A user wants to travel to Germany and takes his gaming PC with him. He puts it in a suitcase to ensure it survives the flight. In the meantime, the owner has posted a video where he opens his suitcase with the computer again.
A gamer reports on reddit that he wants to travel to Germany with his gaming PC. He packs his computer in a suitcase and hopes that the PC will survive the long journey by plane.
Did the PC survive the journey? In another post on reddit, the user shows how he opens his suitcase after the trip. Inside, you can see his gaming PC, which has indeed survived the journey without any signs of damage:
What are the reactions? Generally, many in the community point out that he should have disassembled the PC: Because in the worst case, the graphics card could have bent the PCIe slot or the CPU could have come loose, potentially smashing the glass panel or other components. Many express surprise that everything went well.
Is it even permissible to take a gaming PC on the plane?
Is that even allowed? Whether you can travel with a desktop PC to a country always depends on the airline and the country. As a sample, we checked the USA. Here, the official American “Transport Security Agency” (TSA) states that entering with a desktop PC is allowed (via tsa.gov). According to the website, you can even take your gaming PC as hand luggage, but you need to pay attention to the travel regulations of the respective airline. A mini-ITX system would likely be easier to transport than a large midi tower.
The South African airport company, as a second sample, only indicates that one should minimize their electronic items (via airports.co.za). Computers are not explicitly mentioned here.
What alternatives are there? Instead of taking the gaming PC itself as hand luggage, you could also hand your computer over to a courier service that will bring your computer to the destination for you.
However, this may not be very practical for a short vacation, as transport with such a company can take several days and sometimes even a week. However, if you are planning a longer stay, for example in the USA for studies or work, it might be worth it. Moreover, such transport can become very expensive depending on the value of your computer and the insurance coverage.
Packaging a gaming PC correctly for transport: If you ever plan to travel with your gaming PC or at least move, keep the following tips in mind:
- You should disassemble very large graphics cards and CPU coolers to prevent them from coming loose or bending PCIe connectors.
- Before every transport, you should make a backup, so you won’t lose anything. Sensitive hard drives should be removed; SSDs can usually be left in.
- You can loosely fill large gaps with newspaper. Do not stuff the newspaper in too tightly, or you may damage components with the print.
- A recommended tip is to use an air-filled garbage bag to fill large interiors. You should cover sharp edges and corners with newspaper beforehand.
- If you are using a liquid cooling system, drain the liquid beforehand to avoid leakage.
A gamer claims that his gaming PC is worth 4,000 euros. A friend shares pictures of his PC, but many say: This computer is definitely not worth that much. You can find more about this directly on MeinMMO:
