Airplane travel with SSF, with liquid cooling??

Gnarlyshred

Efficiency Noob
Original poster
Mar 20, 2018
5
0
Hi, I am planning to buy a new gaming pc. After browsing on many options I think two can suite my needs the best, just need a bit of clarification to see if anyone can answer my inquiries.

I actually live in Panama, and I travel once or twice a year to my hometown in Spain. This is my vacation time and I game a lot during this period, this is why I need to be able to travel with my pc. I need a rig that can be transported from one city to the other with me inside the airplane. I thought of course of buying a laptop which there would be no problem with, but on the other hand, I am concerned in upgradability. For this, I thought about the Chronos from Origin PC. I have read the Chronos is just a bit bigger than an original Xbox 360, which can perfectly fit my carry-on luggage. ( I always travel with Iberia, and with my ps4 pro, never had any issues). My only concern about the Chronos is if it would pass the security check on the airport since it has the frosbyte 120 cooling system.

Here is where my main question is, would it pass the security check? would it be better to get a laptop, even though I can`t upgrade it as the Chronos? I will be using it as my main pc, plugged and with a monitor.

Thanks for the help in advance.
 

tinyitx

Shrink Ray Wielder
Jan 25, 2018
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I think the restriction regarding liquids is that an amount of 100ml is allowed per container. But the catch is that the container is meant to be a closed, transparent plastic bag, ready for inspection. Obviously, PC cooling system does not fit this requirement. So, if the security is strict on the rules, then it is not possible. But perhaps in reality, security will allow it to pass.

Regardless, since you only travel between Panama and Spain, it means you only have to deal with these 2 specific airports. Maybe you can just ask them beforehand to get a firm answer. Even though, when you actually go through security, it might vary from one security person to another, you have their official word at least. And, do ask Iberia as well.

PS Using a laptop does not absolutely mean zero upgrade path. Using an eGPU might help.
 

jØrd

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A couple of things come to mind. the 1st would be the pressure differential having your loop go from seal level to 8k feet (cabin pressure) every time you fly. I have no idea if this could cause a problem and i assume any potential problems it could cause would be mitigated by draining the loop prior to travel though. Secondly, vibration. Planes are full of it, i'd have some minor concerns about things vibrating loose just enough to create a minor leak. Again though this is a mitigataeble problem by just draining the loop prior to travel and / or making sure all your fittings are torqued to spec / have a drop of threadlocker on them.
 

Gnarlyshred

Efficiency Noob
Original poster
Mar 20, 2018
5
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A couple of things come to mind. the 1st would be the pressure differential having your loop go from seal level to 8k feet (cabin pressure) every time you fly. I have no idea if this could cause a problem and i assume any potential problems it could cause would be mitigated by draining the loop prior to travel though. Secondly, vibration. Planes are full of it, i'd have some minor concerns about things vibrating loose just enough to create a minor leak. Again though this is a mitigataeble problem by just draining the loop prior to travel and / or making sure all your fittings are torqued to spec / have a drop of threadlocker on them.

Correct me if I am wrong but, by draining the loop you mean the cooling system right? as far as I am concerned the cooling system the Chronos has is: "Frostbyte self-contained maintenance-free liquid cooling system" I dont know how may this apply in this case.

About the vibrations I would make sure things are completely secure and that doesn't bother me as much, it would be my only item on my carry-on and I would definitely make sure everything is tight and secure.

My biggest concern is the security check, cause I don't know how much liquid is actually in the cooling system and I don't know if this system is detachable or not.
 

jØrd

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Correct me if I am wrong but, by draining the loop you mean the cooling system right? as far as I am concerned the cooling system the Chronos has is: "Frostbyte self-contained maintenance-free liquid cooling system" I dont know how may this apply in this case.

Yes, i do but if you have your heart set on an AIO closed loop then you cant drain it so this is moot. Whilst im not 100% sure of the liquid content of any given cooler I would expect there is a very good chance it will be more than 100ml
 

Gnarlyshred

Efficiency Noob
Original poster
Mar 20, 2018
5
0
Yes, i do but if you have your heart set on an AIO closed loop then you cant drain it so this is moot. Whilst im not 100% sure of the liquid content of any given cooler I would expect there is a very good chance it will be more than 100ml

I know this is a SFF forum, but how about a gaming laptop with desktop cpu and gpu? are they worth it? thinking of this as it would definitely solve my problem of transportation. The question is will they last? if its a high end laptop?
 

