How do you ship a motherboard?

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Mar 29, 2012
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So, I don't know a lot about packing computer parts. I've usually gotten lucky and had the original packaging around, or else some packaging from a build I just did that fit well, and it somehow did the job. This time the original packaging is long gone, though.

The motherboard is 12x11 or so, EATX. What I'm thinking of doing is putting the motherboard in an anti-static bag, wrapping the bagged motherboard in packing foam sheets, and then ordering (and eating) a large pizza in order to get a 14x14 inch shallow box. I would put the motherboard in the pizza box and try to make sure there's enough cushioning to fill the box. Then, I would close the pizza box and tape up all the corners and openings to make sure it doesn't come apart, and finally I would take that box down to the Post Office and ask them if they can ship it. They will probably suggest putting that box inside another box to hide the logos or something, so it would then effectively be double boxed.

Is this a good plan? This was the best way I could think of to get a couple of boxes that are around the right size for a motherboard... put it in a pizza box and then hope the Post Office has an appropriately sized box for shipping things about the size of a pizza box.
 
The last time I shipped boards I wrapped them tightly in bubble wrap and shipped them in a flat priority mail box. For extra security you could put an extra piece of cardboard on the outside of the bubble wrap.
 
I wrap the original MB packaging in bubble that it fits tightly into another bigger box. Generally I do about 2 inches of bubble wrap around the MB box. I steal boxes, bubble wrap and use the company UPS account for the discount so it doesn't cost me anything extra to go a little over board with the packing.
 
If you don't have the original box or packaging you should really get an ESD bag that fits over the whole board, put it in there and package with bubble wrap around, then I do at least 2" padding top and bottom and try for at least 1" padding on all the sides.
 
I ship a lot of boards and typically just ESD bag+ bubble wrap (don't need a ton) so it fits snugly in the box gets the job done just fine.
 
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Try to replicate the original packing as much as possible. In a static bac, in a bubble wrap sleeve, and in a box that prevents it from being smashed and flexing.
 
Remove the lithium battery unless you feel like taking a chance shipping without declaring it or you don't mind paying extra for the lable and "special" handling.
 
Most post offices have free boxes onsite as long as those boxes are then shipped USPS. You can take the box home to pack it. Place the mobo in an ESD bag and then bubble wrap it. Make sure there is no empty space in the box or it could get crushed.
 
mobo into ESD bag, wrap in bubbles, into a box, then into a bigger box with more bubbles/filler.
if you want a pizza box, buy a clean one for $0.25...

Remove the lithium battery unless you feel like taking a chance shipping without declaring it or you don't mind paying extra for the lable and "special" handling.
2032s fall under that rule? id just remove it completely then. you can get a 2 pack for a buck at a dollar store...
 
mobo into ESD bag, wrap in bubbles, into a box, then into a bigger box with more bubbles/filler.
if you want a pizza box, buy a clean one for $0.25...


2032s fall under that rule? id just remove it completely then. you can get a 2 pack for a buck at a dollar store...
Think so, but maybe not. Here's the article, I think. I'd give a straight answer if the durn thing would load on my phone...

https://pe.usps.com/text/pub52/pub52apxc_032.htm
 
Think so, but maybe not. Here's the article, I think. I'd give a straight answer if the durn thing would load on my phone...

https://pe.usps.com/text/pub52/pub52apxc_032.htm
good link, "Except for mailpieces containing button cell batteries properly installed in the equipment they are intended to operate" i think thats the exception that makes them ok.
 
I'd just put it in a static bag and take it to the UPS store and have them box it up. It's worth it to insure it if its valued over $100; that way its on UPS not to destroy it in shipping.
I had to make a claim on a monitor. It took a while but the buyer got their money back.
 
I've shipped probably over 100 motherboards wrapped in 2-3 plastic grocery bags, then wrapped in foam or bubble wrap and slid into a USPS medium flat rate box and they all arrived fine.

An EATX board is too big for the standard medium flat rate box, you'd need a custom box with preferably an inch available on all sides for the motherboard to have space to move around. I'd definitely not recommend a pizza box because it's far too thin. With the way packages are stuffed in mail vans and thrown around, it'd be a great way to get the board snapped in half.
 
I've shipped probably over 100 motherboards wrapped in 2-3 plastic grocery bags, then wrapped in foam or bubble wrap and slid into a USPS medium flat rate box and they all arrived fine.

An EATX board is too big for the standard medium flat rate box, you'd need a custom box with preferably an inch available on all sides for the motherboard to have space to move around. I'd definitely not recommend a pizza box because it's far too thin. With the way packages are stuffed in mail vans and thrown around, it'd be a great way to get the board snapped in half.

It actually did fit in the standard medium flat rate box. Even though it is technically EATX, it's not EATX by very much. ATX standard is 12" x 9.6", this motherboard is 12" by 10.6". The side-loading version of the flat rate box is 14" x 12". It's really more like an out of spec ATX board that needed an extra inch for than anything else. I was thinking it was huge before I measured since it was called EATX and it does look big... but it wasn't as big as I was thinking.
 
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