Question Travel

[Barkfunklerbunk]

Not sure if this the correct section.

I may or may not have to travel back to my home base by way of plane. Normally, we drive.. but I may have to leave my wife behind and travel on a plane, and I want to take my PC with me. Unfortunately the case won't fit in a carry on luggage by just a smidge, and I don't ship my PC or in a check in luggage.

Here are my thoughts.. I dismantle my PC and carefully put and protect the components in my carry on, and then ship the case to myself and reassemble it. I will put each component into an anti-static bag and can use my clothes for cushioning. Any other suggestions or thoughts?

Here's what I got
PCPartPicker Part List: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/XmTc4n

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor ($119.92 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus ROG Strix B450-I Gaming Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard ($140.31 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($76.59 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 860 Evo 250 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($0.00)
Storage: Samsung 970 Evo 500 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($87.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Blue 6 TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($163.79 @ Walmart)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon RX 580 8 GB PULSE Video Card ($179.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Thermaltake Core V1 Mini ITX Desktop Case ($44.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply ($84.99 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-R8 redux-1800 PWM 31.37 CFM 80 mm Fan ($9.94 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-R8 redux-1800 PWM 31.37 CFM 80 mm Fan ($9.94 @ Amazon)
Total: $918.44
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-01-21 18:38 EST-0500

 

[punkncat]

In a situation like this I would take the cooler loose, take the GPU out, pack it all tightly inside the (stock) case box and ship it to myself fully insured.

 

[USAFRet]

One wonders how fully assembled PC's get shipped from Bejing to Boston and Barcelona.

 

[cryoburner]

Here are my thoughts.. I dismantle my PC and carefully put and protect the components in my carry on, and then ship the case to myself and reassemble it. I will put each component into an anti-static bag and can use my clothes for cushioning. Any other suggestions or thoughts?

Bringing a bagful of random circuitboards and wires packed between clothes in your carry-on luggage seems like a bad idea. At the very least, I would expect them to all get unpacked and rummaged through by the airport staff, likely increasing the odds of damage compared to simply shipping the system whole or putting it in checked baggage. It would probably be better to just do that, with some shipping materials packed into the case to reduce the chances of damage. Removing the drives and carrying those with you might be alright though.

 

[Barkfunklerbunk]

Yeah, I've axed the disassembly/carry on idea..

I've been waffling at the idea of getting a smaller case to fit in a carry on, but that means getting a new PSU. I.e. the Fractal design Node 304 and a Seasonic Focus Plus Gold 650 W (might as well get something good).

The plus side to this route is I will have options for more 3.5 HDDs, and can fit a full sized tower cooler and should fit in a carry on. The downside is $$$. I'd repurpose the thermaltake core v1 and PSU.

I'll more than likely just ship my PC via UPS with insurance.. but still makes me leery from what I've read. If I'm comprehending correctly, the only way to truly guarantee you will get your PC fully replaced (if lost, stolen, damaged) is if you take out an insurance policy with UPS Capital.. but seems to be only for businesses, not regular Joe consumers.

 

[Barkfunklerbunk]

I wanted to get the Fractal Node 304 anyway for a future NAS build, but now I'm really thinking this will replace and be my case for my PC. I'd repurpose the TT core v1 and PSU.. maybe for a "small" capacity NAS. I could put 2x 12+ TB HDDs in there.

I'm still just very leery about shipping my PC. Unless you pack your PC perfectly, with correct materials, take lots of pictures, and more pictures.. you may have a chance at a claim if it happens to get stolen, damaged, etc. And of course, even if it's packed perfectly.. it's up to the discretion of UPS or Fexex.

I'm sure that people ship their PCs all the time with no problems, but I'd like to not take any chances. I'd like to take my chances in my own hands. People bring SFF desktops and laptops with them all the time. According to TSA rules, you are allowed to bring desktops on carry on or checked baggage.