Is it safe to pack my graphics card with plastic bags

[david0n]

I got a GTX 670 from my cousin and I need to pack it for the 4 day drive home. I have a cardboard box that is around the same size of the card but the only packing material I have is plastic bags like you get at grocery stores, will the card be safe from electrostatic discharges and parts breaking?

 

[atomicWAR]

No those are not safe for your GPU. Plastic creates static. If your GPU was in an anti-static bag then things would be different.

 

[BFG-9000]

Nope, you will create a capacitor.

Antistatic bags work by being electrically conductive. If you don't have one, aluminum foil is safe, wadded newspaper is safe. The cardboard box itself is safe.

Plastic bags that are fine insulators can hold a charge of thousands of volts and are definitely not safe. About the only thing worse would be plastic adhesive tape because peeling it off can actually generate dangerous voltages all by itself.

 

[david0n]

No those are not safe for your GPU. Plastic creates static. If your GPU was in an anti-static bag then things would be different.

Ok what are the chances that it is broken if it has been in the box for a day?

 

[Phillip Corcoran]

Nil.

 

[BFG-9000]

You are overthinking this. Are you going to shake and throw the box around like the mailman or UPS/FedEx guy? If it's just you carefully putting it into your car then I don't see why any packing material would be necessary.

BTW don't use styrofoam peanuts. Those are as bad as plastic shopping bags.