An annoying downside to PC building.

rudy

[H]F Junkie
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Apr 4, 2004
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I am just throwing this out there for discussion.

I personally find one of the most annoying parts of PC building is boxes. One of the great things about building your own computers is that most of the modular parts we buy come with a warranty that is better in itself than a prebuilt system, console or just about any other electronic device. 2 year is pretty much standard 3 year is common and lots of parts have 5, 10 or even lifetime warranties.

By default its not clear to me with any individual part if I have to keep the box. But storage area just has so damn many boxes. Sometimes I am even organized enough to write on the box the date I received it and what the warranty is so I can know when to throw the box out. That said I would feel a whole lot better if I knew that most warranties would never ask you to return the box and you could just toss it out.

The biggest issue is that when you buy a prebuilt system it typically comes in a single box when you build your own system you have a separate box for every item in the system and all that adds up. Then you need a bigger box to hold all the smaller boxes etc...

I realize that I might be over thinking this does anyone else here just throw boxes out and if something comes up RMA in a different box?
 
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You don't need the box for warranty, just the main item in the box... Also you can break down the boxes flat if thats your concern.
 
You don't need the box for warranty, just the main item in the box... Also you can break down the boxes flat if thats your concern.

Breaking down boxes flat is hardly possible with many boxes and just a waste of time. People get PHDs in how to make these damn boxes I dont want to spend 30 minutes trying to figure out how to reassemble a box that I broke down 2 years ago and no longer remember. Also many contain foam that cannot be collapsed.

if you nor anyone else has ever had problems doing an RMA with a different box I think thats what I need to do, just give up on keeping the boxes might have a giant burn party tonight. But that said I remember reading multiple RMAs where they would say put it back in its original packaging so I always assumed that meant you needed that, maybe its just another tactic to reduce RMAs.
 
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I just put the internal parts boxes into the case box that the part is in. Only issue is with SFF cases, GPU box is just as big as the case box.
 
I was a notorious box saver. I stopped because the clutter was just too much. I have found that only a few companies want original packaging and most of those are odd shaped delicate items like LCD panels. Now I keep a box for 30 days and toss it. If something is going to fail it's typically in the first 30 days. If it fails outside that, I find the best box / packaging I can for an RMA. Heck, most companies will tell you, don't expect the original box you send it to us in to come back to you. I you have tons of storage space, keep the boxes, if not dump them. It feels really good to get rid of all that clutter.
 
I just put the internal parts boxes into the case box that the part is in. Only issue is with SFF cases, GPU box is just as big as the case box.

ya I am pretty efficient and do the same thing. But its still a lot, also maybe my view is skewed because I have a family all of them have computers, once you add in laptops, computers, phones a bunch of people its a ton. Lets put it this way I have a trailer that is big enough to roll an entire car into it. And about 15% of that trailer space is currently occupied by boxes for PC components, and about once a year I go out there and go through it and throw out the ones which I know no longer have a warranty which is any I remembered to write on and those that are so old I know its out. I try to only keep boxes that are housing parts such as a PSU cable. And the sad thing is I am pretty frugal with PC parts most of my systems are still 2500k CPUs, so you know I tossed all the CPU boxes. I have bought used and so on. I couldn't even imagine what a typical American family would have for boxes if they regularly bought new components and kept them. Regardless even a case box is pretty big and monitor boxes, holy shit the Alienware 24 inch monitor box I have is so big when they brought it out to me I thought they made a mistake and were giving me a 30 inch or something and guess what there isnt much space in between the Styrofoam to stuff other boxes which I have done.

Oh the other irony is when you go to move I end up not using the case boxes for the cases lol cause they are full of the already neatly packed other boxes.

Hopefully I will learn in this thread which parts I actually need a box for and which I dont.
 
Just trash the boxes. Only extremely annoying companies (*Cough* corsair) will even force you to pay shipping when their water coolers corrode and leak in your PC (true story). Everyone else will either send you a box and/or give you a label you can just go to the post office with.

I only keep GPU boxes now, and that's because I always end up reselling them and people tend to like getting those boxed.
 
People throwing out boxes, manuals, and accompanying software in the 90's and early 2000's is why boxed items from that period command a price premium that is generally 2-5 times that of just the item by itself.
 
if it's things i think have a chance of failing i just break down the boxes and put them in a closet.. then at the end of the year i just throw all the boxes out. only thing i save are the anti-static bags because they're actually useful.
 
Most of my computer parts get sold second hand. Buyers typically want the boxes so I have made a habit of storing boxes, it’s a pain, but I would rather be able to sell for 10-20% higher than not keep the box
 
Breaking down boxes flat is hardly possible with many boxes and just a waste of time? Why not possible? Breaking boxes down flat is simple, and only takes a few seconds. Use a blade to cut packing tape if need be. You probably could have done 40-50 boxes in the time it took to write these posts.
 
