Last updated: October 28, 2026
How to ship a computer comes down to four steps: back up your files, take out or brace the graphics card, pack the tower in its original box inside a larger box (or in 3 to 4 inches of bubble wrap in a sturdy carton), and send it by ground parcel.
In 2025 rates published by Red Stag Fulfillment, the lowest ground price for a boxed tower ran from $40.24 (a mini tower shipped within the Los Angeles area by UPS) to $215.74 (a full tower from Los Angeles to New York by FedEx Ground). A shipping service fits better when the computer travels with a desk and monitors.
Ground rates for a boxed tower in 2025, by size and carrier:
| Tower size | Box and packed weight | Within Los Angeles (lowest) | USPS Ground Advantage, LA to NY | UPS Ground, LA to NY | FedEx Ground, LA to NY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mini tower | 20 x 10 x 20 in, 20 lbs | $40.24 | $102.25 | $101.24 | $104.48 |
| Mid tower | 24 x 12 x 24 in, 30 lbs | $54.55 | $120.65 | $143.49 | $149.41 |
| Full tower | 28 x 15 x 28 in, 40 lbs | $100.92 | $279.25 | $216.76 | $215.74 |
These are retail ground rates from Red Stag Fulfillment’s 2025 rate comparison for the tower only, each declared at $1,000 and packed with about 4 to 6 inches of space between box and case. The local column is the lowest carrier for each size (UPS for the mini and full tower, FedEx for the mid tower). Carriers change rates every year, so price your own packed box before you buy a label.
Pricing shown is based on national averages. Actual cost will vary based on origin location, delivery location, access, weight, volume, added services and details specific to your estimate.
The full tower is where carriers split most: USPS was highest at $279.25. A monitor or laptop goes in its own box and is charged separately. Box size often matters more than weight, because carriers bill large, light boxes by dimensional weight; our TV guide shows how to measure a box before you buy a label. On its own, the cheapest way to ship a computer is usually a ground parcel service.
Packing every part separately sounds safer, but the bill follows the box. In Red Stag’s 2025 UPS Ground figures, a boxed mid tower cost $55.29 within Los Angeles and $143.49 to New York. The same mid-size PC with its parts padded separately needed a 27 x 26 x 40 inch box (35 lbs), and UPS charged $480.40 locally and $643.80 to New York. The box was roughly four times the volume, and carriers bill big boxes by dimensional weight.
Red Stag advises removing only the parts at risk of coming loose. Brace or remove the heavy components, pack them in a small box inside the main carton, and keep the tower in one snug box.
Start with the data, because no carton protects files. Copy what you need to an external drive or cloud account and keep that copy with you, not in the shipment. FedEx states that for data storage media, its liability for lost electronic data is limited to the cost of the medium itself: a replacement drive, not your files.
Next, decide about the graphics card. A large card hangs off one slot and a rear bracket, so hours of road vibration can flex it against the motherboard. Either take it out and box it in its anti-static bag, or leave it installed only if you can brace it and fill the case with foam or air pillows so nothing inside can move. Treat a tall tower air cooler the same way: remove it, or immobilize it so its weight cannot work the mount loose.
Then secure whatever else can shift. Red Stag lists the drives, power supply, CPU cooler and graphics card as the usual basic disassembly, so make sure the drives sit tight, the power supply is fixed and stray cables are tied down. Pad a tempered-glass side panel with a foam sheet or stiff cardboard. For printers, routers and the rest of a desk setup, see how to ship a home office.
FedEx’s computer packing guide notes that original packaging is usually designed to ship the product once, not several times. If you kept the carton, use it as the inner box and overbox it: choose an outer box at least 6 inches larger than the original in length, width and height, lay 3 inches of packing material on the bottom, and keep at least 3 inches of fill around all six sides. FedEx also says to skip crushed paper.
Without the original box, FedEx recommends one of three methods, and two suit a tower best. One is to wrap the tower on all sides in 3 to 4 inches of bubble wrap and set it in a sturdy box. The other is box-in-box: fit foam corners so there is at least 1-1/2 inches of packing around the computer in the inner box, then size the outer box tight around those corner cushions. Either way, seal every seam with wide tape.
Overbox when you still have the original carton; use foam corners when you do not and the PC is high value.
