the outside of the case to help dampen impacts. Here's an idea to keep in mind...
" A friend recently did this, flying from LON (London) to SYD (Sydney).

I went shopping with him and found a hard-shell suitcase. They're surprisingly light, and Samsonite has claimed theirs is "strong enough to stand on".

We then removed his harddisk drive. This is the most valuable and most fragile part of the computer. It's also feasible to do the same with the sticks of RAM and other parts, but the harddrive is the critical bit. This was packed in an anti-static bag, and bubble wrapped, and I believe he actually took it on his carry-on to make sure he had it safe at all times.

Aside from that, you check the suitcase in just as per normal. I'd perhaps put some jerseys or other clothes in the case with the computer to try and give it just that extra bit of protection, and to prevent it from sliding around too much if it's not an exact fit." ~Mark Mayo http://travel.stackexchange.com/questions/3748/flying-with-a-desktop-computer-as-checked-luggage

 

[InvalidError]

I think I would be more worried about the GPU than HDD if the GPU has a large heatsink attached: the heavy weight and leverage at the PCIe slot might crack the solder joints if the case has a hard vertical landing, same goes for large tower-style CPU heatsinks. Modern HDDs are able to handle ~100g non-operational shocks which they are unlikely to encounter when traveling inside a computer case which is itself inside a padded suitcase. If your PC lands hard enough to damage the HDD, it landed hard enough to potentially damage the PCIe slot and motherboard/CPU socket too. Imagine the damage the CPU heatsink can cause if it gets knocked loose shortly after check-in.

I would still remove the HDD and carry it with me though, mainly because the PC is more easily replaced than my data if it gets stolen or lost.