I build, I test core components over a few days, use as normal. Then I toss all but the motherboard box, which I keep leftovers/accessories etc in. I've had the same case (NCase M1) for a while now, but I have kept that box, for the sake of transporting my entire system, as it has a nice foam insert and because it's tiny it's not a big deal.
 
People throwing out boxes, manuals, and accompanying software in the 90's and early 2000's is why boxed items from that period command a price premium that is generally 2-5 times that of just the item by itself.

This applies to absolutely anything that becomes collectible. Even people who save boxes eventually end up misplacing them or just tossing them a few years later when they realize the warranty is up.
 
as someone who keeps the boxes and everything it comes with i just pack it all in the case box.
 
Breaking down boxes flat is hardly possible with many boxes and just a waste of time? Why not possible? Breaking boxes down flat is simple, and only takes a few seconds. Use a blade to cut packing tape if need be. You probably could have done 40-50 boxes in the time it took to write these posts.

I mean if the box has foam filling a large majority of it your not going to save much if any space by breaking it down. Nearly all of my PSU boxes came with a foam insert, monitors some gpus etc... Mice often have plastic forms around them that cant be flattened etc....
 
I mean if the box has foam filling a large majority of it your not going to save much if any space by breaking it down. Nearly all of my PSU boxes came with a foam insert, monitors some gpus etc... Mice often have plastic forms around them that cant be flattened etc....
Yeah. Good point. I usually throw all that formed stuff away. Easy enough to pack the box with newspaper for returns. Home-made Ziploc bag air pillows work too.
 
I keep the boxes for what I will resell.

This. For used components, I always prefer those that come with original packaging. This mostly applies to mb's and GPUs. (And monitors, which I don't usually buy used.)

And having the packaging definitely makes used components easier to sell.
 
I typically toss everything but my motherboard box. At least as long as I'm sure about something. With all of the hubbub related to the 2080Ti, you'd better believe I kept that box, too.
Everything else gets tossed. I tend to throw all of the spare parts, dongles, manuals, warranty cards, and whatnot into the motherboard box I kept. I usually keep some foam or styrofoam peanuts around just in case, too.
You can RMA parts in any box you want, so you don't have to worry about mailing things back in their original box.
As far as selling things go, I've really only sold video cards and I've never had anyone want the box. Usually they want to see it run a benchmark and that's that.
 
People throwing out boxes, manuals, and accompanying software in the 90's and early 2000's is why boxed items from that period command a price premium that is generally 2-5 times that of just the item by itself.
Yup. I'm pissed I threw out my x800xt box, was massive too, bigger than an atx mobo box.
 
I hold onto boxes for the initial amazon \ newegg RMA period. after ~30 days they all go to the bin.

I occasionally make an exception for high end components like GPUs that I may resell. Not so much for value but because it makes shipping a lot easier \ safer.
 
I'm a box hoarder... Anything and everything electronic (minus case box, that thing was HUGE) is stored away in my closet in case I ever want to sell it (which is funny, I've never sold anything on here either).

Maybe I need to revisit my box saving policy...
 
I always sell my old hardware after an upgrade and ship in the new boxes (after removing UPCs for any rebates and serial numbers) and antistatic bags. It's safer since comppnents from the past few generations have come in badicslly the same and reduces clutter.

I once had two walls in a relatively large room lined from floor to ceiling with retail boxes, but thankfully have gotten over that kind of OCD. Plus, a bunch of cardboard can really stink.
 
I used to be a box hoarder, but when the entire attic has become filled by nothing else but boxes, I realized it was a fire hazard and promptly threw everything out. The only boxes I kept are for my speakers, that have no grilles, so it would be extremely unwise to move them without the original packaging.
 
Well it seems like no one is telling any stories of refused RMA so I trashed everything but 2 or 3 boxes to hold parts. Freed up a lot of space.
 
Since this is not a discussion of a specific Hot Deal or even a Hot Deal in general I've moved this thread to the General Hardware section.
 
I buy [H]ardware to watch it burn by overclocking. Death determines the next upgrade.

I'll keep a mobo box, but that's it. Everything else I expect to die, usually does, so few boxes here! :D
 
I keep the anti static bags as most companies seem to ship items without them nowadays! The only items that came in AS bags on the new build recently were the 2 x Seagate HDD's! Motherboard, RAM, GPU, etc were all in their packaging without anti static bags. I was a bit shocked TBH but maybe components are less susceptible to static shocks? This is the first time in literally years that I did not get a static shock when unboxing the chassis!
 
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