what is the best way to package and ship a gaming computer?

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skylakeman

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I recently built myself a top-of-the-line gaming computer ( beautiful case, 6700k, 1080 ti, xbox gamepad, ssd, razer keyboard and mouse, etc. ). This system also has four hard drives for secondary storage. I mentioned the four drives to put emphasis on how heavy the system is, and the fact that it has lots of components inside.

Unfortunately, I just found out that I have to move far out-of-state for personal/job reasons. I was disappointed to hear the news because I felt sorry for the computer. I haven't upgraded anything in over four years and, this being a new system, I had been very overprotective of it. During the move, I'm not able to drive there with the computer in my car. I might have to package it and ship it to the new location.

How should I package the computer? Should I do it as a whole? Is it really necessary to take apart every component and wrap each separately? Which carrier would be best and through what delivery method? How much would it roughly cost me? I also have a pair of $100 speakers and a ~$70 multifunction printer. I know shipping is expensive. Since these are also relatively inexpensive, would it be better if I sell or throw them away instead?
 
Make sure everything is screwed in tight, and I hope you kept the packaging and box for your case, because that's the best way to pack it, in the package your case came in.. with markings clearly indicating which side should be the bottom when the package is lying flat-- which, of course, should be with the motherboard on the bottom to keep the video card/CPU fan from putting stress on it.

Here is a video I found and the relevant part explaining it.
 
The first question I'd ask myself would be: will this survive a 2 foot drop to the ground?

What I would do, is make sure all the drives are fitted with as much screws at the case allows for (4?).

Next, SATA power and data connectors are quite fragile. Overall, I would disconnect and remove all SATA cables and also disconnect all PSU cables from the motherboard, bundle them together, secure with zip-ties and tuck the whole thing into a 3,5" bay, again securing with zip-ties to the side of the case.

Can't have any loose cables anywhere, like resting on the bottom of the case. One good throw and they will fly into the motherboard, potentially breaking off a little component somewhere.

I would remove the CPU cooler. The push-pin ones can become unlatched, and the heavy ones can damage the socket area by wiggling around.

Other than that, I don't think you have to wrap every component.
But I would take a few large sheets of bubblewrap and place three large folded bundles in the case - one between the GPU and CPU socket, one between the GPU and bottom of the case, and one resting between the CPU/GPU left side and the right side where the drive cages are. So that, even if something comes loose, it won't fly around that much.

But the worst part ought to be securing the case itself. A metric crapton of styrofoam on each side, or large folded bundles of bubble wrap, but seriously lots of it around each side, especially the edges.

Sorry if that's no good, personally I would never risk shipping a whole computer.
 
The main problem I have had in the past is the heatsink falling off the cpu from rough handling from the package delivery people. You will need to secure that in some way.
 
I would pull the cpu cooler and gpu and wrap them up separately. Tie everything that is loose up. Other than that it shouldn't need much more before putting it back in the box it came in. Oh if the drives are that heavy, that you fear they will break lose, pull them too and pack away with cpu cooler n gpu. Modern cases are very modular and that modularity makes a lot of cases weak imo. Keep that in mind.
 
I'd treat this like I do with getting 70 lb + amplifiers from overseas and to interstate, get a crate for the pc and ground shipping only. A hard knock or drop to the computer and its a good chance any mechanical hard drives inside will have damaged heads.
 
You DO have all the original boxes?? Of course you do!!!!... Take it all apart and put the parts in their respective packaging and then box all that up in a giant box packed full of foam nuts and tape and strap it.

I like to do things the [H]ard Way. I know. That was corny. I don't care.
 
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