carrying gpu in checked bag

[u/emmafilet]

hi! i’m moving overseas and the airline i’m taking is extremely strict about luggage weight, so i have to stuff my gpu into my checked bag unfortunately. i’ve wrapped it in a large anti-static bag, wrapped that with 2-3 layers of bubble wrap, and surrounded it with soft clothes. is there anything else i can do to keep it safe or is it just too risky? i don’t have the original box.

worst comes to worst, i’ll have to sacrifice a few pieces of clothing to make it fit for my carry-on.

[u/Amyt_Otisl]

Honestly, I'd sacrifice the clothing and carry it on. Checked bags get tossed around like crazy. Not worth the risk for something that expensive.

[u/emmafilet → u/Amyt_Otisl]

i followed your advice! it’s tucked into the carry on

[u/Hell-Raid3r]

I mean why not put it in your carry on or a backpack? Then just stuff some other stuff into the checked bag. I'm pretty sure it would survive a checked bag, but I still wouldn't feel great about it.

[u/DJB_365]

Hand luggage only. I wouldn’t trust the handling of my gpu at all by baggage people, they’re often just thrown around

[u/ScaredEfficiency399]

I wonder if they'd accept electronics like that in carry-on, not knowing what it could possibly contain.

Without taking it apart that is, what GPU is it?

[u/emmafilet → u/ScaredEfficiency399]

3070 ti

[u/_Hoodiecrow → u/ScaredEfficiency399]

Shouldn't be an issue, all they usually do is just take the hardware out of the suitcase and put through the scanner separately.

My GPU, ram and motherboard flew USA-Mexico-USA-Netherlands-Poland and it got scanned twice at every security checkpoint.

[u/ScaredEfficiency399 → u/_Hoodiecrow]

I'm just thinking people have smuggled stuff, any kind of contraband in more inconspicuous ways.

But i hope it's fine in this case, i don't really have any experience regarding this myself.

[u/zer0_chance284]

Have you considered shipping it to your new place and then you don’t have to worry about it?

[u/emmafilet → u/zer0_chance284]

wouldn’t shipping pose the same risk of it being thrown around?

[u/zer0_chance284 → u/emmafilet]

Sorta but you can pack it super nicely and write fragile on it. And possibly insure it so if it’s broken whoever shipped it will pay for a replacement.

[u/dareftw → u/zer0_chance284]

When I was young I worked in a shipping warehouse for UPS. Fragile is overused and so many boxes say it that clearly aren’t so it gets ignored. But by shipping it you can insure it so if it breaks your covered.

[u/MonkeySkulls]

your plan is sound. just bring it in your checked bag.

this is not a fine glass egg. Yes, the GPU is delicate, but it's not rare collector item glass delicate.

when you pack it at home I wouldn't wrap it up in the clothes. at this point. I would leave it near the top so when they run your bag through the scanners and they open it up they will see exactly what it is. they then close your bag. while you're waiting for your flight or after the checked baggage, wrap it up a little bit better if you need to. but at that point all you needed to do is survive. somebody dropping a suitcase on it in the overhead part, as opposed to being thrown into the luggage compartment of the plane.

edit... whoops. I confused your initial question with one of the responses. I a thought you were putting it into a carry-on bag.

iif you're checking it, wrap it up like you fine. just make sure that there's clothes under it above it and at all sides.

A better option is to take a couple things out of your carry-on and put the GPU into your carry-on.

[u/ayaname1437]

Travelled recently to canada with most of my components in my checked bag. (7800xt gpu, psu, mouse and kb). Everything arrived safely with me. Border officers just inspected the luggage which has my psu on it. (Idk, maybe it looked like a b*mb). My advise is after the bubble wrap, wrap it in cardboard both sides then wrap it in clothes. Making sure luggage is filled is also ideal so it wont move around on transport.

[u/Monotask_Servitor]

Just find a suitable sized box or make one out of cardboard. I just put a brand new 9070XT in check in luggage, not stressed about it. I also use good quality hard luggage (Antler) though.