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How to build a desktop computer for air travel in a suitcase?


by @neutron 8yr  | 14 comments

Hi,

Just wondering whether any of you travel with high powered PCs while youโ€™re travelling?

Iโ€™m in the middle of buying myself a Mini ITX machine. It will be faster than my current desktop and small enough to fit in my suitcase (hopefully).

Any ideas about how to travel with computer equipment?

Iโ€™m thinking to buy an LCD in the country Im staying in so dont need to travel with that.

Then Iโ€™m thinking I will disassemble the PC before travel and reasssemble when I get there.

Interested to hear if anyone else is going through the same thing.

Cheers

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I already have been thanks to you lol.

and I like this one, Playstation level form factor :slight_smile: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NE-Tk5uzDA0

but yeah Iโ€™m gonna accept that I may need a new GPU, SFX PSU and possibly optical drive to go along with that mobo

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thanks for the mini ITX mention. Iโ€™m seriously considering it now since I can re-use a lot of the same components. May have to get another GPU though. I just moved with the machine that I have now, for overseas moves where you have access to someone giving you a ride itโ€™s ok but itโ€™s still too much of a pain to be a nomad etc.

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@neutron 8yr

If you do go for ITX, you might want to have a look at some previous builds people have done, so you can make sure all the parts go together properly. For instance, these ITX boards need a cooling fan that covers the whole board, rather than water cooling (that just encases the CPU. Mainly because ITX runs a lot hotter and larger surface area (due to the small size/form factor).

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@hjbarraza 8yr

Disclosure: My work doesnโ€™t require me to have a power-computer. My current MBA is more than sufficient.

I spent the day doing some research, and after giving it a lot of thought, I discarded both a custom desktop setup and a maxed out MBP.

Instead, Iโ€™ll keep my MBA and also get a Lenovo Y50 that supports a very decent gaming experience AND is hackintosh compatible.

The Y50 has enough power to support any extra work that my MBA canโ€™t. But to be honest, it will be used mainly for gaming. This use didnโ€™t justify paying for a high end MBP.

On the bad side, Iโ€™ll be traveling with three laptops now: Toshiba Chromebook 2 (light writing on public spaces), MBA for everything else and now a Lenovo that will be used as desktop replacement.

If you happen to have any other affordable gaming laptop that supports hackintosh, please let me know.

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@levelsio 8yr

Iโ€™d totally go for a maxed out MacBook Pro, but respect that youโ€™re going for a mini ITX haha! Must be better for gaming too :smiley:

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Iโ€™m in the same boat but even Iโ€™d rather do a laptop at this point. This is the one I built in 2011 and Iโ€™m still using it. https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfa1/v/t1.0-9/205903_2180670989722_3855637_n.jpg?oh=64f1a59ad118a224c38c2ef5ba4fa25a&oe=56EE6764&gda=1457753487_916fa8dcc2ce002cdc06ed8655dffe5e

it doesnt sit inside of a suitcase but its relatively small enough to not be too much of a bother to stack on top of my larger wheeled suitcase and take somewhere. The density also means that thereโ€™s less room for things to bounce around in there and break in transit.

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@hjbarraza 8yr

If you guys come up with a nomad-friendly power-setup, let me know.

I spend 4 - 6 months per destination and I would definitely love to have a desktop. I already buy and sell a new display/tv every time.

Thnks

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@neutron 8yr

Iโ€™m rebuilding because of the release of this - https://www.asus.com/Motherboards/Z170I-PRO-GAMING/

This will take the newest skylake processor 6700k, and newest gfx cards (if gfx is youโ€™re thing)

It makes it possible to (finally) get some serious horsepower inside a small form factor (mini itx) - basically same size as a laptop, but as fast as the fastest desktop.

So, it should be easily possible to fit this inside a suitcase (I will keep all the original boxes and then pack them and rebuild the PC at each destination - Companies ship all the time with these boxes and never get broken components/hard drives, so Iโ€™m sure they should be able to handle it?)

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@dvc 8yr

See: https://travel.stackexchange.com/questions/16266/can-i-bring-my-desktop-computer-as-check-in-baggage-on-a-flight (and related) for discussion of travelling with a desktop in checked baggage. TLDR: pack it well, and you should be fine.

Carrying it on the airplane is another option if itโ€™s small and light enough: see http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/travel-technology/1099232-carry-desktop-computer.html (and related).

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@neutron 8yr

Thanks for this dvc, really useful :slight_smile:

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It sounds ridiculously and unnecessarily complicated to me. And if you ever have to check it, good luck seeing it all again. Or replacing a part that is lost or damaged.

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@neutron 8yr

Hi wanderingdev,

Just wondering what โ€œcheck itโ€ is? Sorry, not up to speed with these things.

I tend to spend longer than a few months (e.g. 6-12 months) in each destination, mainly out of lifestyle choice.

A laptop is not fast enough to carry out my work, so I have to build my own and carry it with me. Iโ€™ve been driving so far, but plan to do some flying to Asia soon and some other places, so looking for advice.

