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How long do you keep your primary PC/laptop before buying something new?
- Thread starter entremet
- Start date
Until I start running into roadblocks when I want to run recent games I'm really into. Flight Simulator was too much for me this year so I'm basically there.
Though I'm patient enough that I'll wait a year or two, the market seems.. turbulent. My backlog is more interesting to me lately given most new releases that aren't Hades.
On the other hand a few months ago I started playing around with Blender again and was cringing at my rendering times.
Though I'm patient enough that I'll wait a year or two, the market seems.. turbulent. My backlog is more interesting to me lately given most new releases that aren't Hades.
On the other hand a few months ago I started playing around with Blender again and was cringing at my rendering times.
I've had my last PC for 9 years. I changed the GPU once 6 years ago I think.
I bought a new(used one I found on Facebook) one this fall and I bought a RTX 3070 today. I hope it'll last me at least as long as my old PC.
I bought a new(used one I found on Facebook) one this fall and I bought a RTX 3070 today. I hope it'll last me at least as long as my old PC.
Nothing runs Flight Simulator well though. At best, some GPUs can run it at playable framerates.
About 3 to 5 so odd years. Once my laptop slows down to a crawl even with constant cleaning of the junk that slows it, that is the time to get a new one.
"PC" has never only meant machines with Windows.
To answer the question, 8 years and counting.
My last laptop was only 1.5 years, but with the reviews of the M1 MacBook Air and how underpowered my 2018 MBA was feeling I jumped at the upgrade so it's an outlier. Previous laptop was 5 years. Desktop, similarly I picked up a M1 Mac mini as I was tired of hackintosh jankiness for the past year or two. That's a stopgap till Apple releases a more pro oriented Apple Silicon Mac.
otherwise yeah my usual time period is about 5 years.
otherwise yeah my usual time period is about 5 years.
Oh, definitely! I was so close to buying a MacBook air but decided to hold off. The reason I created a hackintosh desktop was because the poor price to performance but with the M1 Macs, it changes everything. Finally, a Mac that actually gives you great performance for the money? Seems like a wild dream. I'm definitely looking forward to upgrading to a 16 inch MacBook this year. If they release the mini Mac Pro, I might get that as well.
Pro tip: Every few months or so, open up your PC, take a can of compressed air, and blow out all the dust / cobwebs that accumulates. It will significantly extend the life of your PC a few extra years easily, and it prevents overheating and slowdown.
I keep my desktop PC for 10 years at a time because I perform regular maintenance on it and I don't play video games so I don't care how dated the graphics card gets. Just built a new one last year that replaced a late 2009 machine.
I keep my desktop PC for 10 years at a time because I perform regular maintenance on it and I don't play video games so I don't care how dated the graphics card gets. Just built a new one last year that replaced a late 2009 machine.
I have a 2018 MacBook Pro and a 2019 2080 Max-Q Razer Blade laptop. I'm expecting to get around 5 years out of each, the MacBook Pro is more likely to be replaced sooner especially with the new chips, probably in 2022.
I've actually moved away from using a desktop computer although I still have my mini-ITX case with a GTX 1080 in it. The reason being that I travel a lot (not as much recently!) and expect to for the foreseeable future so I don't want to invest too heavily into one yet.
I've actually moved away from using a desktop computer although I still have my mini-ITX case with a GTX 1080 in it. The reason being that I travel a lot (not as much recently!) and expect to for the foreseeable future so I don't want to invest too heavily into one yet.
This is a good tip! I prefer to use a powered air blower, as it's better for the environment.
The main limiter on my laptops has always been the batteries. I had my first laptop for 3.5 years, and the battery life was weak from the start, and progressed to terrible. It was this huge Toshiba Satellite and although the battery was swappable, I never bothered to do it.
My Surface Pro 2 eventually became unusable because of the aging battery as well, I'd be lucky to get 2+ hours on a full charge at the end. I think I kept it for like 4.5 years?
I'm now on a Surface Book 2. Battery life is still solid, headed into Year 3 I think? I love this laptop enough to simply swap the battery, I'm not feeling its age at all (plus it was hella expensive), but not even Microsoft will replace the battery. The entire thing is a glue sandwich
My Surface Pro 2 eventually became unusable because of the aging battery as well, I'd be lucky to get 2+ hours on a full charge at the end. I think I kept it for like 4.5 years?
I'm now on a Surface Book 2. Battery life is still solid, headed into Year 3 I think? I love this laptop enough to simply swap the battery, I'm not feeling its age at all (plus it was hella expensive), but not even Microsoft will replace the battery. The entire thing is a glue sandwich
I went through my first two laptops pretty quickly, the first (Acer Aspire) broke after 4 years and the second after 3 years (HP EliteBook), then I bought a Dell XPS 13 which has lasted for five years until now, but I gave it to my girlfriend and have been using a Dell G5 for the last year. Also built a gaming PC this Christmas, though it was my first desktop in many years (like 12 years?).
