Backup any important files before moving. While your computer will probably be fine, you’ll want a backup if the computer gets damaged in the move. [4] X Research source Don’t pack the cables in the same box as the PC, as tempting as that may be. Set them aside together to be sorted and packed separately later. This process applies to any kind of computer tower. However, if you’re moving a gaming PC, skip down to the last section of the article if you want to take additional steps to keep your investment safe.
If you still have the original box the computer came in, use that. Those boxes tend to be pretty strong, even after you’ve torn them open to remove the PC. Dust is a computer’s worst enemy. If your box has been sitting out for weeks collecting dust while you’ve been packing, vacuum the inside of the box. [6] X Research source
You can use clothing items or towels instead of a moving blanket or anti-static bubble wrap if you prefer. Just don’t use wool, which has a particular affinity for static electricity. Do not use regular bubble wrap, which attracts static electricity. Your hard drive and graphics card are especially at risk if your computer is exposed to a lot of static buildup.
Hold the computer with two hands while you’re lifting it and just go slow here. If you’re packing a gaming PC, do not put any pressure on the fiberglass panel. You can shatter this side if you apply too much pressure to it.
If your hiring movers, ask them not to put anything on top of your computer. If you’re packing the truck yourself, set the box somewhere secure and don’t set anything down on top of the box.
You should be able to figure out which cable goes where with a few minutes of guesswork when you unpack. However, if you have a ton of electronics and a variety of cables, label them. Wrap a piece of tape around each cable and jot down what the cable is for in permanent marker. Don’t wrap the cables so tight that they’re putting a ton of pressure on them.
Write “fragile” and “computer screen” on the box (movers and moving buddies may not know what a monitor is). You can stuff your box with packing paper, packing peanuts, clothing, or foam. So long as the screen is covered and it’s facing up in the box, it shouldn’t really matter. If the stand for your monitor is removable, unscrew the stand and pack it separately. Do not use newspaper to pack your monitor. The ink can rub off on the screen, and the texture may scratch your monitor.
Write “keyboard” on the box. If it’s a higher-end keyboard, write “fragile. ” Pillowcases are perfect for keyboards if you’re trying to pack your clothing and bed sheets efficiently. Slide the keyboard inside of a pillowcase, fold it around a few times, and repeat the process with 2-3 more pillowcases. You can pack the keyboard with other items so long as nothing is resting on top of the keys and the other items aren’t especially heavy. If you have a really high-end mechanical keyboard, consider investing in a protective sleeve or case for it. This is really the best way to transport a nicer keyboard.
Label the box “speakers, headphones, and mouse,” or “accessories. ” You do not need separate boxes for these components. Altogether, you should have 4 boxes here: 1 for the cables, 1 for the monitor, 1 for the keyboard, and 1 for your headphones, speakers, and mouse.
If you built the PC yourself, this should be fairly easy for you since you installed the components yourself. If you purchased a pre-built PC, don’t remove anything you aren’t comfortable taking out. Taking things out can do more harm than good if you aren’t really sure what you’re doing. If you’re moving the PC yourself and you can keep an eye on it the entire time you’re moving, this is probably unnecessary. It’s a good idea to take some of the components out if movers will be handling the box with the PC in it or you’re moving somewhere far (like another state or country).
Set the fiberglass flat on a clean blanket to keep it from getting scratched up. This is a great opportunity to clear out any dust. Just hit the inside of the computer with some canned air to clean it out. Just make sure you put a gentle finger on the fan blades when blowing air on them to keep them from spinning.
As a rule of thumb, the bigger the component, the safer your PC will be if you remove it. If you don’t and the PC gets knocked around in the box, the bigger components may break or fall out of their slots.
The GPU is usually located at mid-height in your case near the left. It’s the larger horizontal piece, and it may say “Nvidia” or “GeForce” or “MSI” on it.
The CPU cooler is almost always going to be the only fan in your PC that isn’t facing the same direction as the rest of the fans in your PC. It’s located on top of your motherboard, which is usually above the graphics card. If you have liquid cooling, do not take the system out—it’s not especially heavy and the tubes are hard to remove. You will have to reapply the thermal paste before reinstalling the CPU cooler if you take it out.
If your hard drive is properly mounted and it is snug inside of your PC, feel free to leave it inside of your case.
This will ensure that your RAM cards are secure inside of the case and don’t pop out while you’re in transit. You can take the RAM cards out if you really want, but they should be fine if you just leave them in the case with a little added support from a zip tie or rubber band.
If your power supply is at the bottom of the case, you can tape the cables on top of the power supply’s cover.
When your case was shipped to you or you bought your PC, the inside was filled with expanding foam. You can buy this foam if you’d like, but it’s kind of expensive and unnecessary unless you’re shipping the computer internationally. You can also cut up a pool noodle and use that to fill in the computer.
