Travelling - desktop?

Sudden

Sudden

Sudden

Soldato
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I'm quite likely going to the US for 3 months over the summer. Need to sort everything out still, but I do quite enjoy gaming, Netflix etc. on my desktop and was wondering what my options were. Is it viable to carry things in hand/check-in luggage since that would just be a massive pain (especially monitor, speakers etc.)? Could I rent a temporary desktop or anything in the states? Am I better off just buying a laptop?

Any opinions welcome :) I'm currently thinking it'll just be better to have my work laptop with me (not allowed to install anything) and maybe try and not game for 3 months, lol.
 
Would be a fair bit of faff for 3 months.

I'd say leave it and try to explore a bit instead, could try a streaming service like geforce now if you get too bored.
 
^^This 100%
I spent 3 months in the states last summer and you'll be amazed how easy it is to forget about games when there is so much to explore
Invest in a solid pair of walking boots and a good backpack instead of shipping for a desktop
 
Nvidia Shield tablet and stream? No idea how good it is though. It's not expensive but I agree just get out and explore.

You can always watch twitch or YouTube :p
 
Funny i'll be popping off to germany for 7 months tomorrow

Tbh taking a desktop isnt worth it even for that, laptops have their downsides but lets face it being carted around is exactly what a laptop was built for.

Youd be surprised what you can game on even a modest laptop, sure you wont be playing bf1 at top specs but take the opportunity to revisit some older games, i plan on using the opportunity to actually play half life.

Although as others have said, absorbing some local scenery and culture will be a much more rewarding use of time, especially for a short stay.
 
Sudden said:
Is it viable to carry things in hand/check-in luggage since that would just be a massive pain (especially monitor, speakers etc.).
Click to expand...

You seriously considered that?! LOL.

Monitor under one arm, speakers the other. Using your entire luggage allowance on packaging up a desktop....
 
Haha, I know. But it isn't a holiday. I'm there for work and chances are, will be quite a bit of leaving early morning, back evening/late evening, leaving limited time for other things. Only on weekends will there be a chance to get out and would be nice to be able to chill at home (/hotel/airbnb) as well. Thought i'd see if there were any options for it at least before chucking the idea out!
 
Even a relatively cheap laptop can play a lot of games these days - any half decent laptop CPU is reasonably inline with desktop performance (the GPU can be a bit more of an issue).

These days when I do similar I just take a 10" 2-in-1 Windows tablet though as they are reasonably cheap, do all the desktop stuff fine like netflix and for older games fairly capable.
 
Anywhere in the US will have a glorious summer and you'd be mad for thinking of gaming at all, let alone lugging a desktop all the way over there! :confused:
 
As others have echoed; just don't bother. I once bought a giant suitcase to pack my PC gear up for going to a LAN by public transport. While it was doable for a long weekend, I'd really have struggled with going through an airport etc!

Where exactly are you going in the states anyway? There should be so much more to do than sit and game on a PC. You only get these chances a few times. Do you want to look back in 10 years time and regret spending 3 months in a new country, sitting playing computer games? No. Go out and enjoy a different kind of life for a bit!
 
Notsureifserious? Your desktop has a good chance of being smashed/something ripping out of the motherboard in transit. Being thrown around by luggage people! Don't do it. Bring a laptop that you can protect in many layers of clothing or as hand luggage.
 
Scam said:
Anywhere in the US will have a glorious summer and you'd be mad for thinking of gaming at all, let alone lugging a desktop all the way over there! :confused:
Click to expand...
You aren't going to be spending every last minute doing stuff out and about though - especially if you are there primarily for work. I definitely wouldn't be lugging a desktop with me - especially not my main desktop (as above chances for damage, etc.) a laptop (and probably a keyboard and mouse though you can buy those cheap out there) another story.

Depending on accommodation should be able to hook up to a decent sized screen if needed - remember to take necessary leads and mains plugs as the US works on different standard and voltage.

I dunno if it has changed since I was last out there but for every hotel, etc. I've stayed in that has wifi there was another that only had hardwired ethernet to the rooms and things like 4G, etc. are a whole another story in the US compared to what we are used to here - so things like a LAN port and/or USB dongles for ethernet might be worth a consideration depending on accommodation.

EDIT: Renting a desktop system in the US used to be a thing - I considered it when I went out there for some LAN/gaming events - but for some reason there were reasons not to - it was awhile ago though so I can't remember specifics - I believe it was a mixture of stupid prices for anything that was remotely specced for decent gaming performance and too long minimum contract lengths.
 
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