1461748123

Master of Cramming
Nov 5, 2016
489
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I know this is a SFF forum, but how about a gaming laptop with desktop cpu and gpu? are they worth it? thinking of this as it would definitely solve my problem of transportation. The question is will they last? if its a high end laptop?
With that specs you are looking at a really high price point. The premium in the premiums.
 

1461748123

Master of Cramming
Nov 5, 2016
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1,068
By this you mean its going to cost me and its not really worth it? would it be better to buy a rig in each country?
If you want desktop grade performance, I'm guessing you want top of the line hardware like 8700k and 1080? If that's the case a laptop will definitely cost more than a desktop setup, but not that much to the point that you can afford two desktop haha. It really comes down to you. Personally, I just carry my desktop everywhere I go.
 

Sandez

Chassis Packer
Oct 29, 2017
18
6
I know this is a SFF forum, but how about a gaming laptop with desktop cpu and gpu? are they worth it? thinking of this as it would definitely solve my problem of transportation. The question is will they last? if its a high end laptop?

I've got a gaming laptop with a desktop CPU (8700k, GTX1060, 960 Pro, 32GB Ram) as a work PC. It's a beast and would be about twice as fast as my PC at home in CPU and general running speeds (3770k, GTX 970, SSD, 16GB Ram), but when gaming on it, it's noisy AF. I did it for a couple of weeks but went back to my home, sacrificing a few fps for quietness.

The laptop is great, the CPU, Ram and HDD can be upgraded, but that's about it. Once Intel upgrade their socket, like they do every 2 years or so, then you can't upgrade anymore, and you would only need to upgrade a CPU every 4-5 years. Upgrading the GPU would be either very expensive (read MXM prices) or not possible. And that's all on top of a very premium price, to the point that you could get close to 2 high end desktops for the equivalent.

If you are/were seriously considering a laptop, and are worried about airport security with liquid cooling (I would be worried about moving it around too much, cabin pressures etc and it springing a leak). I would be looking at sticking with air cooling for a desktop PC. You get the power, portability, upgradability and the quietness (if done right) with none of the negatives. The air cooling, if done right, will keep temps at an acceptable level.
 

tinyitx

Shrink Ray Wielder
Jan 25, 2018
2,279
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Yes, i do but if you have your heart set on an AIO closed loop then you cant drain it so this is moot. Whilst im not 100% sure of the liquid content of any given cooler I would expect there is a very good chance it will be more than 100ml
A typical AIO closed loop contains about 130-150ml, AFAIK.
 
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Gnarlyshred

Efficiency Noob
Original poster
Mar 20, 2018
5
0
I've got a gaming laptop with a desktop CPU (8700k, GTX1060, 960 Pro, 32GB Ram) as a work PC. It's a beast and would be about twice as fast as my PC at home in CPU and general running speeds (3770k, GTX 970, SSD, 16GB Ram), but when gaming on it, it's noisy AF. I did it for a couple of weeks but went back to my home, sacrificing a few fps for quietness.

The laptop is great, the CPU, Ram and HDD can be upgraded, but that's about it. Once Intel upgrade their socket, like they do every 2 years or so, then you can't upgrade anymore, and you would only need to upgrade a CPU every 4-5 years. Upgrading the GPU would be either very expensive (read MXM prices) or not possible. And that's all on top of a very premium price, to the point that you could get close to 2 high end desktops for the equivalent.

If you are/were seriously considering a laptop, and are worried about airport security with liquid cooling (I would be worried about moving it around too much, cabin pressures etc and it springing a leak). I would be looking at sticking with air cooling for a desktop PC. You get the power, portability, upgradability and the quietness (if done right) with none of the negatives. The air cooling, if done right, will keep temps at an acceptable level.


Thanks for the advice, I will be thinking about what to get carefully. Since I am not in a hurry a will wait to see if the new graphics cards come to market and prices for the current generation drop down a bit. I would maybe consider getting a beast pc for Panama since its where I spend the most time, and probably getting a less pumped one back in Spain, sacrificing a bit of FPS, but still usable. Laptops sound great but its a bit of a premium.

About the noise, It really wouldn't be an issue since I game with a headset all the time and barely hear outside sounds.
 

lhl

SFF Lingo Aficionado
Nov 16, 2015
121
143
FWIW, I've flown dozens of internationals flights around the world w/ an AIO cooler w/o any problems with security or leaking. I did this first in a custom Pelican case and then in an S4 Mini - IMO that's a non-issue. If you're going to be frequently moving and don't need the highest spec, the new Intel Hades Canyon NUC is really interesting - quad core CPU, just under 1060 GPU perf in a 1.2L/1.5kg package - a bit smaller and cheaper than your laptop options (actually, doing a quick check, a fair bit cheaper than the Origin Chronos you were looking at originally too!) - if you're doing 1080P gaming, seems like it might be the worth looking into (there's a TB3 port as well so you could have some future expandability I guess). Along those lines the ASRock Deskmini GTX's are an option as (maybe see if there's an 8th gen rev?) that's a bit bigger (2.7L), a bit cheaper than the Hades Canyon and has the (expensive) potential future upgrade w/ some MMX options.

