15 replies to this topic

[Staplebeater]

Has anyone here ever shipped a computer? I am military and PCSing (moving) to Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam, Hawaii this summer (don't hate) and was planning on shipping my computer out there rather than have the movers man handle it. I was planning on removing the heat sink off the CPU and take out the video card and box them in their original boxes. My question is what do do about the case itself. I didn't save the original box and was wondering how to pack it. Any thoughts? Plan is to ship it via the good ole US postal service as Fed Ex and UPS are crazy expensive

[Aznpersuasion89]

Just pet them, and if they break they have to buy you a new one. Seems like the easier of the options

[Az0r]

I shipped one from Melbourne to a military mate in Darwin (~4000KM) without removing any parts before shipping. I did have the original box and stuffed it with many layers of bubble wrap.

Edited by Az0r, 05 March 2013 - 02:57 PM.

[Staplebeater]

Aznpersuasion89, on 05 March 2013 - 02:36 PM, said:

Just pet them, and if they break they have to buy you a new one. Seems like the easier of the options

I have thought about this but they pick up my household good on May 31 and they don't have to have it to me until 15 July. (ships literally on a slow boat to china) Long time without any gaming. Though it is full replacement value on what they break, I would just need to document exactly what is in it

[Aznpersuasion89]

Ya I really don't see any other way. I mean you can't check it on the plane or carry it on and private shipping is too much. They will come do an inventory with you present and use their own boxes and crap. I wouldn't worry about it. If my buddy got his fishing rods back intact all the way from oki then I think you'll be ok. However the wait is nothing that can be avoided

[Garlion]

I just did this. Go to your local computer store (specialty store, not Best Buy, etc...) and ask them if they have a box for a computer case lying around you can have. I managed to get a server shipping box they were throwing out and it already had the styrofoam elbows built in.

[TheFlayedman]

I put a computer in a suitcase and checked it in once it was fine it was a long time ago though it was when a 486dx2 was top of the range

[Corvus Antaka]

Dont use fedex.

[Spooky01]

Hi Staplebeater.

You don't have to remove any parts from the inside of your PC, if you think about it they are in the safest place. Just make sure once you have unpluged it from the mains electric you press the on button which gets rid of any voltage left, you might see the fans move a little.Open the case and fill the inside with PINK or light red BUBBLE WRAP this is the ANTI static type, you should be able to get some from any good electrical outlet or your shipping agent.. Pick a shipping box that has at least 2 inches of space around it and fill this with packing filling, Fed EX or UPS might help you there as well with how they expect it to be packed.( I would use these people to ship even though they are expensive.)
Hope this helps?

[Gregore]

haha using fedex to ship that overseas. Cheaper to just buy a new computer.

[Bad Karma 308]

I've PCS several times both CONUS and OCONUS and each time I've had mixed results with shipping whole PCs. Some make it and some don't. The only consolation is that TMO will immediately reimburse the breakage as where FedEx and UPS will take their time and can back out of the insurance if they think your package was improperly protected. I know, as I've shipped several times with both. Their level of Guaranteed Computer packaging is what you see the likes of Dell and other vendors package their machines with.

Once solution that I have had some success with in the past is to open up your case and literally fill it with as much styrofoam peanuts as it will hold. This will keep the components from flexing very much with bumps and jarring. If you can pull any expansion cards and ship those separately you'll do even better. And of course when you unpack make sure you get every single pellet of styrofoam out using a GENTLE vacuum. powerful vacuums can pull capacitors and even chips right off the MB.

A lot of aftermarket heat sinks will put a lot of weight, and thereby leverage stress, on the motherboard, even small bumps can magnify their weight (GForce) resulting in cracking the motherboard around the CPU area.

The times I've shipped PCs the damage is usually centralized in three places.
1.) Cracked Motherboard (& damaged CPU) from aftermarket heat sinks.
2.) Damaged GPU and corresponding PCIE slot damage on the motherboard. A lot of times the slot will break loose from the MB and allow the GPU to move around and strike other components. The rear screw mounts are not enough to hold it once the PCIE slot has detached.
3.) Any large surface windows on the exterior of the case.