Until it's not functional anymore. Recently it's been around 3-4 years before something breaks (like hinges, or screen like my last two laptops), and the price of fixing it is almost the same as buying a new one. I'd definitely wait even longer if they didn't break. My current laptop model was already outdated when I bought it years ago, but it does everything I need (browsing the web, basically) super fast, so no need for a new one.
That sounds illegal (Microsoft not replacing the battery), are you sure ? Not to mention ridiculous from a sustainability perspective.
Been using only MacBooks since 2008. I'm on my third one since then (an M1 purchased in January 2021).
5-6 for my desktops, usually with 1 graphics card swap mid way through. My laptop is mainly used for work. I've had it for almost 10 years now. Neither of its batteries holds a charge anymore for more than 5-10 minutes. Switching it over to an SSD put a lot of life back in it, but it's finally starting to show its age.
If you're within the warranty period, they'll obviously fix it for you. And if you're not, they'll "swap the battery" for $600.
Why $600? because in any case they aren't opening up the machine and replacing anything, they're sending you a refurbished unit, essentially new.
It should be illegal, and the new Surface Pro 7+ and Surface Laptop 3 are much more repairable, let's hope the Surface Book 4 is a proper refresh, with better designed internals
Yeah, that's some bullshit. Just watched a teardown out of morbid curiosity and, well...
I have a mid 2014 MacBook Pro that I'll keep until it dies. I also have a mid 2015 iMac that I run Windows on. That I might replace with a PC someday but right now my PC gaming is so basic that I really don't need anything that great. I play all the big games on console.
Built my desktop in 2016 to last. I've upgraded the video card, but the 6700k is still doing okay for itself. For general use, I could get another five years out of it easily, though it'll start getting harder to keep up with new games in a year or two. I've got a PS5, so I won't feel particularly pressured to build something new for a while and can just keep it around for general use and legacy gaming.
Mid-2012 Non-retina Macbook Pro here, so going into 9 years soon. Should've updated Late 2019, but didn't. I expect to replace it when Apple get around to releasing a new 16" MBP.
I am still using my 2015 13 inch MBP. It is perfect useable. I can even do a bit data science coding on it.
However, it gets slow sometimes so I am looking into upgrading it at some point this year....
However, it gets slow sometimes so I am looking into upgrading it at some point this year....
I've had my custom PC for nearly a decade now, but have no plans on upgrading it since I'm exclusively a PS5 gamer and what I have is enough to do light photo editing for the yearly scrap book.
And I use my work laptop/phone for web browsing.
Maybe someday if I really want to get into VR that isn't PSVR2.
And I use my work laptop/phone for web browsing.
Maybe someday if I really want to get into VR that isn't PSVR2.
I tend to keep my laptop until it is either too uncomfortable to use or until one of the parts start failing and its hard to find a replacement.
My first notebook was a samsung netbook, I had it for 5 years before it became too uncomfortable due to the small screen and gave it away to my aunt.
My second notebook was also samsung, a 14" that lasted me for 4 years before the charging port died, and fixing it was far more trouble than it was worth, so just formatted it and its tucked away until I donate it.
My third notebook is the one I'm using now, an Asus I got in 2018 and that's going strong. I doubt I'll want to change it anytime soon.
Haven't had a desktop in more than a decade, but I'm looking into getting one in the future.
My first notebook was a samsung netbook, I had it for 5 years before it became too uncomfortable due to the small screen and gave it away to my aunt.
My second notebook was also samsung, a 14" that lasted me for 4 years before the charging port died, and fixing it was far more trouble than it was worth, so just formatted it and its tucked away until I donate it.
My third notebook is the one I'm using now, an Asus I got in 2018 and that's going strong. I doubt I'll want to change it anytime soon.
Haven't had a desktop in more than a decade, but I'm looking into getting one in the future.
As of late, until it breaks. Last time I changed computers was from terminal motherboard failure.
Pismo MacBook G3: 7 years, 2000-2007
Black 2007 MacBook: 8 years, 2007-2015
MacBook Pro Retina 2015: 6 years so far, 2015-present
I'm hoping to get another 3-4 years out of it, I use it heavily daily (Adobe stuff, etc) and it's shown no signs of slowing down so far.
Black 2007 MacBook: 8 years, 2007-2015
MacBook Pro Retina 2015: 6 years so far, 2015-present
I'm hoping to get another 3-4 years out of it, I use it heavily daily (Adobe stuff, etc) and it's shown no signs of slowing down so far.
I built this $800 work/school/gaming PC in 2014. It is still fantastic. I will not get rid of it until it completely dies on me, which will hopefully not happen for another 8-10 years.
For how ever long they work and keep up with recent programs. I think the desktop I have now is like 6 or 7 years old.