Tuesday’s Tech Tips of the Week : Transporting Your Gaming Rig

Welcome to Tuesday’s Tech Tip of the Week! This week’s tip is all about transporting you gaming rig/equipment safely and hassle free. Recently the GamerFront crew traveled to Purdue University In Indiana for the semi-annual BoilerFrag, a LAN event Hosted by Purdue University Gamers Group, or PUGG for short. Being a LAN event we of course brought all of our own gaming equipment, which can get pretty hectic for the more equipment you have. Today we’ve got some tips for you out there, just in case you decide to head to a LAN event of your own!

• Tip 1: Remove any disc that is in your drive, whether it’s and Xbox 360, PS3, or PC. Always, and I mean always check the disk drive before moving your equipment, no matter how short the distance. Leaving a disk in the drive can either severely scratch the disk, get it stuck in the drive, or most likely both.
• Tip 2: : When detaching the Ethernet cable from your game console or PC, tape down the plastic clip with a small piece of tape (scotch tape works best, it will leave little or no residue after removing). This does two things: it prevents the clip from breaking, and allows you to pull the cord without it snagging.
• Tip 3: Use appropriate methods to carry everything. A friend of mine uses a duffel bag for transporting his Xbox, granted it works, but throwing everything in a bag loose is never a good idea. Just make sure everything is snug and fits neatly in whatever bag or case you are using.
• Tip 4: This one mainly pertains to PC gamers. At least 5-6 hours (I generally do it the night before) before you plan on leaving with all your stuff, make a list of every component used to make system operational. This includes wires, external hard drives, headsets, games, and everything you use to game. Be sure to write it all down. Then unplug everything, set it aside, and look at your list to make sure it’s all there. Then pack everything while checking the list and crossing off every item as it’s loaded. Once everything is packed, look at your list if you haven’t forgot anything everything should be checked off.

I hope that can help all of you traveling gamers out there. For gamers who are getting married, a Toronto bachelor party is perfect for you and your friends. If you have any questions, or to suggest new Tuesday’s Tech Tips of the Week, feel free to send us an email! See you next week!