What's the maximum lifespan of a desktop computer?

Question

Whilst I've since bought a laptop which is handy when I'm at work, I still have my desktop which I bought way back in December 2001. It's worked so well in fact that instead of buying a whole new computer altogether I'm just upgrading it as far as I can at the moment. I guess you could say I'm a little worried that I'll end up spending money on it and then it will pack up! but seriously it's a well kept machine that's equally served me well.

What do you think?

How long does a computer usually last?

It's given me a lot of years faithful service so far!

Answer 1

good for you, those old computers were built to last.

i have converted several to Ubuntu linux. Like a old PII - 400 with 384 ram

what a laugh....works well as a surfing tool, but dont run 10 windows at once.

Answer 2

I have a 1999 800 Mhz desktop running XP. The cpu fan growls a bit and I added ram and a larger hard drive about two years ago. It's working fine. It would be a waste of money to spend more I'm sure. But then I only use it for internet, spreadsheets and wp.

Answer 3

i've only ever had laptops, and i upgrade to a new laptop every year at chirstmas, cuse you cant really upgrade laptops you might as well just get a whole new one. But if i had a ood looking desktop i think i would uprade and just change the moniter and speakers every now and again.

:D

Answer 4

there is no such concept as a lifetime of a computer

if you are periodically updating the box then theoretically its forever.... its a bit like the tale of my fathers axe, Ive replaced the handle twice the blade once, but its still my fathers axe)

anything can be replaced.. there is no concept of one off, hard to find or too expensive parts in the PC world, unlike laptops and Apples.

however by updating your existing system there is a risk that you miss out on overall technological changes. power consumption on modern PC's is dropping dramatically. LCD monitors are less power hungry than CRT's, and arguably as good.

I think there is a good reason to consider replacing the whole box every 10 years or so

hyowever unless you are changin the applciation software then a PC that worked fine 10 years ago should still work fine. if you install more modern software, and or fail to keep the machine virus/trojan free then you will have a problem

Answer 5

It depends on what your definition of last is.

If you mean "structurally", my parents have Commodore computers that are over 20 years old that still run fine.

Problem is, these days, basically every piece of a computer is outdated within 3-5 years.    

Answer 6

Parts will wear out and fail over time. If you keep replacing failed parts, you can keep the machine running forever. Here's a general idea:

Motherboard: 10 years (heat-related failures, capacitors dry out), though the CMOS battery will fail every 3-5 years. You can replace it every two years if you want. Some motherboards do have capacitors that have limited lifespans and may burst or leak though this is basically a problem that has been solved (but you may see it on older P2/P3/Athlon era mobos).

CPU: Theoretically forever. The heat sink compound may dry out in 5 years or so, reducing cooling performance. The heat sink fan may have a very limited lifetime, replace it with a high-quality fan.

Hard drive: 3-6 years (mechanical failure). This is the most failure-prone component because it has the most complex moving parts. Keep backups! Consider a second hard drive with backup software.

Power supply: Very variable (they are designed to fail to protect components, also fan bearing failures). Cheap ones last 2-3 years and then die due to cumulative absorption of surges and spikes. Better to use a cheap power strip with cheap suppressor and let that fail every few years. High quality ones on protected power will last 7 years or more. Fans may fail and need replacement.

Memory: Theoretically forever. Heat may limit its life, but I've only ever seen one case of memory failing in normal use (and I suspect a surge or spike killed it, but have no good way to know).

Graphics card: If it has a fan, 3-5 years. If it has an on-board power supply that doesn't use solid capacitors, its capacitors may fail in 7-10 years (dry out). If not, theoretically forever.

Case: Theoretically forever. It may rust in a few decades.

Monitor: Very variable. LCDs tend to need major repairs or replacements in 3-5 years (backlight wears out).

Keep the computer clean and do basic preventative maintenance (remove dust, check fans) every six months. You should get a lot of service out of it. Heat is the enemy of component life for pretty much all computer components, so keep out dust and make sure the fans are working.

Most computers are junked or stripped for parts due to becoming obsolete.

Answer 7

How long is a piece of string? If it keeps going, just carry on using it. You will probably need to change it to keep up with software developments before it packs up.

Answer 8

you cant really be sure when your comp will die out. and typically it will just be one component at a time. Usually with no overclocking your hardware starts to fail in 5-10 years. you will notice because even though your computer has no viruses it just seems to get slower.

usually the first to fail is the graphics card then the hard drive then the CPU and the RAM and that is when you will want to look for a new computer cause your motherboard and power supply could be next and that might ruin any upgrades you got

Answer 9

It might be cheaper at some point......and the point is usually when it's just too late....to buy a new CPU, and take your old hard-drive out of your old machine, and put it in the new one.

Problem being.....most drives are now connected with SATA, and not IDE leads like they were in 2001.

I'm using my desktop I bought in 2001 now. Upgraded to the max. Still works great....had god knows how many new parts added over the years. It's probably cost me more to keep going than replace.

Answer 10

Well the one I'm using now is about seven years old and it runs 24/7/365. The only time it gets switched off is if I have to do something that requires it!

Answer 11

I have 2 that are 18 years old. IBM and a good old Wang.

They really knew how to build computers.

I mostly use them for games now, but they still run great.

I have had to fix or replace NOTHING.

Quality matters.

Answer 12

my dad bought a windows 98 packard bell computer about 10 years ago and i still have it, works well

Answer 13

Your machine will probably be too slow and obsolete before it wears out. Usually its cheaper to sell an old machine and buy a new one than to upgrade the whole thing. If it works well for you to do it your way then go ahead. I buy a new one every 2 years and sell the old one for about 1/2 what I paid for it; I just like new faster machines. I cant stand to wait for the screen to come up.