Bringing PC on plane carry on
The short answer to your question is: Yes you can take a full desktop computer and/or water cooler onto an airplane, and LAX and HKG shouldn't bother you too much about it.
I put my desktop PC into a Samsonite briefcase (you can probably find the thread I made for it buried somewhere in the Build Log section) so that I could take it overseas as a carry-on. As you might have guessed, I used an AIO cooler due to the size of the briefcase.
Security at LAX didn't bother me as I was leaving, and I had no issues entering HKG with it.
When leaving HKG for NRT, some of the personnel at the checkpoint looked uncomfortable, so I offered to open up the briefcase. They sent me on my way within 2 minutes.
It remains to be seen how entering LAX will go, but if I'm understanding your situation correctly, that shouldn't be a concern for you.
I personally believe that presentation (as in: cable management, cleanliness of case interior) is what let me through security so quickly when going from HKG to NRT, so if you have the time, I would suggest getting a nice cardboard box, and cutting some styrofoam to fit the GPU + cooler.
I'll give TSA a call just to make sure, but calling the airport security in Hong Kong, they said it was fine even when I said that there was liquid in it. All of the components will be in their respective boxes when I take it the US except for the gpu, so I don't think cable management will help me there. When I bring it back, I am also worried about the case, as I am thinking of buying one that is quite big for an mATX (Phanteks Enthoo Evolv), so I will have to figure out a way to bring it back, either in pieces again or pre built. Anyway, thanks for your help!
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