Computers and similar consumer electronics are fragile, but you can't easily see the fragile part by looking at the surface. The inner components are at risk in ways that can't be solved with just a bit of bubble wrap on the outside, and even digging into the system for inner padding can be dangerous. Here are a few concerns for moving to a new location with valuable electronics in tow.

Internal Component Risks

The term "no moving parts" can be deceptive if you're not a part of the tech industry. It refers to mechanical systems that move in order to do their jobs, and has nothing to do with whether something inside the system can move if shaken enough.

There are some expensive components inside a computer and similar devices that can shake during a move on bumpy roads. Expansion cards are the biggest risk, but anything that isn't bolted down well (especially if you're dealing with a homemade, custom system) can become a momentum-driven problem.

Expansion cards are any card that connects to the motherboard using a slot, such as a PCI slot (and its related upgrades, such as AGP and PCIe) found in most modern desktop computers. This includes video cards or graphics cards used for gaming or graphic design, sound cards used to increase sound quality and add additional recording/input functions, and video capture cards that allow video recording without heavy computer burden.

These cards are literally wafer-thin boards that connect to a wafer-thin board. The connecting part is less wide than the rest of the board, and due to the components on many expansion cards, there is added weight around the middle and end of the board. During a bumpy ride, the card can snap at the connector.

To reduce this problem, it's best to remove all expansion cards before a move. Make sure to use an anti-static wrist trap, and store the components inside an anti-static bag.

Padding For Screens

For televisions, computer monitors, and other expensive devices where a cracked screen is one of the most expensive fixes, you need to both stabilize and pad the device. Unfortunately, the wide nature of screens means that there's a wide area that even padding can't protect.

The danger here is corners and other hard, piercing objects. Padding can dampen the impact, but a hard enough push of a piece of furniture's corner or a loose barbell can cause an impact to focus on a specific area.

Standard padding makes the damage less severe, but some companies may not change prices for less severe problems. A displaced projectile can simply pop a whole screen out of a television instead of cracking it, leaving you with the burden of finding someone who can glue (yes, television manufacturers use glue for this) and set the screen again.

Instead of risking any cracking problems, make sure that movers place any screens in a way that faces the side walls of the truck. Nothing else that is smaller than the screens should be in front of the screen, while wider object are less risky because the impact will be displaced to a wider area instead of being a focused pierce.

Contact a moving truck rentals professional to discuss getting help with your move, or to get more tips from experts if you want to do it on your own.

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