How to pack and transport a desktop PC (tower) on a flight when moving to Da Nang, Vietnam?

One traveler successfully carried a disassembled GPU, motherboard, CPU, and RAM in hand luggage, wrapped in bubble wrap. They bought a new case and CPU cooler cheaply after arriving in Da Nang.

Security or customs may ask you to take a disassembled PC out of a backpack for another scan. In one case, however, a monitor, two laptops, a keyboard, and other electronics in checked baggage drew no attention; another recent arrival reported no questions or unpacking at all.

In August 2026 travelers preparing to move decided to put their PC tower in a suitcase as checked baggage. Before that they planned to remove the graphics card, the CPU cooler and possibly the RAM and carry those in hand luggage, fill the inside of the case with bubble wrap and cushion it with clothes in the suitcase. One of their computers has liquid cooling; they decided to remove it and buy a new one locally because, in their words, a liquid cooler cannot go on the plane — check the airline's rules on liquid coolers yourself.

In July 2026 a participant advised breaking the PC down into components. The heavy power supply, the RAM and the SSD, which are not sensitive to shaking, can go in the suitcase. The graphics card, motherboard, cooling and any HDD he would definitely keep in carry-on. The case and monitor, he suggested, are better bought and assembled locally.

You do not have to take it fully apart. In July 2026 a participant suggested putting the CPU cooler and power supply in checked baggage as well and buying only a case and monitor locally. In October another participant advised removing the graphics card, RAM and SSDs and checking in everything else, well packed. In September travelers planning their move intended to carry the graphics card and SSD by hand and leave the case and monitor behind to buy locally.

Monitors are trickier. In July 2026 someone asked whether a monitor could go in a suitcase, tightly padded with clothes. In August a participant mentioned using the original foam packaging and plenty of bubble wrap, and warned that a monitor larger than 24 inches probably will not fit in a suitcase. In September another traveler concluded that a 27-inch monitor could not be transported and planned to buy one locally.