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Shipping a PC

bigboxes

bigboxes

Lifer
I build PCs for a living, but my customers are local. Well, I've got my first out of area customer. I am requesting advice on shipping a whole PC. Is the box the case came in adequate protection for a finished PC? What shipping company is recommended for this purpose (USPS, UPS, FedEx, etc.)? What's the average cost (please include insurance)?

Thanks in advance! 🙂

~boxes
 
Usually you don't want to ship the PC in the box that the case came in. Why? Because they use low-grade foam which will break. Upon impact, the integrity of the case might be preserved, but drives can bottom out, and the foam oftentimes breaks so that a second impact will not be protected.

Try finding high-density dynamic foam to package your computers with, and then layer a thick shell of harder foam to create an exoskeleton. Then box it up and you *should* be good.

Something to consider is the case that you're using. Which model case did you build it in? Some cases simply ship better than others. As ugly as it is, the CoolerMaster Centurion 5 ships fantastically well, and the drives don't bottom out. Just make sure that you secure all of the drives, and do your best to organize the cables and secure them.

(I'm speaking from the position of working for a local computer company who ships dozens of PCs daily, just so you don't think I'm pulling this out of my butt 🙂
 
As was said above, most case boxes aren't up to shipping a system. Unfortunately either double-boxing (with at least an inch of spongy-type foam all around) or replacing the box with one with several inches of the spongy type foam all around isn't inexpensive and bumps the size into the over 84" territory where some shippers have a surcharge.

.bh.
 
How do you guys make any money on custom PC building? The profit margins are razor, razor thin...I'm told.
 
I would be more concerned about parts (heavy heatsinks in particular) falling off the motherboard due to rough handling, and smashing other components.
 
Originally posted by: Jschmuck2
How do you guys make any money on custom PC building? The profit margins are razor, razor thin...I'm told.
Click to expand...

Im curious about the business as well. Please elaborate for us
 
Yup, real attention needs to be payed to tying things down and maybe even consider having some things installed at the receiver's end, like high end HSFs. There are devices to help keep add-on cards in place during shipping too - some cases come with card supports. Some use hot glue to tack things (cables, etc.) in place - relatively easy to peel off when needed at the other end.

.bh.
 
Originally posted by: Jschmuck2
How do you guys make any money on custom PC building? The profit margins are razor, razor thin...I'm told.
Click to expand...
Have you seen what some of these big name system builders are charging for gaming systems? A rig that might cost you or me $800 to build with NewEgg parts might go for $1200 or more prebuilt. Course, they add various "extras" like cheapo keyboards/mice, operating systems (cheaper OEM versions), warranty/support services, etc. I've seen companies that add a $60 fee for a LED light kit option. And people without enthusiast-level knowledge buy them anyway, premium or not. You go over to sites like GameSpot, and you'll see people proudly flaunting their prebuilts.
 
I can't say that I would recommend either UPS or Fed Ex...I have seen the way they throw the packages around and knew a woman who loaded trucks for UPS and she admitted that she would stand on top of packages to use them as a stool to load trucks. Both stink...but probably Fed Ex stinks the less of those 2. Not sure how good DHL is.
 
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