Mastodawn

I have to ship my desktop pc,
I cannot bring it on the plane
I cannot replace it for under $3000 in Australia.
I need it relatively immediately and won’t have the space to build a new one, and I understand how much foam I need -
Can I please just get a consensus on the least shitty shipping company to air freight it?

johne Apr 26, 2025

@hacks4pancakes 🍿

@johne yea I have gotten like one fucking useful response anywhere

johne Apr 26, 2025

@hacks4pancakes what I can tell you is that anytime something has shipped to me in Denver, CO from England (random bike parts), Europe (3d printer and accessories) and Singapore (analog watch) they all were shipped DHL.

johne Apr 26, 2025

@hacks4pancakes if only you had room for everything minus the case you could totally do this. https://infosec.exchange/@catsalad/114298693064816886

CatSalad🐈🥗 (D.Burch) :blobcatrainbow: (@[email protected])

Attached: 1 image Computer cases are overrated

Infosec Exchange

John Keates Apr 26, 2025

@hacks4pancakes I have had success with DHL, UPS and FedEx, but in all cases I removed storage devices, add-in cards and CPU coolers and put large blocking amounts on foam inside the case. The removed parts shipped separately.

Anton Piatek Apr 26, 2025

@johnkeates @hacks4pancakes Yeah, I'd agree. Pack the components, especially gpu and cooler separate. Mobo should be OK in the case, as should drives. Probably don't need as much packing around the whole thing as you think so long as a shock can't make anything bend. Bubblewrap is pretty amazing stuff.
Good luck

@sldrant @johnkeates I have gratuitous amounts of expanding foam.

John Keates Apr 26, 2025

@hacks4pancakes @sldrant my favorite flavor of foam! 😄

nixFREAK Apr 26, 2025

@hacks4pancakes I'll put in my two cents, since I was in charge of finding a shipping company for hardware for an overseas migration. I actually hired a local shipping company that then worked with an international shipper and it was way cheaper than using FedEx, or USPS, or DHL.

@nixfreak can you name drop or what did you search for?

nixFREAK Apr 26, 2025

@hacks4pancakes yeah honestly , just international shipping and then the city I was in. Found 5 of them and called for quotes on all of them and then picked the right one. Again this worked for me not saying it will work for you, just what I found out.

SekhmetMedusa🧿Apr 26, 2025

@hacks4pancakes I've had good luck with DHL for overseas shipping.

@SekhmetMedusa thank you!

Griff Ferrell 💙💛 masto-xyz Apr 26, 2025

@hacks4pancakes

Good luck

Samara Apr 26, 2025

@hacks4pancakes it might be cheaper to see if you can pull out the essential components (CPU, GPU, drives) and take those with you, replace the rest, because that kind of shipping would be quite expensive.

@StrangelySamara there’s just no way to carry more than the drives. I’m full up.

Madagascar_Sky Apr 26, 2025

@hacks4pancakes @StrangelySamara

Unimportant stuff comes with your dad on the next trip over?

Mark. Just Mark.Apr 26, 2025

@hacks4pancakes @StrangelySamara
Came here to suggest taking the drives in your carry-on, but it sounds like you're already on top of that.

🇺🇦Apr 26, 2025

@hacks4pancakes other people have suggested just shipping the components but as a possibility if you have time to hit Micro Center, could you transplant your system into a smaller case if the current system is a full-size tower

🇺🇦Apr 26, 2025

@hacks4pancakes alternatively, if it’s going to cost that much to ship, would you be able to get by with something like an AMD based Lenovo tiny? AMD for the better built-in graphics.

John Philip Bell Apr 26, 2025

@hacks4pancakes

Check with your airline to see if they offer NFO service. We shipped our cat on the same flight to Ireland as my wife flew, but I've also used it to ship belongings.

As an aside, I one moved internationally two tower PCs with me as (excess) checked baggage.

@john_philip_bell this is helpful advice!!!!

@hacks4pancakes Yes, airlines do carry small packages all the time.

I forgot about this.

It was how former employers got their equipment parts, etc., within 5 hours from east coast to west coast, or less time from midwest.

I had to pick up from the airport freight terminal which was on the other side of the airport from the passenger terminal but perhaps $AIRLINE can help you package it and pick it up at the passenger terminal?

And either ship to your residence or do willcall at the freight terminal counter?

Taxis are useful for this and there are often couriers who can pickup at a moment's notice. Couriers are expensive, though.

I do not know what airlines' liability for damage is; Nothing I picked up was ever damaged in the slightest.

I'm sorry I can't be more helpful.

