(TRAVEL) Taking your SFF build on a plane and getting it past Security check

[Hellrazer]

starting this thread to collectively come up with ways to travel with your SFF build across countries ...

SFF are quite travel friendly and its not a big hassle to carry them in a bagpack with portable screen and power source and there are tons of video 's on youtube of people travelling with their compact builds ...
but has anyone tried taking them to airport as a carry on luggage on a flight ? or getting it through in a suitcase ?

please share your experience in this thread ...
or if you have a general information on how airport security deal with these situations

as i once was called upon for inspection for travelling with a 20000 Mah power bank and after that incident im kinda skeptical to travel with my SFF build

hope this thread helps gathering useful information ..

 

[Stylis10]

For power banks there are quite a few restrictions, I just don't take any so there's no hassle.

As for carry on PC, I do it all the time. I normally carry it around in my carry on bag, I have had various set ups, the only thing that wasn't allowed was a custom water cooling loop (I had to drain the loop, before i was allowed through security). My AIO setup was completely fine, however just to make sure I run everything air-cooled now so there's no problems in the future. But as fast ar carrying a PC goes, to sum it up, you shall be fine.

I should make it clear, all my flights have originated London and gone to Africa (South, East and West), Asia (all over) and South America...I have not traveled to USA with a PC (I cannot advise on this route).

 

[Ankacat]

Last September I traveled within the USA with my mATX Cerberus (air cooling) as an overhead carry-on in a sewing machine bag and encountered no problems with security in either Las Vegas or Omaha.
At the scanning machines the case was just able to fit into the standard plastic bins and ran through just fine, so aside from odd looks and extra inspection from the TSA agents it was treated just like other "large electronics". When the agents were doing the extra inspection I did make a point to let them know how to open the side of the case if required, but it turned out to be unnecessary.

 

[el01]

For power banks there are quite a few restrictions, I just don't take any so there's no hassle.

As for carry on PC, I do it all the time. I normally carry it around in my carry on bag, I have had various set ups, the only thing that wasn't allowed was a custom water cooling loop (I had to drain the loop, before i was allowed through security). My AIO setup was completely fine, however just to make sure I run everything air-cooled now so there's no problems in the future. But as fast ar carrying a PC goes, to sum it up, you shall be fine.

I should make it clear, all my flights have originated London and gone to Africa (South, East and West), Asia (all over) and South America...I have not traveled to USA with a PC (I cannot advise on this route).

My power bank with a fake mAH number on it (form Taobao) was confiscated by Chinese customs when I departed there this summer... Oh well

 

[annasoh323]

I'd be most skeptical of anything with large batteries since I think that's what they look for. I believe that certain battery Wh amounts are acceptable in carry-on and none are allowable in check-in I believe (USA TSA). That's my only $0.02. Subscribing to see what other people say - I shortly plan on having a smaller case that should be more travel friendly.

 

[Gautam]

I’ve traveled to and from the following airports with an sffpc, often with watercooling.

BOS
JFK
EWR
BOI
LAS
SFO
PDX
SEA
LHR
CGN
DEL

Never had much trouble. I recall it being awkward once at Logan when my case (Raijintek Metis at the time) was somewhat falling apart and I had the side panel Scotch taped on. It got that way partially because I once made the mistake of checking it in, which I would recommend against. They also spent a decent amount of time inspecting it in Cologne. Most other trips were uneventful. I just got off a plane an hour ago, and just put the computer in a bin by itself as usual, and it right out of the X-ray without anyone stopping me. That’s the typical case I’m accustomed to.

 

[el01]

I’ve traveled to and from the following airports with an sffpc, often with watercooling.

BOS
JFK
EWR
BOI
LAS
SFO
PDX
SEA
LHR
CGN
DEL

Never had much trouble. I recall it being awkward once at Logan when my case (Raijintek Metis at the time) was somewhat falling apart and I had the side panel Scotch taped on. It got that way partially because I once made the mistake of checking it in, which I would recommend against. They also spent a decent amount of time inspecting it in Cologne. Most other trips were uneventful. I just got off a plane an hour ago, and just put the computer in a bin by itself as usual, and it right out of the X-ray without anyone stopping me. That’s the typical case I’m accustomed to.

