Taking Desktop PC overseas, options?

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Maddmatt

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I'm off to New Zealand in two months as a student.

Wondering about taking my PC. I have a desktop PC with two monitors, as I'm a computer science student the two monitors come in handy.
It's also a gaming PC with a steering wheel.

Carrying this on a plane doesn't look a like a good option, especially if it has to go through the thieving luggage handlers in Durban and Johannesburg. Can I get it shipped over safely at a reasonable price?
Maybe selling it and buying a new one there is a better option?

My parents think I should just leave my PC here and get a laptop.
I don't like that idea because, firstly, it's no good for gaming (I'm not wasting money on a high end gaming laptop), and doing work on the tiny screen is frustrating compared to the convenience of a dual screen setup.
I'm sure programmers understand how useful the extra screen space is...
Also, my PC would lose it's value sitting here doing nothing, gaming rigs depreciate so fast so I'm better off selling it if I can't take it with.

So, what are my options? I'll be there for six months, possibly more.
 
I once carried my desktop with me to the UK for more or less the same reason. I didn't take the screen though and was able to 'borrow' one when I got there from the company I was working for (you might even be able to rent a screen in NZ). To make the case lighter, I took the side panels off. I basically just carried it onto the plane as extra hand luggage and had it stowed by the staff. Remember to declare your machine on leaving the country so that you can re-import it easily.

Juice
 
well op few years ago I went to the states and took a comp(just the case) over put in a box and got the fragile stickers everything was in working order and a while back my cousin brought in a comp as student(don't think he paid imports whole student thing).
 
Maddmatt said:
I'm off to New Zealand in two months as a student.

Wondering about taking my PC. I have a desktop PC with two monitors, as I'm a computer science student the two monitors come in handy.
It's also a gaming PC with a steering wheel.

Carrying this on a plane doesn't look a like a good option, especially if it has to go through the thieving luggage handlers in Durban and Johannesburg. Can I get it shipped over safely at a reasonable price?
Maybe selling it and buying a new one there is a better option?

My parents think I should just leave my PC here and get a laptop.
I don't like that idea because, firstly, it's no good for gaming (I'm not wasting money on a high end gaming laptop), and doing work on the tiny screen is frustrating compared to the convenience of a dual screen setup.
I'm sure programmers understand how useful the extra screen space is...
Also, my PC would lose it's value sitting here doing nothing, gaming rigs depreciate so fast so I'm better off selling it if I can't take it with.

So, what are my options? I'll be there for six months, possibly more.
Click to expand...

Hi Matt

I lived in NZ little over a year ago and can promise you that it would be best to sell your current rig and just buy a new one over there. Electronics are much cheaper there than in SA.
If your going to Auckland , the Sylvia park shopping mall in Mt Wellington has a Dick Smith Powerhouse thats got everything you need at very very nice prices.Usually have bargain bins as well for good condition second hand tech. Dick Smith is a chain store so no need for Auckland if your not going there, I just mentioned it because of their bargain bins.

Alternatively you can just browse for second hand rigs on www.trademe.co.nz (NZ equivalent to ebay and bazillion times bigger than SA's bidorbuy).

Or, if your really keen on saving some cash, hire a car for the day (usually around NZ$50) and just drive around suburbs and see if any people left stuff on their curbs to be collected. I was very skeptic about this approach at first, but took a chance once and got a 24'' samsung lcd in full working condition haha. Same goes for furniture.
 
latro said:
Hi Matt

I lived in NZ little over a year ago and can promise you that it would be best to sell your current rig and just buy a new one over there.
Click to expand...

Funnily enough I actually bought my current rig last time I was there, from a store in Auckland city. It was shipped back here with my parents' stuff. This time I'm going alone so I can't just stick it in a shipping container. Couldn't afford a 6 week wait anyway.

I'm actually hoping to buy a car when I'm there. Screw walking to the shops when it rains every 10 minutes...

Juice said:
Remember to declare your machine on leaving the country so that you can re-import it easily.
Click to expand...
How do I do that?
 
Rip your hdd and keep it safe in your carry-on.

Sell everything else and buy in NZ.

The cost of shipping does not justify the effort.

On a side note: I actually physically carried my desktop as carry-on when I went to the UK. Desktop under one arm, laptop under another, smile and wave and take the green line ...
 
bin3 said:
Sell everything else and buy in NZ.

The cost of shipping does not justify the effort.
Click to expand...
+1 Mate recently bought a PC there...works out to about 2-4k less than an equivalent PC here. Maybe take existing gfx & hdd with you.
 
Like others said just take FX card and HD's. Getting a PC there is allot cheaper, than paying the R2000 it will cost you to box it and speed freight it across.

You moving to Auckland North Shore? I see they just had a lovely tornado yesterday.

And dont goto dick smith, they expensive (Retail)

rather go to PB tech http://www.pbtech.co.nz/
 
Last edited:
Elimentals said:
You moving to Auckland North Shore? I see they just had a lovely tornado yesterday.
Click to expand...

One of my friends there was in the shopping centre when it got hit, he saw stuff getting sucked out the doorways :erm:

Yea I wont get ripped off by Dick Smith. I've been there before so I know the shops. Was there for 18 months.

I guess I'd better sell off the rest of my PC then.
 
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