Moving your computer

[Deadpool]

So in about a week I will be moving and I was wondering if anyone has any tips for moving my PC. Its a full tower so its not the smallest in the world. I figured I should remove my graphics card, put that in its box and just put everything still in the PC in to the box the case came in. Thats just a guess though. So what are your tips?

[Tro]

So in about a week I will be moving and I was wondering if anyone has any tips for moving my PC. Its a full tower so its not the smallest in the world. I figured I should remove my graphics card, put that in its box and just put everything still in the PC in to the box the case came in. Thats just a guess though. So what are your tips?

As long as you're careful, it should be fine, i would take the GPU out.  Just don't drop it or something and i see no problem.

[Cokeman]

Definitely remove your GPU get some anti static plastic and stuff it inside your pc then get soft foam and put it around your PC then fill in the gaps in between the box and the PC with packing peanuts

[WinNut]

I would remove the GPU, drain the water cooling loop (if applicable), and pack it in a box with soft foam and a "FRAGILE" sticker.

[DigitalHermit]

So in about a week I will be moving and I was wondering if anyone has any tips for moving my PC. Its a full tower so its not the smallest in the world. I figured I should remove my graphics card, put that in its box and just put everything still in the PC in to the box the case came in. Thats just a guess though. So what are your tips?

 

I just stick mine in the trunk of the car with the case lying down (so that it won't fall down while on the road)...

 

If you're shipping it, disassemble it, carry the drives on your person at all times, and ship it in its original packaging (including foam)...

[Excon]

Depends. Are you just driving across town? If so remove GPU and put case and GPU in original boxes. No need for all the extra stuff people are saying.

[Deadpool]

Depends. Are you just driving across town? If so remove GPU and put case and GPU in original boxes. No need for all the extra stuff people are saying.

Well Im moving to Michigan from Virginia so its a bit of a drive. Also Im not shipping it, SO just remove the GPU and but it in its box, and then just put the cases with everything in it in the cases's box.

[Excon]

Well Im moving to Michigan from Virginia so its a bit of a drive. Also Im not shipping it, SO just remove the GPU and but it in its box, and then just put the cases with everything in it in the cases's box.

Yea you should be fine.

[Dimwitted]

It's really not that fragile. Other than the GPU there's not much that's going to fly around unless you get into a horrendous accident or drop the thing from a height. I move mine around, though never through a few States, and I don't even package it, just stick it in the front seat and put the seatbelt around it. A full tower is great because it's large enough that that works like a charm.

Of course this assumes stock air cooler. If you have a water cooled system you'll have to drain and refill on the other side. I would have assumed you would have mentioned that little detail.

[jmohamed]

Lol, I usually just pick it up and put it in the car, at most i'd remove the GPU's but other than that take my chances.

[Roddy189]

I seatbelted mine into the front seat on a drive from Nottingham to Harrogate 

 

Slightly longer a drive for you though I think, so the same advice as everyone else, GPU into an anti-static bag and a box that you're carrying, and the rest should be ok as long as this guy isnt delivering it for you.

[MrCthuntoo]

Use cable ties to hold things down.

[spwath]

Remove tall heatsinks.

[Technous285]

If you've already packed the GPU away (even if it's tightly mounted to the chassis and mobo), then putting the rig in the rear footwell of a car (provided you're not moving more than 2 people at a time in said car) should keep it from moving around without excess force inserted by something such as a crash (in which case, the car will take more damage).

 

Earlier this year I did a 150km move of towns and homes, when it came to moving The Beast (my main rig) all that I needed to do was plonk it in the rear passenger footwell of the X-Trail (2003 Ti model) at Point A, then heave it out and drag-roll (the front wheels had... issues with Aussie Summer heated cement when loading it up) it into my new room at Point B.

A decade ago, when I did a 300km move of towns and homes, the main rigs that were working took a ride in the rear footwells for the X-Trail, the systems in parts took a ride in the boot (monitors sat buckled to the rear seats), and everything survived A-OK. Oh sure, a few months after the move the only AMD system we had fried itself during a regular checkup and we couldn't rez it, but all the Intel & Intel-clone systems (we had a few Cyrex-CPU's) worked just fine and STILL work just fine.

 

Both times the treks covered a mix of City-grade streets, inter-city highways and rural inter-town roads, with a few bits of dirt/gravel road travel. No parts shaken loose, no parts rattled without warrant.