Taking PC Hardware Into China

Why doesn't be open up a gold mining farm for World of Warcraft or <insert game title here> and he will be able to buy a new machine in days :p

Definitely get one of these http://www.peliproducts.co.uk/ if he intends to ship.

To be honest your mate would be better off buying a laptop for a couple of hundred quid and selling his PC off here before he goes. Why leave a system in stasis unused for a year, just buy new components when he gets back or of course sell the system here and buy cheap in china with some nice shiny bits and save money overall?
 
Sin_Chase said:
No it's not. Many other solutions, which have already been posted in this thread.

What it boils down to is the last part of your post...he wants to game.

Quite frankly taking PC parts in luggage for a 1 year holiday is ludicrous.
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I've taken my whole PC and 2 x 27" monitors with me to Germany for 2 months. I don't consider it ludicrous what so ever.

Remember his 'holiday' is a working holiday. He probably needs a computer of some sort and hasn't the money for a laptop it would appear.
 
As an official Chinese customs official I can confirm that there is a process in place to deal with this type of request. In my secondary job I work for the airline your friend is intending to fly with and can also confirm the opinion my airline has on his idea. Incredibly, I also hold down a third job working as a Chinese translator and will happily provide my services so that he can understand the websites he will be forced to read in Chinese. Fourthly and lastly I can represent his case against summary execution when he gets caught trying to VPN because he wants to share a 'like' about a frowning cat on Facebook.
 
Diagro said:
Could he not just buy stuff out there? would be cheaper
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Usually not the case in mainland China - most electronic stuff (read: legitimate electronic stuff!) is cheaper here than it is on the mainland due to taxes placed on foreign products. My wife's family always buy their computer/smartphones in the UK rather than in Beijing!
 
Laptop is quite clearly the obvious answer here.

Even if he did take a desktop, doing some teaching he may want to present something using a computer... is he therefore really going to drag his desktop about?
 
Internet cafes. In any place with a population of more than about 20 people, there'll be one.

I had no internet at my flat for the year I was there, due to my landlord being a ... ahem, pain, so just used to go to one of 3 giant internet centres within 10 mins walk. If he's teaching, he'll be near a school/college, guaranteed there will be loads of them for the students. Also, these tend to be used for gaming the majority of the time, as people don't necessarily have high spec machines at home, though I never investigated that side of them.

Quite a few are open 24 hours, and they're incredibly cheap. Downside is not being able to install any VPN software, but I got used to that in the end, and would borrow a friend's laptop with VPN if I was desperate. It might be a little difficult to set up, depends on the centre, some just want your passport, others need to you register an account, but they'll usually give you a card that you can just go in, wave at them with some money, and top up. Sure the school will have someone who could help him in initially anyway.

Seriously, shipping a desktop?
 
i think he would be better off getting a tablet, not like they are expensive, and should be able to do everything he need with it
 
Sin_Chase said:
It's not like he is going to have much online freedom in China. So many cons doing what he intends to do:

Parts wont make it through Customs
Issues at Customs (In China...)
Parts damaged
Parts lost
Parts taking up space/weight allowance

Sell parts, buy laptop/tablet, even the cheapest stuff will get you online. He can build a new PC when he gets back and has money.
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This plus:

Chinese customs will charge him a bomb!

Just get a cheap laptop, easier to travel with!
MissChief said:
Not to mention the great Chinese firewall will limit his Internet usage to Chinese sites. Which are in Chinese. No Facebook, no Skype, no twitter etc.
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Wrong, VPN gets around that.

The only time it becomes an issue is when you search for certain things they don't like you looking at. Even big news stories in China (E.g. a Bird Flu outbreak) will be hard to find info on as you won't be able to access sites even with a VPN and they can and do switch your internet off should you be looking for certain things.

It's generally fine though.
 
I'm a bit late with this reply. But when I moved out here permanently in 2006, I did just that, with my whole PC. Took everything out of the case, and wrapped up the motherboard and graphics card really well in bubblewrap, which went in my suitcase. Peripherals went in my hand luggage, and I carried the box separately (can't remember exactly if I took it as hand luggage or if it went in the hold - but it was an expensive Lian-Li case so wanted to take it with me).

I had no problems with customs whatsoever. In fact, I've brought all sorts of things into China, like food, coffee (100g jar of Gold Blend is £10 here), and they don't seem to care.

From time to time I buy peripherals when I visit UK, but the prices are very comparable these days. Monitors are always cheaper out here. We have plenty of online stores now, including Amazon and NewEgg, which have next day delivery and have the components which you wouldn't find on the high street.

But really, I only took my PC as I was permanently leaving the UK. Seems a lot of hassle for one year, especially as he'll have to buy a monitor and case, Chinese keyboard, etc.
 
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