How to Ship a Motherboard Safely with the Best Techniques and Tips
How to ship a motherboard- Secure it in its original packaging or an anti-static bag, add extra protection, and put it in a sturdy and cushioned shipping box. Close and seal the shipping box, label your package, and get it to the post office or shipping station.
A motherboard is an unusually shaped computer hardware that is also very delicate.
If you are shipping it, you must be careful to ensure it reaches its destination or recipient intact and with no damage.
If you do not know how to ship a motherboard, keep reading to find a detailed guide, practical tips, and a reliable shipping solution.
Table of Contents
What You Need to Prepare
How to Pack a Motherboard
In this guide, you will learn how to ship motherboard safely and efficiently, like a pro. By following these steps, you can minimize the risk of damage during shipping.
1. Secure the Motherboard
The best way to ship any motherboard would be to put it in the packaging it came with.
If you have it, put the motherboard inside and skip to step 2.
If you don’t, put the motherboard in the anti-static bag and seal with tape.
This will prevent the build-up of static electricity, which may damage the motherboard because of the electrostatic charges.
Once the motherboard is in the anti-static bag, loosely bubble wrap the exterior for extra protection.
Use multiple layers and seal the bubble wrap to remain in place during transportation.
If you have socket covers, you can use them to protect the motherboard’s sockets before packing to prevent possible damage to the pins.
However, if you don’t, there should be no harm provided you secure the motherboard adequately.
2. Box the Motherboard
Layer the shipping box with bubble wrap or anti-static foam and then place the motherboard inside, whether in its original case or bubble-wrapped.
Depending on how large your shipping box is and the layer of protection on your motherboard, empty spaces may be left.
If there are any, add more packing material, ensuring the motherboard sits snug.
Attempt to close the box and shake it gently to determine that there is no inside movement.
If you feel any, add more packing material until you can’t hear or feel any movement.
Once you ensure that the motherboard is intact in the shipping box, close and seal the box adequately on the top, bottom, seams, and flaps.
An “H” sealing method works best, which is what shipping companies prefer on most boxed shipments.
3. Label Your Package
You will need to provide essential details about your package for the shipment company.
Make sure to include your address details and those of the recipient too.
You can take extra precautions, label the package as “Fragile”, and pass packaging tape over the label.
The tape prevents the details from smearing and keeps the label intact.
4. You’re Ready to Go
Now your package is ready for shipping.
You can wait for the post person to pick it up if you have scheduled a pickup or drop it off at the nearest post office or shipping station.
How Much Does it Cost to Ship Motherboard?
Different shipping companies or courier services charge differently when shipping motherboards.
However, the primary considerations will usually be the weight/size of your shipment, the kind of service you want to use, and the shipment’s destination.
You should have around $10-$15 for one motherboard shipment, but you can also find lower or higher charges.
Motherboards are generally light, but heavier packages usually cost more than lightweight ones, for example, shipments with several motherboards.
If your shipment is big, you will pay more than if it is small.
Since international shipments attract import duties and customs charges, shipping companies will usually require you to pay more for them than with domestic/local shipments.
You also pay more shipping fees if you use an express service over a standard one.
Express service deliveries are done faster than standard service deliveries.
Domestic and international motherboard shipments will usually take a day to a week.
The Cheapest Way to Ship Motherboard
To reduce the costs of shipping your motherboard, your best choice would be to take advantage of discounts.
You can get discounted rates using a shipping company’s services but via shipping software.
To cut your costs, use USPS and Pirate Ship as the software to obtain the postage and shipping labels.
You will need to know the weight and size of your package beforehand since these are details you will have to provide.
To use Pirate Ship, you must create an account if you don’t have one and then log in.
Once you are on the page, you will need to fill in the required details, and from the “Get Rates” tab, you should see different discounted prices for various USPS services.
Choose one depending on your needs.
Final Thoughts
The motherboard features various protruding parts that are vital for its functioning.
Because of that, it can be susceptible to damage when being shipped.
If you are sending one out for shipping, you must ensure that you package it correctly for it to reach its destination or recipient in the best condition.
By using our guide and the tips above, you will be able to ship a motherboard safely.
If you liked or enjoyed this article, kindly share the post with others.