Remove the stand and any attachments so nothing presses on the panel. Cover the screen with a foam sheet or the original inserts. The original box is the best container; without it, use the box-in-box method above. FedEx’s computer packing guide says to ship a monitor face-down; if it is in its original box, follow the arrows on the carton. Large TVs are a different case and ship upright, because a wide panel flexes.
Each monitor travels as its own parcel, priced by box size, weight and distance. Two or three monitors plus a tower is where one packed shipment starts to beat a pile of parcel boxes, which the small-move section below covers.
Back the laptop up, then ship it in its original box or a carrier laptop box with foam pads above and below; FedEx recommends its own laptop box whenever possible. How much does it cost to ship a laptop computer? It is a small parcel priced by box size, weight and distance, so the quote for your packed box is the real number.
An iMac or other all-in-one is harder, because the screen and the computer are one unit. The original box is strongly preferred. Without it, use the box-in-box method above with foam corners and fill on every side.
For one tower you can pack to the FedEx spec, ground parcel is the best way to ship a computer on its own. You control the packing and get tracking.
USPS has one computer-specific catch. All three tower boxes in the table fit under the USPS Ground Advantage 130-inch length-plus-girth limit (the full tower box measures 114 inches), but each is over 2 cubic feet, which USPS lists as a nonstandard-package fee of $21.00. The mid and full tower boxes are also over 22 inches long, which adds a length fee. Price your exact box with its measurements. Weight caps and UPS and FedEx large-package rules are in our TV guide’s carrier size and weight limits.
A shipping service fits better when you have no box or packing materials, several machines and monitors, a high-value workstation, or a computer moving with furniture. Every Ship Smart estimate includes white glove pickup from the first floor of the home or business. Professional packing is included, with custom crating for high-value items. Price is based on packed weight and the space the shipment uses, with no minimum weight, and delivery can be Will-Call, Curbside or Full Service. See electronics shipping for details. A small office with several workstations or a server rack should look at office moves or server shipping.
Default carrier coverage is small next to what a custom PC costs. Red Stag notes that basic carrier coverage is free and typically up to $100. USPS Ground Advantage includes $100 of insurance.
Declared value sets the carrier’s maximum liability, and Red Stag points out that it is not insurance. Declare the actual replacement value and no more: overshooting means you pay extra and still have to prove the value in a claim. Keep part receipts and dated photos of the build. Third-party shipping insurance runs between 0.5% and 4% of the PC’s worth depending on the terms, per Red Stag. Our TV guide, linked above, covers UPS and FedEx declared-value terms.
With Ship Smart, basic valuation coverage is included with every shipment and additional coverage is available; see our coverage options.
When the tower goes with monitors, a desk, a chair and a few boxes, one packed shipment can replace a stack of parcel labels. Ship Smart moves it as LTL freight: your load shares a truck with other shipments, so you pay for the space it uses. There is no minimum weight, packing is included, and pickup is scheduled 2 to 10 business days after booking, so book at least 10 days ahead.
Across our published routes, a few furniture pieces plus boxes (about 500 lbs) run $600 to $1,650; that is a shipment with furniture in it, not the price of one computer, and the estimator gives your exact price. A lone tower going to another state usually costs less by parcel. That changes once the desk comes along. See our guide to shipping a desk, or how a small move works.
Yes. USPS Ground Advantage takes a boxed tower within its size limit. In Red Stag Fulfillment’s 2025 table, USPS was competitive for mini and mid towers ($102.25 and $120.65 to New York) but the most expensive choice for a full tower ($279.25), so compare UPS and FedEx for a large case.
Take it out if you cannot pack the case tightly enough to hold the card still. If you can fill the case with foam or air pillows and brace the card, it can stay in. Anything you remove goes in its own small box inside the main carton, never loose beside the tower.
There is no single figure. A monitor ships as its own parcel, priced on the packed box’s size and weight and on distance, so measure and weigh the box and get a quote with those numbers. Several monitors with a desk can go in one packed shipment priced by weight.
By ground parcel, a boxed tower ran $101.24 to $279.25 from Los Angeles to New York in Red Stag Fulfillment’s 2025 table, depending on tower size and carrier. If it is going with a desk or monitors, use the estimator to price the whole shipment.
Moving a computer along with furniture or a full home office? See our computer shipping service, get a price from the estimator, or call (866) 333-8018. Ship Smart has handled small moves since 1999 and is licensed, bonded and insured (MC-381032, DOT 2226241).
