Bringing my desktop computer with me on vacation, how should I do it

[Sharpstick68]

I am going to my friend's house who lives in Maryland, and I am from New Jersey and he will be picking me up. It's about a 4 hour drive and I would like to bring my desktop computer. It is a full sized tower, and the only big parts I have in it are the cpu cooler which is a Noctua NH-D 14, and my video card which is a EVGA Geforce GTX 980 Ti. besides that, the only other components inside of the case are the the SSD Drive, no optical drive or anything like that. I was thinking of wrapping it in a blanket and strapping it down on it's side in the back seat, or I was gonna buy a cardboard box from staples and some bubble wrap or packing peanuts and put the case in there. What would be the best way to do it, even though it's only a 4 hour drive.

[neoraptor]

just put it flat because you'll have more up/down movement than sideways and put a seat-belt, don't need any wrapping. If things are bolted down properly and you don't do offroading it will fine.

[DConnell Member]

9 hours ago, neoraptor said:

just put it flat because you'll have more up/down movement than sideways and put a seat-belt, don't need any wrapping. If things are bolted down properly and you don't do offroading it will fine.

Offroading, heck! He needs to make sure he stays well away from Philly on his journey! In Philly they use pot holes as a free alternative to speed bumps!

[Jim K Global Moderator]

Just put it on the seat ... on its side  ... it'll be fine.  Strap it down just so it doesn't become a flying object in case of an accident.

[Sharpstick68]

I'm pretty sure my friend is staying away from philly..but damn man, I'm just so scared because my computer is worth 2,000 dollars everything in it. One wrong turn or one wrong bump and everything can get ######ed

[Mindovermaster Moderator]

I'd take you video card out and put in a nice padded box... Your motherboard/cpu/ram/psu should be fine.

[techbeck]

If you are so worried about it, just take it someplace and pay for it to be packed or by the stuff and do it yourself.  Don't need anything crazy.  Hell, I have ordered more expensive PCs from Dell and their packing is nothing fancy.  Never had issues with damaged equipment.  Same with a lot of other items out there. 

[Mindovermaster Moderator]

7 minutes ago, techbeck said:

If you are so worried about it, just take it someplace and pay for it to be packed or by the stuff and do it yourself.  Don't need anything crazy.  Hell, I have ordered more expensive PCs from Dell and their packing is nothing fancy.  Never had issues with damaged equipment.  Same with a lot of other items out there. 

I bought 2 monitors from DELL. The box was pretty badly beaten up, but the monitors were fine.

[Sharpstick68]

I think I'm gonna go to staples tomorrow and buy bubble wrap and packing peanuts, that should be good right?

[goretsky Supervisor]

Hello,

 

I have driven half-way (1,200 miles) across the United States with multiple desktop computers a few times now.  My method of transporting them was to wrap them in inexpensive large towels from a discount store, then place them on their sides in the car, with no more than one row light boxes on top of them, and something solid beneath them (more heavily-filled boxes, rear seats, whatever). 

 

This approach has several advantages:

 

1. Computers are secured and do not move around, fall over, or otherwise subject to damage while in transit.
    
2. The computers are not visible to anyone through the windows of the vehicle, as they are covered with boxes with writing on them like "dishes," "books," "bible devotion study materials," "unicorn tears," "small hadron colliders," etc.¹
    
3. New spare towels when I arrive home.
    

No damage or other problems noted doing this with the computers.

 

Regards,

 

Aryeh Goretsky

 

¹Girlfriend is in charge of labeling boxes.