What is the average life expectancy of a desktop computer?

Question

Just want know, because my computer is starting to break down more often. I think this one's more than 6 years old already.

Answer 1

Like a chain, a computer runs until the weakest vital link breaks. Generally the moving parts. So generally the hard drives go first, followed by a system fan or monitor. For hard drives, they usually last 5-9 years on average if the have an OS on them (are used often)  

Answer 2

It depends really. I've seen original 8086 computers still running. Computers are like cars...parts will go bad, it just depends on how much money you are willing to spend to keep it going.

For me, 6 years old is to old. I wouldn't waste money on fixing or even upgrading. Chances are you maybe have a p4 proc, DDR ram, and an agp slot.  Time to save money and upgrade to a new pc which in the long run will be cheaper than trying to upgrade or replace parts.

Answer 3

well there are different parts of the computer that have different life expectancy rates... it also depends on how much you use it as life expectancy is usually calculated in hours... the sturdiest part of a PC is the processor which I do believe has a lifetime of about 8-10 years, but then there are other parts that should be replaced more often... as a general rule it is recommended to update your computer every 2-3 years to keep up with the technology... to stay on top of it, be ready to upgrade parts like video cards more often...