Crossing the high seas with your PC

[Tigranes]

Actually, thinking about it, I'm tempted to take my desktop with me as I go US->NZ->France->Korea-US between next week and the end of August. I built it last year from newegg parts, and am thinking whether it would be a good idea to try and take it with me, and what precautions I'd need to take.

 

If I did it, I would take it to NZ, use it, then take it to Korea, leave it there while I'm in France, come back and use it in Korea, then take it back with me to the US.

 

(1) I'm thinking the best idea is to dismantle the computer, repackage each part in foil or bubble wrap, then reassemble, so that stuff doesn't snap or rattle. Would it suffice to bubblewrap everything like graphics cards? I have original boxes, but they are too big, combined, to really send.

 

(2) These days the PSUs handle different voltages automatically, right? So I'd just need the plug things that change the shape of the power plug on the wall end?

 

(3) I wouldn't take my monitor, obviously - is there anything about monitor capability that could be an issue? I think I have a monitor back in NZ, etc.

 

It's not a necessity since I have my old laptop (heavy, dead battery, largely ailing) and an ancient Macbook (good for email), but it would be nice to have it around. Thoughts?

[Humanoid]

Yeah, nowadays all PSUs I encounter are the switching voltage type, no need to manually flick that switch at the back (which often led to disaster when kids got curious). And yeah, take out the expansion cards, probably the spindle drives, and maybe take off the CPU heatsink (though then you'd need some thermal paste when reassembling).

[Gorth]

I did a similar thing when moving from New Zealand to Australia years ago. Left CPU and RAM on motherboard, everything else (including heat sinks) got taken off. Fortunately I had the original packaging for the motherboard, gfx card and drives. I'm such a packrat. Never throw out a good cardboard box, you never know when it might come in handy

 

Edit: Never underestimate the danger of static electricity. Keep polystyrene away. Use anti-static bags to wrap around your boards and drives.

[Tigranes]

I'm thinking one box for all components, with each component in a anti-static bag (does the PSU need to go in one, too?) then in bubble wrap, to minimize the number of boxes and the volume. Then, of course, the case.

 

I can't remember what I did re. thermal paste/heatsink when I built this thing, but I'm sure I can do it again without breaking stuff. Main determinant will be whether I can actually transport all this stuff across the world with the baggage limits on planes.

[Gorth]

It's going to be a bit tricky checking in the case, although I guess you could get with the surf boards, skis and other oversized baggage. Question is if it's worth it or lease a powerful laptop for some months instead?

 

(Even drained of liquid, my desktop pc clocks in at 27kg, so I wouldn't be able to send it as anything but "goods").

[Humodour]

I just wouldn't do it. I'd take the laptop. But then, a laptop is perfectly fine for coding and Good Old Games. Maybe you've got some high-end games that don't run on your laptop that you really want to play overseas? =P

 

I mean, who cares if the laptop's battery is ailing or the laptop is heavy? Take the battery out and plug the laptop into mains, and as for heavy... not as heavy as your desktop, I suspect.

 

Maybe use this as an excuse to reformat the lappy (usually fixes the 'ailing' problem) haha.

[Tigranes]

It's not a huge deal. Without the desktop, I'd have the macbook for mobile emailing/etc, then yeah, do a proper clean reformat/etc of my old 'power' laptop which can handle anything up to 2007. I guess I could use the opportunity to get into Jagged Alliance 2.

 

I've looked up the baggage restrictions and it seems like the case in particular will be too much for all the travelling. No CK2, Risen 2, etc., then... maybe Diablo 3.

[Humodour]

Diablo 3 is designed to work on low-end systems, so you're good to go!

[Humanoid]

Bah! Desktop PCs don't need a case, just a large enough flat surface to place all the components on.

 

 

Edited May 5, 2012 by Humanoid

[Humodour]

Is that yours? How do you handle dust and moisture? If they even cause any problems at all?

[Humanoid]

Nah, just a random image from the interwebs - though I've attempted it with an old P3 before without plugging it in. Don't imagine moisture to be a problem at all though dust would be. But I'm very noise-sensitive so my system is pretty much build the exact opposite principles - sub-1000rpm fans, openings covered with foam and taped up, etc.