I'm moving to a new apartment about 20 miles away, and my desktop weighs roughly 55 pounds. I've moved a lighter PC before by wrapping it in towels and blankets, but this case is much heavier and has curved glass. Should I remove the glass panel, or is it safer to leave it installed? I'm also concerned about the graphics card shifting during transport and want to cushion the computer without anything pressing into the components.
3 Answers
You probably don’t need to remove the glass panel, but protect the case from impacts. Put the PC by itself in a sturdy box with bubble wrap, air pillows, foam, or similar padding around it. Blankets and towels are useful for preventing scratches, but they don’t provide as much impact protection as proper packing material. Keep other belongings out of the box and don’t put the GPU in there with the case.
The graphics card is the component I’d worry about most. Remove it and transport it separately, since a heavy GPU can put stress on the PCIe slot and motherboard if the case gets jolted. A support bracket helps during normal use but isn’t designed to stop movement in every direction during transport.
For a short drive, the safest practical option is to lay the computer securely in the back seat, have another person keep an eye on it, and fasten it with a seat belt or straps so it can’t slide. If you still have the original box and inserts, use them. Otherwise, pad the exterior and make sure the glass can’t contact anything hard. Removing the glass is optional, but handling a loose glass panel creates its own risk, so I’d leave it installed unless you have a safe way to package it separately.
I’ll have someone help stabilize it in the back seat and keep it away from other items. Since I don’t have the original shipping foam, I’ll use a box and padding rather than relying only on blankets.
I can’t remove much else from the build, but the GPU is a particularly heavy newer model. I’ll at least make sure it’s well supported or remove it if possible.