Can't decide how to transport desktop..to Wales.... or..

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Surya
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27 Aug 2010, 7:58 pm

I am heading to Wales to attend uni. so I will be there 3 years - longer if I keep my grades up and go further
I <3 my desktop.
I do not want to leave it behind, but shipping it to Wales will be about 400CND or 250GBP

So I am wondering if it is worth doing that?

I wonder if taking the guts out and shipping those would be easier and have someone toss it all into a tower when I got there.
Or if I should just buy a 2nd hand/rebuilt one when I get there..

Anyone know what a rebuilt goes for there, or how much it would cost to have my parts stuck into another tower?

Thoughts?



computerlove
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27 Aug 2010, 8:29 pm

how about ground shipping? I've sent lots of Huge boxes all over the country using ground service. Cheap!
My bro' sent me a box full with stuff and books and was like $10 bucks (ok, here in mexico). Everything arrived safely.
A friend sent a whole desktop across the whole country (~3,000km) wrapped in towels!
Down here even buses(i.e. similar to Greyhound) have cheap transport.


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Surya
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27 Aug 2010, 9:50 pm

computerlove wrote:
how about ground shipping? I've sent lots of Huge boxes all over the country using ground service. Cheap!
My bro' sent me a box full with stuff and books and was like $10 bucks (ok, here in mexico). Everything arrived safely.
A friend sent a whole desktop across the whole country (~3,000km) wrapped in towels!
Down here even buses(i.e. similar to Greyhound) have cheap transport.


Ohh..

I should have probably said I am in Canada.

I usually ship ground.. but can't this time around.

Thanks for responding though.



CTBill
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27 Aug 2010, 9:58 pm

Surya wrote:
I should have probably said I am in Canada.

Will its power supply operate on 240V 50Hz?

If not, no reason to waste money shipping that (which is one of the heavier items)--you'd have to get a new one anyway.



EtherealTiger
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27 Aug 2010, 10:43 pm

judging from your post it doesn't seem like this pc is anything special, effort, skill, and hardware-wise. And the power supply issue like above, Europe has the different voltage.



iceb
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28 Aug 2010, 1:02 am

Image the hard drive and buy a new or secondhand box when you get here, You would almost certainly be better off at Uni with a laptop anyway.


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28 Aug 2010, 5:00 am

Modern PSUs just need a change of cord. Check the back for a recessed red(or maybe black) switch. It probably says 120 on it. Flipping that will switch to european standards. Then you will need a cord, 5 pounds in cost likely(they are 10 or so in Canada).

Failing that, ship the computer and get a new PSU.


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28 Aug 2010, 6:22 am

Do you live in the US? If so, then you should be aware that the standard voltage is different in Europe. In the US, the voltage coming through any given power outlet is 110 - 120 V. In Europe it's 220 - 240 V. If you're taking a computer from the US to Wales you will need a different adapter or else it will get fried.


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zer0netgain
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28 Aug 2010, 9:11 am

Imaging the HDD has issues unless the new box has identical hardware.

Still, you can copy all your important files to an external HDD and just move the files into a new PC.

Double check on shipping. Are you sure there are no cheaper options to get it to Canada? How are you going, could you bring it with you (clothes would be cheaper to replace than a PC box).



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28 Aug 2010, 9:15 am

Fuzzy wrote:
Modern PSUs just need a change of cord. Check the back for a recessed red(or maybe black) switch. It probably says 120 on it. Flipping that will switch to european standards. Then you will need a cord, 5 pounds in cost likely(they are 10 or so in Canada).

Failing that, ship the computer and get a new PSU.
I second this Fozzye dude
Image

btw, what are the specs?


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ladyrain
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28 Aug 2010, 10:11 am

iceb wrote:
Image the hard drive and buy a new or secondhand box when you get here, You would almost certainly be better off at Uni with a laptop anyway.

I'd second this.
Get an external hard drive, copy your current drive. Get a pen-drive too if you haven't got one. Make sure you've got a note of any important logins and passwords.
There will be computer facilities at Uni, so you won't be completely stuck, but unless you already know where you'll be lodging, you might find space at a premium, and a laptop will give you more options to work where it suits you.



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28 Aug 2010, 12:07 pm

zer0netgain wrote:
Imaging the HDD has issues unless the new box has identical hardware.

Still, you can copy all your important files to an external HDD and just move the files into a new PC.



Or she could bring the harddrive with her..?


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Surya
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29 Aug 2010, 12:58 am

Hey guys.. sorry for my slow response time - for some reason I was not getting updates on this thread.