The worst damage is always done when something breaks loose and is free to move and wreak havoc inside the case by continually striking other components.

Again, best bet is to completely catalog your PC and all of it's internal components before you have it shipped with TMO. And then hope for the best.

Edited by Bad Karma 308, 08 March 2013 - 08:28 AM.

[Staplebeater]

Thanks Bad Karma for good advice. I have only PCSed CONUS and have always just put my rig in the car with me. This time that isn't an option. :-\ I have resigned myself to shipping it with my unaccompanied baggage. Gonna be no MWO for about 45 days this summer for me. Wife is going to be sick of me at that point will beg me to go back to gamming

[Chavette]

Staplebeater, on 08 March 2013 - 02:49 PM, said:

Thanks Bad Karma for good advice. I have only PCSed CONUS and have always just put my rig in the car with me. This time that isn't an option. :-\ I have resigned myself to shipping it with my unaccompanied baggage. Gonna be no MWO for about 45 days this summer for me. Wife is going to be sick of me at that point will beg me to go back to gamming

45 days? Cant think of anything worse bro

[Bad Karma 308]

There is one other option. I believe you can claim it as "Pro Gear" and either carry it with you or have it expedited to your new location. All you need to say is that you have your promotion study material and or job related materiel on your machine to qualify it. Make sure to include any peripherals like the monitor and manuals and other related items you might need. The further benefit is TMO won't count it as part of your PCS weight allowances.

I'm USAF (ret) and that is how we always kept stuff like that with us and or better protected. I'm not sure that I can speak to USN, but they should have something similar. As it should be one of your benefits I'd stop buy or call TMO to inquire about it.

The other issue is that 45 days is most likely a "worst case" scenario. The container ships TMO uses actually have a tendency to beat you to your location. So your items may well be already waiting for you when you arrive. It happened to us the last few of times we went overseas. By the time we got our quarters TMO was already bugging us about getting our stuff delivered.

Either way it works out, good luck, and thank you for your service.

V/R
BK

Edited by Bad Karma 308, 09 March 2013 - 06:04 AM.

[Staplebeater]

Chavette, on 08 March 2013 - 05:31 PM, said:

45 days? Cant think of anything worse bro

Yeah slow boat to china. I am Stationed at Wright-Patterson AFB in Ohio and the military gives the movers up to 45 days to get my stuff to Hickam AFB Hawaii. My wife is going to be sick of me by the end of it.

Bad Karma 308, on 09 March 2013 - 05:57 AM, said:

There is one other option. I believe you can claim it as "Pro Gear" and either carry it with you or have it expedited to your new location. All you need to say is that you have your promotion study material and or job related materiel on your machine to qualify it. Make sure to include any peripherals like the monitor and manuals and other related items you might need. The further benefit is TMO won't count it as part of your PCS weight allowances.

I'm USAF (ret) and that is how we always kept stuff like that with us and or better protected. I'm not sure that I can speak to USN, but they should have something similar. As it should be one of your benefits I'd stop buy or call TMO to inquire about it.

The other issue is that 45 days is most likely a "worst case" scenario. The container ships TMO uses actually have a tendency to beat you to your location. So your items may well be already waiting for you when you arrive. It happened to us the last few of times we went overseas. By the time we got our quarters TMO was already bugging us about getting our stuff delivered.

Either way it works out, good luck, and thank you for your service.

V/R
BK

yeah 45 days is worst case. Going to send it out with UB and hope it gets there fast.

Edited by Staplebeater, 09 March 2013 - 08:40 PM.

[Bad Karma 308]

No Sh**! Where area of Wright-Pat? That was my last station and I still live just to the north of there in Vandalia. Wife is still active duty there.

Edited by Bad Karma 308, 10 March 2013 - 03:24 AM.