🤞🏿 🙏🏿

@john_philip_bell

John Philip Bell Apr 26, 2025

@hotarubiko @hacks4pancakes

Internationally, I think you'll find there's a process for clearing it through customs. I don't know, but be sure ro check, I hear Australia has some strict rules.

sabik Apr 27, 2025

@john_philip_bell @hotarubiko @hacks4pancakes
Australia does have strict rules, but most of what you'd run into will be around food and plant/animal material (so don't include that)

There are also simplified processes if you've just arrived from overseas, when it's unaccompanied baggage rather than generic import

Bill, organizer of stuff Apr 26, 2025

@hacks4pancakes I initially thought this was in the meter and form of Green Eggs And Ham. But it was not... 🙁

Martin Seeger Apr 26, 2025

@hacks4pancakes No experience with Australia but some with other APAC countries.

We use DHL Express on those shippings. Attempts to save money usually backfire.

If possible find someone who has an ongoing business relationship with DHL Express.

Shipping with you being in between countries sounds like a bad idea to me. You need control on both ends. Shippings sometimes unexpectedly return, now more likely than ever.

Also: someone knowing where to call in case of hiccups is invaluable.

So my recommendation: find someone in your area who deals with DHL Express on a regular basis. He ships it for you. Arrange timing of shipment that you will be already there.

@hacks4pancakes don't forget to pull the CPU fan and GPU out of the mobo before shipping... costly mistake trying to ship with those intact. Much easier to just get some paste and re-do the CPU fan after... also simplifies internal component protection needs a bit.

(you may already have gotten that advice, but have seen people ship with components left slotted in, and expanding foam inside the case was not enough to protect them from jarring hard enough to crack pcb)

@rx13 it’s liquid cooled

Latte macchiato

ablobcat_longlong

@hacks4pancakes
Shipping company itself doesn't matter much.

Take out the GPU and cooler (and drives, if you have HDDs), ship them separately and well-packed. The rest of a computer is pretty damn solid. Fill case with random padding (or foam) for bonus points.

jb Apr 26, 2025

@hacks4pancakes how many bags are you taking? And, how much is one extra box?

When I last looked, it was easiest for me to just strip components out, and get a new case on the far side of the Atlantic. I may still do this for an upcoming trip.

@jb I promise, promise I’m physically and ticket maxed

jb Apr 26, 2025

@hacks4pancakes I believe you. Just trying to figure out options. I had to add extra bags ($75 USD/bag) for a trip, but it was cheaper than shipping air freight.

I wonder if there’s anyone on the flight not using their complete luggage allowance.

Bitslingers-R-Us Apr 26, 2025

@hacks4pancakes There was a site that pairs up people traveling with people who need stuff transported. I wonder if that kind of thing is still around.

I've taken a VAXstation 4000/60 on as my carry-on because I didn't trust the baggage handlers or shippers. I've also wrapped computers in layers of clothing and cardboard until they reached 49 pounds to protect them - this works for shipping companies, too.

One thing, though - no matter who you use to ship, consider cutting foam blocks to put on either side of your video card. I've seen more than one machine with the PCIe slot completely removed because the whole container was dropped or thrown.

@AnachronistJohn I’m taking the card out and expanding foaming everything I promise!!!

GeoWend Apr 26, 2025

@hacks4pancakes when I moved, I decided to get a good mini-pc and upgrades...and get the stuff I needed like the screen here in CR.

Of course, I am well aware you are traveling a fair bit further,

DHL is likely your best bet.

@hacks4pancakes Whenever we visit our family overseas, we always pack stuff for them in an extra suitcase as 50 pounds is usually $50. Any other shipping is just too expensive. I know you have a lot of suitcases already, but that may be the cheapest method.

@dennisfaucher I genuinely don’t know how I’m going to maneuver 4 suitcases and a backpack alone from A to B and through customs totally alone

gled Apr 26, 2025

@hacks4pancakes did you consider oversize chests instead of suitcase ? Some stack OK on an airport cart.

PrivacyDigest Apr 26, 2025

@hacks4pancakes
I have an idea for a diff but potentially useful twist. You mention you’ve maxed on suitcases. There are companies who specialize in shipping suitcases to match somebody’s trip. It’s kind of like a shipping consolidator. they pick them up in the starting location & drop them off at destination. this way you don’t have to carry them thru airport. Maybe then you could take the computer with you as a carry-on

An example, not recommendation https://www.luggagetoship.com/shipping-luggage-to-australia

The Best Luggage Shipping Service - Luggage To Ship

Ship luggage, golf clubs, boxes, skis at the best price! Enjoy a lighter, relaxed trip!

The Best Luggage Shipping Service - Luggage To Ship

PrivacyDigest Apr 26, 2025

@hacks4pancakes and if the issue is the airline won’t let the computer components on the flight, maybe you could just pack the computer in the hard shell case with all the expanding foam and other protection, and use the shipping company for that.

And then could maybe add one or two of your regular suitcases to the shipping option so you only have to take one or two while you actually fly

Ryan Castellucci (they/them)

@hacks4pancakes @dennisfaucher there are airport escort services that can have someone meet you to help with baggage, usually costs in the low hundreds, might be useful?

