Moving from USA to SE Asia: How the heck do I bring my desktop?

[Matt_Stevens 5]

This is one question we have not found an answer to. We're likely moving to Vietnam later this year. We'll sell pretty much everything we own and bring just what we can put in the carry-on and two bags.

However, I recently finished building an editing suite, a 2500 PC that I will need to bring with me. Have to. But how? It cannot be checked, that's for sure. Placing it in the box, it's much too large to carry on.

So far it seems that you cannot check a desktop computer and even if you could, it would just be stolen once it his SE Asia.

Anyone have any ideas? Yeah, I know there is DHL or Fed-Ex, but that will cause another problem...

Taxes. I know Vietnam taxes the hell out of any electronic item coming in to be sold, but this is my personal property. I'm not sure if Vietnam will tax it as though I was a citizen of their country. It's not like they follow their own rules anyway.

Thanks

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

How much could you shed to move it ? DO you need the case and power supply ? Think of what is expendable and then think of packing the parts that aren't like mother board and hard drive.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

Yes, lose the box. You can fit the motherboard, cpu, video card, hard drive and heat sink in a single small box (a motherboard box probably...). I wouldn't waste space on the peripherals.

[Nikita2Charles 32]

As other's have mentioned, Get rid of the box, that's what taking most of your space, if you don't have the original box for the motherboard, look for an electronic flea market or somewhere you can find a foam back and box for the mother board, Take your CPU, heat sink, Graphic card, memory and so on, the rest of the stuff is expendable, specially being in Vietman, I am sure you'll be able to find a PC case, and you can always modify it to fit all the stuff you are bringing over, it may not look pretty but it works and do the Job. Good luck

Yes, lose the box. You can fit the motherboard, cpu, video card, hard drive and heat sink in a single small box (a motherboard box probably...). I wouldn't waste space on the peripherals.

[Matt_Stevens 5]

It would be a ###### to take apart and them reassemble. It has six hard drives inside. If I have six hard drives in my luggage or carryon they will likely try and tax me thinking I am selling stuff. No, I have a RAID array! This doesn't even include my backup server, which has two hard drives in it. My entire carryon suitcase would have to be filled with computer parts. Now, I haver never actually been searched by customs in Vietnam (I've taken two trips) so maybe it won't be a problem at all. Who knows?

But it is $2500 worth of equipment and I cannot afford to lose it. I need to use it as soon as I get there. But I'm also quite broke so bribes out the ####### won't be possible.

My wife will have to speak with her cousin when she visits Vietnam next month. Her cousin works at the airport and like most there, makes a good living accepting bribes. Perhaps she has good advice on how to deal with this situation.

The thought of taking this thing apart and then rebuilding it in Vietnam makes me cringe.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

It would be a ###### to take apart and them reassemble. It has six hard drives inside. If I have six hard drives in my luggage or carryon they will likely try and tax me thinking I am selling stuff. No, I have a RAID array! This doesn't even include my backup server, which has two hard drives in it. My entire carryon suitcase would have to be filled with computer parts. Now, I haver never actually been searched by customs in Vietnam (I've taken two trips) so maybe it won't be a problem at all. Who knows?

But it is $2500 worth of equipment and I cannot afford to lose it. I need to use it as soon as I get there. But I'm also quite broke so bribes out the ####### won't be possible.

My wife will have to speak with her cousin when she visits Vietnam next month. Her cousin works at the airport and like most there, makes a good living accepting bribes. Perhaps she has good advice on how to deal with this situation.

The thought of taking this thing apart and then rebuilding it in Vietnam makes me cringe.

Are the drives very expensive? Can you combine the data onto a single drive and then rebuild the array once your there with new drives?

Otherwise, I guess you'll just have to risk shipping or checking it. If you do, take off the heat sink(s) to avoid damaging the cpu in transit.

Edited April 23, 2011 by Sousuke

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

look into the cloud.

[Matt_Stevens 5]

The drives were not cheap. They were all expensive. RAID arrays done right cost big bucks.

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

You have to make decisions. Take the old ones which will weigh a ton and cost a ton to ship. Move the stuff off and sell the ones here and then buy new there are build it back again.