And sorry for not saying it has the power switch - I was tired and today scattered

Power

CTBill wrote:
Surya wrote:
I should have probably said I am in Canada.

Will its power supply operate on 240V 50Hz?

If not, no reason to waste money shipping that (which is one of the heavier items)--you'd have to get a new one anyway.


EtherealTiger wrote:
judging from your post it doesn't seem like this pc is anything special, effort, skill, and hardware-wise. And the power supply issue like above, Europe has the different voltage.


No, but my 22W monitor is great for porn....

and I have it set-up how I like it, very visual cued for me
and I hate my laptop


Hard drive
iceb wrote:
Image the hard drive and buy a new or secondhand box when you get here, You would almost certainly be better off at Uni with a laptop anyway.


Thinking just ripping out my Hard drive..


Fuzzy wrote:
Modern PSUs just need a change of cord. Check the back for a recessed red(or maybe black) switch. It probably says 120 on it. Flipping that will switch to european standards. Then you will need a cord, 5 pounds in cost likely(they are 10 or so in Canada).

Failing that, ship the computer and get a new PSU.


Thats one thing I was wondering, how much the cords were ..
and were can I get oone?
I went to staples, no luck finding one..

So your an expat in Canada?

LordoftheMonkeys wrote:
Do you live in the US? If so, then you should be aware that the standard voltage is different in Europe. In the US, the voltage coming through any given power outlet is 110 - 120 V. In Europe it's 220 - 240 V. If you're taking a computer from the US to Wales you will need a different adapter or else it will get fried.



Yup.. That I know.. but I am in Canada ;)

OT

Never heard this one before:

There once was a man from Nantucket
Who took a big $hit in a bucket.
He was kind of a dummy,
And the $hit looked so yummy,
He ate it all up and said "Fu¢k it!"


just the one on sucking..



Surya
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29 Aug 2010, 12:58 am

zer0netgain wrote:
Imaging the HDD has issues unless the new box has identical hardware.

Still, you can copy all your important files to an external HDD and just move the files into a new PC.

Double check on shipping. Are you sure there are no cheaper options to get it to Canada? How are you going, could you bring it with you (clothes would be cheaper to replace than a PC box).


Not going to Canada.. going to Wales. from canada..

So far, that is the cheapest I have found
I plan on copying over to external..and emailing some stuff to myself

I can't place it into checked bagage, it has to be shipped - and if I could put it into checked baggage, and forget about clothing...
that would be a taught call..
I hate hate shopping for clothes..

Would much rather shop for toys..then clothing..
But I have this b***h well trained and it does what I need it to do..
and my laptop... is 'pretty'.. but useless for the way I treat it
the machine is fine - runs wow.. does a bunch of crap.. but it doesn't fill my needs - it crashes.. and it has a layout I cannot adjust to..

ladyrain wrote:
iceb wrote:
Image the hard drive and buy a new or secondhand box when you get here, You would almost certainly be better off at Uni with a laptop anyway.

I'd second this.
Get an external hard drive, copy your current drive. Get a pen-drive too if you haven't got one. Make sure you've got a note of any important logins and passwords.
There will be computer facilities at Uni, so you won't be completely stuck, but unless you already know where you'll be lodging, you might find space at a premium, and a laptop will give you more options to work where it suits you.


Yea I am not certain how big the room is.. but I am not brining much of anything else.. clothing, bedding.. electrical gadgets..


kra17 wrote:
zer0netgain wrote:
Imaging the HDD has issues unless the new box has identical hardware.

Still, you can copy all your important files to an external HDD and just move the files into a new PC.



Or she could bring the harddrive with her..?


Thats what I am thinking.. yanking it out.. packaging it and my monitor with things I cant take on plane and shipping those..
be done with it..




Thanks all...



Fuzzy
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29 Aug 2010, 3:39 am

Surya wrote:
Thats one thing I was wondering, how much the cords were ..
and were can I get oone?
I went to staples, no luck finding one..

So your an expat in Canada?


No I am Canadian. But I am a member of an expat forum. Its mostly Brits coming to Canada. I answered the question in reverse several times.

Get the cord when you arrive in Wales. In fact, the cords are probably available free from a recycle program. You'll need two of course; one for your monitor as well.

If you really want, you can get a travel conversion kit from future shop, best buy, walmart or places like that. But its going to be more expensive than a cord and you will need two of them.

As far as sourcing new cords in the UK, perhaps Maplin sells them(though I dont really know). Perhaps send a private message to keith here at WP, hes knowledgeable about computers.


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ladyrain
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29 Aug 2010, 7:31 am

Surya, hope you like Wales and enjoy Uni. :)