Lisa Lorenzin KR4LFE (she/her)Apr 27, 2025

@hacks4pancakes @dennisfaucher ooh, this I may be able to help with!

I did that with literally 150 lbs of Pulse Secure gear when I was giving trainings in France, Austria, and Germany several years ago. 3 enormous rolling checked bags, rolling carry-on, and my personal backpack.

My solution was to get three webbing straps with fastex buckles and make a luggage train - biggest / heaviest bag at the front, everything cascaded from there. (I actually ended up doing two trains of two bags each more often than I did one train of four bags, just for maneuverability - I could shove one ahead of me and drag one behind me.)

One of my fastex buckles broke along the way, and I ended up just tying off the webbing, which was a pain. If I was doing it again, I'd take a small carabiner and a 2-ft sling as a backup (scavenged from my climbing gear).

I can recreate all this and send pics if seeing it would be more useful than just a description!

It was surprisingly not-terrible everywhere except DeGaulle, which is fucking *made of* tiny uneven staircases, and the customs office to get my ATA carnet stamp was of course all the way across the damn airport from my gate.

Are you taking anything in that luggage which you will need to declare?

Lisa Lorenzin KR4LFE (she/her)Apr 27, 2025

@hacks4pancakes @dennisfaucher (to clarify, you shouldn't have to deal with an ATA carnet, that was just to avoid paying unnecessary customs duty on the equipment I was bringing into the country, since I was using it for work and taking it right back out again! So unless you have the same use case, that's one piece of overhead you'll hopefully *not* have to navigate...)

Lisa Lorenzin KR4LFE (she/her)Apr 27, 2025

@hacks4pancakes @dennisfaucher but all this is meant to say - 4 huge bags and a backpack will definitely be a pain, but it's absolutely manageable. I'm pretty confident you are physically stronger than me! Just want to be mindful not to twist or strain anything - it was really tempting to try to muscle that stuff around, and I really had to pay attention to moving it the smart way, not the hard way (especially when I felt rushed...)

Thomas Lobig Apr 26, 2025

@hacks4pancakes not going to be tremendously helpful, but do you know how they ship gold? They don't. It's cheaper to sell at the origin and buy at the destination. The resell value of computer hardware, though. Yikes. Then again, with the tariffs and all. Sorry, just thinking out aloud.

@Tom_ofB I can’t buy a new computer under the shipping cost or build one in a hotel.

Thomas Lobig Apr 27, 2025

@hacks4pancakes I know, I know.
Anyway it's obvious you made the decision to move in time. Good luck, still, on the journey.

Texan_Reverend Apr 26, 2025

@hacks4pancakes Personally, my best experience with international shipping of a full computer case was with FedEx. They had a 3-day air option that was within a couple hundred dollars of everybody else's regular price. Also, they helped me get the box labeled and marked for things like being fragile and which side was supposed to be up. The other big thing was being able to pre-pay all customs fees to prevent a hold up at destination.

With smaller shipments, I have also had success with DHL.

Jennifer Moore 😷Apr 26, 2025

@hacks4pancakes

Sympathies for all the answers suggesting things you already said wouldn't work! Wishing you luck.

@unchartedworlds agony

mjr Apr 26, 2025

@hacks4pancakes I've shipped a full tower back and forth between the US coasts with FedEx several times for school, everything arrived with an acceptable amount of box damage.

If some amount of disassembly can be tolerated, I would package all the components either separately or densely in a single box and rebuy the case on the other side to save volume shipping costs. This might be a moot point if your case is not huge.

Good luck!

Paul Dot X Apr 26, 2025

@hacks4pancakes (definitely not helpful sorry) probably not helpful but when I moved back from Ireland to the US I had a Sun Ultra 5 to bring back ...I bought a hard sided suitcase, got lots of foam, paid the airline for an extra and overweight bad and it arrived with me at Newark airport and functioned for years afterwards

@bosconet I wish I could,

RDilling Apr 26, 2025

@hacks4pancakes Has been about a decade since I shipped things from the US to Europe & Asia. But, DHL was always the most reliable. And usually close in price to the cheapest.

Robert Dahlem Apr 26, 2025

@hacks4pancakes Additionally to all other advices: pick an axe or something smaller at home and make a few dents on the outside so customs clearly sees you're packing used stuff.

@robertdahlem I hope the dust and stickers are informative

BenjaminHimes Apr 26, 2025

@hacks4pancakes is checking an extra bag feasible? It sounds like you’ll need a luggage cart anyway. (I regularly travel with scuba gear so am aware of the struggle.)

If it is w/o a monitor that could work. Happy to cover the bag fee if that’s an issue

BenjaminHimes Apr 26, 2025

@hacks4pancakes reading down the thread I see you mentioned it is your only computer - I had just assumed it was your “powerful” computer. I have a couple extra laptops I’m not using that are dated but pretty functional if that is helpful.

(I do a lot of HPC type work so my gear is always “overbuilt.” not sure what your specs are)