Do you get any weird looks from parents/old people/people in general?

 

[Choidebu]

I'd be most skeptical of anything with large batteries since I think that's what they look for. I believe that certain battery Wh amounts are acceptable in carry-on and none are allowable in check-in I believe (USA TSA). That's my only $0.02. Subscribing to see what other people say - I shortly plan on having a smaller case that should be more travel friendly.

100Whr is the upper limit. With Li-ion powerbank they translate that to about 20000mAh (correct if standardised on 5V USB, wrong because marketing just adds up mAh rating of individual cells sp that it looks big which comes up to ~27000mAh)

 

[chx]

I used to fly with the GTR Tech GT3 SFF ATX case (15.4”x4.25”x12.5” -- 13.4L there's nothing like that any more) long, long ago. It worked real well and noone said anything. I went through countless European and USA airports with it.

 

[riktanius]

I have traveled from DCA to FCO and IAD to FCO with my watercooled Ncase M1 and had no issues. They asked me to pass it through the xray, and then they swabbed the case a bit. Nothing crazy, and i was back on my way in a few minutes.

 

[VegetableStu]

My power bank with a fake mAH number on it (form Taobao) was confiscated by Chinese customs when I departed there this summer... Oh well

how does one test for the true capacity? o_o I have a 10500 mAH power bank that lost all its labels because it faded ._.

 

[el01]

how does one test for the true capacity? o_o I have a 10500 mAH power bank that lost all its labels because it faded ._.

I think they might eyeball the number of cells or the size under the x Ray or something. I'm no expert.

 

[VegetableStu]

I think they might eyeball the number of cells or the size under the x Ray or something. I'm no expert.

oh man that sucks ._. the one I have has a double capacity model and I think they use the same number of cells ,_,

 

[Gautam]

Do you get any weird looks from parents/old people/people in general?

Hah, no. I've actually gotten compliments from security agents on several occasions.

 

[Choidebu]

oh man that sucks ._. the one I have has a double capacity model and I think they use the same number of cells ,_,

Battery tech doesn't advance that fast. 3500mAh cells is only here latter half of last year. 2000mAh cells was here for almost a decade. So we certainly don't have 'double' capacity model.

 

[Makai]

Has anyone ever travelled with a Zaber Sentry in carry on luggage or in checked in baggage? I'm about to move to Australia and I don't know if I can or should bring my white Sentry 1.1. Definitely don't want to ship it in a cargo ship container...

 

[AMv8-1day]

Has anyone ever travelled with a Zaber Sentry in carry on luggage or in checked in baggage? I'm about to move to Australia and I don't know if I can or should bring my white Sentry 1.1. Definitely don't want to ship it in a cargo ship container...

Don't know why it wouldn't. It's plenty small enough, it should fit easily into a backpack. Like everyone else said, I'd shy away from custom waterloops, but otherwise you shouldn't have any problems.

 

[pavel]

100Whr is the upper limit. With Li-ion powerbank they translate that to about 20000mAh (correct if standardised on 5V USB, wrong because marketing just adds up mAh rating of individual cells sp that it looks big which comes up to ~27000mAh)

Do you know if it is a US only restriction or an international one (ICAO's) ?

 

[chx]

International and it's not ICAO, it's IATA. Where the ICAO is a UN agency and about as effective as you could expect from such, the IATA is the cartel of the airlines and their biggest concern is to develop safety standards because accidents are expensive in every possible way. Hence DGR, IOSA, lithium batteries and so forth.

 

[polarium]

Has anyone ever travelled with a Zaber Sentry in carry on luggage or in checked in baggage? I'm about to move to Australia and I don't know if I can or should bring my white Sentry 1.1. Definitely don't want to ship it in a cargo ship container...

Have travelled before US -> JP -> IDN, no problems at all.

No one batted an eye at my Sentry 1.1 (full build with Mobo, GPU, PSU, everything), as it fit my backpack. No one said anything to me and just let it pass through, though in Japan they asked me to take out my PC in a separate bin but after that nothing. So for the Sentry you're good to go!

I think for batteries it's different as they can be active when used for charging and could explode, resulting in a hazard. However PCs shouldn't be a hazard.