How long should a laptop last?
This is a concern everyone has when they’re out, ready to buy a new one. Who wants to spend hundreds of dollars on a laptop that might break down in a year?
We’re here to dispel those rumors and break down the lifespan of a laptop. Continue reading our list below to understand the average laptop lifespan and the factors that affect it:
What Affects the Lifespan of a Laptop
How long should a laptop last? The average laptop lifespan can go from two years to five. It depends on multiple factors, each of which we’ll discuss below.
You can expect a laptop to last much longer if you use it solely for social media, web browsing, emails, and viewing on YouTube or Netflix.
Types of Laptops
The first factor to consider is the type of laptop you use.
Depending on usage, a low-end notebook will last from two to four years. These can heat up rather quickly, and their batteries don’t last as long as some heavyweight options in the market.
Mid-range to high-end gaming laptops, which are also suitable for video editing and professional use, can last an average of four years, depending on battery life, maintenance, and usage. Remember that you need to pour extra care, or they’ll break down much faster.
Then there are laptops for school use, like the ones available at Laptops Champ. These can last half a decade if you use them solely for studying.
Usage
As mentioned, a laptop can last well beyond the two-year point if you use a laptop solely for browsing and watching. Simply use a cooling fan underneath it, and don’t forget to take care of its battery to prolong its lifespan.
Don’t worry too much about gaming laptops, despite their heavy usage. Manufacturers make these with heavy use in mind.
If you use a gaming laptop for hours, you can expect it to show wear and tear after two years. By then, it’s time to start replacing a few parts and adding memory (RAM) to keep up.
Care
Maintenance will be another factor that affects the lifespan of a laptop. Make it a habit to open up your laptop and clean it out every few months if you don’t know how hire an expert to do this for you.
Clean the exhaust fans, remove dust underneath the keyboard, and always check the internal components. Make it a point to run a temperature check on the processor and GPU.
Make it a habit to clean your laptop of viruses and malware too. These can consume space on your hard drive and will slow down your unit too. Both of these lead to hardware issues and overheating.
Battery Lifespan
The lifespan of a laptop relies heavily on the battery. However, every battery has a maximum number of cycles. For example, most batteries can handle 500.
One cycle is when the battery depletes from 100% to zero. Going from 50% to zero and then back to a complete charge counts as half a cycle.
You can help your laptop’s battery last longer by charging it before it completely depletes to zero. As soon as it reaches a full charge, disconnect it and allow it to run on battery life. Avoid plugging your laptop to prevent overheating and breaking its charging cycle.
Age and Hardware
How long will a laptop last? This can also depend on the unit’s capabilities and hardware limitations.
If you buy a laptop in 2021, it won’t last long if it runs on a 70 GB SSD hard drive, 2 GB RAM, and an old Intel Celeron processor. Even if you only need it for browsing and opening emails or documents, this kind of laptop won’t be able to run apps and operating systems in a few years. It’s outdated even by today’s standards.
Look for a laptop that lets you upgrade some of its parts. Not many laptops do this so it’s a luxury when you can get one.
Gaming Laptops
Gaming laptops — which you can also use for high-end video or audio editing or animation — are the exception. Developers make these laptops with heavy use and demanding software in mind. They know users will keep these on for hours and implement design changes to adjust for this.
However, this doesn’t make gaming laptops sturdy immortals. They will still wear down after the two-year mark. To make them last longer, manage your battery cycle, clean the internal components, and upgrade the parts you can.
If you can, don’t install too many games on the laptop. Use a digital library like Steam or the Epic Games store and only download or install the games you actively play. This will reduce processing stress, preventing the laptop from overheating.
Laptops on Life Support
What can you do when a laptop’s battery dies? At this point, it’s better to buy a new laptop simply. However, you can still get some use out of the unit by keeping the laptop plugged in.
Unfortunately, this does mean you can’t take it around with you. The laptop will lose its portability. However, it can still function as a desktop replacement.
How Long Should a Laptop Last?
So, how long should a laptop last? On average, it should last you over two years, but good maintenance can stretch this to four or more. Of course, this also depends on your laptop’s model and hardware limitations.
Keep it clean, use a cooling fan, and always run diagnostics to ensure your laptop doesn’t die quickly. If you have to, bring it to a professional for maintenance.
Do you want to learn even more tips and tricks to take better care of your laptop and make it last longer?
We’ve got exactly what you need. Feel free to explore more of our tech posts and lists right here to learn more!