Just trying to find out whether there are any pitfalls with travelling with this type of equipment? Mini ITX are quite new, so Iโ€™m guessing for a few people they might be quite useful, if they canโ€™t use a laptop for their work. Theyโ€™re small enough to fit inside a suitcase, but there might be some convenient ways people are using to travel with them, such as taking them to pieces before travelling, or some special travel case that can be used.

A PC can be more successful than a laptop if anything goes wrong. if some security guard drops the whole thing, only part of it is broken, and the needed parts can be ordered anywhere.

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Check it = check in your luggage. I would under no circumstances check my laptop or any other equipment I required to perform my job. The odds of it getting lost/damaged/stolen are just too high for me.

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@neutron 8yr

Ahh I see. Yes, I always travel with laptop and ipad in hand, as I can make do with those until shipping parts etc.

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Read and participate in 14,117 discussions on Nomad List

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What are the best places right now in the Caribbean/LatAM? (Also cheapest flights/accommodation?) Asking from the US.

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Hi guys,

After the Netherlands, the Bay Area, Colorado and being on the van life for 8 months, I am now in Sedona, AZ with a few other digital nomads. We are sharing a home here and are wondering if there are more like minded people in the area.

We do a bunch of hikes and campouts in the northern of Arizona. If you would like to connect with us, please do so :)

Val

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Are there any tax issues I have to be aware of?


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Is anyone travelling right now?


by @viktor 3yr 3 years ago  | 3 comments

Winter is coming and Iโ€™m feeling the ache of travelling after being stuck in the same place since the Pandemic started. Wondering if anyone is travelling right now? If so, where are you currently located and how is the situation where you are?

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Can I bring my computer monitor on an airplane and through customs?


by @rfs45 5yr 5 years ago  | 5 comments

Hello dearest nomads,
My girlfriend and I are heading to Argentina for three months, we both work remotely and want to bring our monitors with us.
Does anyone have experience regarding if this will trigger concerns with customs, either for taxes (less important) or lack of work permit (more important).
We both work for my own company which is based in US.
Thanks in advance!

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Do you lock your computer when you get up from it?


by @anon82020850 8yr 8 years ago  | 16 comments

Hi all,

I have noticed that it is very common in coworking places to see computers which are not locked. The owner will get up and go for a walk, or even go out for lunch for a couple of hours and leave their computer unlocked.

I find this strange because it basic gives anyone access to your computer and all the information that is on it - mail accounts, social media accounts, your password manager etc, so it poses a potentially huge security risk.

For me personally I worked in corporates many times and there you can get into big trouble if you leave your workstation unlocked. It is part on my muscle memory now - when I get up I lock the computer. On Windows it is so easy because you can just press Win+L and the computer is locked.

So I am curious - do you lock your computer when you get up? Is it just something you have not thought about before, or do you think no-one will mess with your computer in a public place?

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Can I travel with desktop computer components in my cabin luggage?


by @baia 8yr 8 years ago  | 8 comments

Iโ€™m part of the 0.01% who dislike working on a laptop and require a big fat LCD and desktop keyboard on a huge desk surface, with a large glass of something on the side (you can do that with a laptop too but still).

As Iโ€™m soon moving to a medium town of Peru where modern IT hardware may be hard to get, Iโ€™ll want to bring my main PC components (motherboard/CPU/RAM/HDD/GPU) in my cabin luggage.

Has anyone else in the world done that before and if so are there things to avoid and smart tricks to follow?

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What's better, a backpack or suitcase?


by @patrick 9yr 9 years ago  | 17 comments

I am used to travel with my backpack. A logic choice when you also walk trails and such.
But while traveling for a few months now in South America, I do not walk a lot with my backpack while living as a DN.

So the question came up: Backpack or suitcase for the next travels?
The walk from hostel to the bus terminal is no problem. And a case is so much more accessible to live outโ€ฆ I think.

The case to go for me would be a Rimowa, thรฉ topnotch aluminum one.

What is you experience with a case vs. a bag?

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Advice for computer science major who wants to be nomad


by @jodebane 9yr 9 years ago  | 3 comments

Hello. I am a high school senior in the Northeast USA who will soon be attending college. I have been traveling abroad solo since I was 16, and I have loved every second of it. I am going to major in Computer Science at American University, DC. Itโ€™s not a school thatโ€™s known for Computer Science but I loved the general culture and feel of the campus.

I want to be a digital nomad straight out of college if possible. I canโ€™t stand the thought of having 2 weeks of vacation a year. Iโ€™m most interested in freelance jobs that are web-design related, and where I can make good use of a CS degree.

Is this a good idea? How can I go about doing things in college in a way that will help me prepare for this digital nomad lifestyle? Should I prepare throughout my college life and do freelance jobs when Iโ€™m not doing schoolwork? Is there any good route for this that doesnโ€™t involve doing a regular job first?

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