Due to GPU component prices, getting a Deskmini or Hades Canyon is about the same price (or maybe even cheaper) than building your own as long as you don't need more GPU power. If you do, the cheapest/smallest mini-ITX system that could fit a mini GPU would be something like the $100 Logic Supply MC600 (4.2L) and a cheap mini-ITX board/chip (you can get an ASRock AB350 mini-ITX and a Ryzen 5 for < $300, L9a for $40) and a HDplex 400 $100, 300/330W power adapter $60. Then it's just a matter of finding a reasonably priced mini (<200mm) GPU.

BTW, IMO the Origin Chronos is in a whole different size class - it's 10.6 liters - still luggable, but waaay bigger than those other options.
 

peachy98

What's an ITX?
Mar 30, 2019
1
1
Thanks for the positive responses about being able to travel with liquid cooling systems since I'm planning something similar (take my PC with me) and wasn't sure about whether to attempt it or give up from bringing my "baby" from the beginning. I'll let you know how it worked out.
 
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MAB941009

Caliper Novice
Jul 8, 2019
28
10
A few forward-thinking strategies:

- Send an email to multiple airports and airlines. Include an image so your concern is clear.
- Also call those airports. Call a few times to see whether responses rely on wriiten policy.
- Post this thread on other forums related to computers or travel in general.
 

SoulTribunal

Caliper Novice
May 19, 2019
27
9
Considering AIOs often get shipped by air, I'd imagine they'd be fine in your checked luggage so long as they're packed with care. You could take out the cooler before you leave and reinstall it when you get back? Or if it's something you built maybe just buy two AIOs sesperately in each country?

Just throwing some ideas out there
 
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curryfishball

What's an ITX?
New User
Dec 16, 2019
1
0
@MAB941009 , how did you get on with travelling with your machine?

Any one here with an AIO travelled to/from UK and Middle East? As hand carry? Hate to put it in to the cargo hold.

Thanks
 

Toontzlicious

Case Bender
New User
Mar 22, 2024
2
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RE water or fluid computer cooling and travel. Though restrictions and policies evolve, travel with any volume of a gel or fluid exceeding 100ml will cause a problem... and the last place I want my H2O rig banging around would be in airline checked baggage (-: You may be able to talk your AIO through one security screening but you are at the whim of security (eg. TSA) at each screening point. Having uncertainty in dealing with or encountering TSA personnel unfamiliar with specialized computer cooling tech is a risk that I admit have left to chance.

In general I agree with lhl above RE international flights and specifically, I have flown from, to and between London, Paris, Rome, Frankfurt ... to Qatar, Morocco, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan without issue but also remained mum not pointing out the AIO. A savvy screener with an eye for that sort of thing could raise the issue but so far for me no problems flying. My only screening issue EVER, was at a land border crossing between Egypt and an easterly neighbour. Perhaps the screener had watched "Die Hard 3" one too many times or did not like the look of my trim. After that annoyance, I now travel with an AC rig.

 

confusis

John Morrison. Founder and Team Leader of SFF.N
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RE water or fluid computer cooling and travel. Though restrictions and policies evolve, travel with any volume of a gel or fluid exceeding 100ml will cause a problem... and the last place I want my H2O rig banging around would be in airline checked baggage (-: You may be able to talk your AIO through one security screening but you are at the whim of security (eg. TSA) at each screening point. Having uncertainty in dealing with or encountering TSA personnel unfamiliar with specialized computer cooling tech is a risk that I admit have left to chance.

In general I agree with lhl above RE international flights and specifically, I have flown from, to and between London, Paris, Rome, Frankfurt ... to Qatar, Morocco, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan without issue but also remained mum not pointing out the AIO. A savvy screener with an eye for that sort of thing could raise the issue but so far for me no problems flying. My only screening issue EVER, was at a land border crossing between Egypt and an easterly neighbour. Perhaps the screener had watched "Die Hard 3" one too many times or did not like the look of my trim. After that annoyance, I now travel with an AC rig.

Dude, the last reply to this thread was four years ago..