Every electronic device – be it your smartphone, tablet, earbuds, laptop or PC – has a lifespan and degrades over time in terms of performance, battery life or compatibility. Then it comes to a point where change or a complete upgrade is needed. Laptops and PCs are no different. Eventually, your laptop or PC will reach that tipping point where you feel the need to upgrade it with a newer model.
How often should you upgrade your laptop? Or when is the right time to make the switch from the older model to a newer model?
We’ll explain it all to you in this detailed guide. In addition, we will also talk about some things you can do to extend the overall life of your laptop or PC. Read more:
What is the ideal lifespan of a laptop or PC
According to the booklet, a laptop or PC should last at least 3 to 5 years. But that’s under a certain situation. If properly cared for, a good laptop can last anywhere from six to eight years. In addition, PCs usually have a relatively better lifespan compared to laptops and that is because they are usually more upgradeable in terms of components. We will discuss this later. Meanwhile, there are several factors that affect the life of the system. Let’s take a look at that.
Things that can shorten the life of your laptop or PC
Quality of the laptop: A high quality product will last longer. The same goes for a laptop. If you happen to have an expensive laptop that usually comes with better hardware quality, it will slowly deteriorate compared to a regular laptop that comes with mediocre hardware.
Usage Scenario: The first and most important thing that affects the life of your laptop is how much you use it. For example, if you use your laptop for work, it means that its usage is high and regular, which means that it will eventually deteriorate. On the other hand, if you occasionally or even regularly use your laptop only for a few hours a day for viewing multimedia content, browsing, etc., then it will last longer as compared to the laptop used for daily use. work .
The life of a laptop also depends on the type of use. For example, if you use your laptop for gaming or doing heavy graphics work, the hardware will take its toll and should deteriorate over time.
Compatibility: This is not directly related to the degradation of the laptop. But if the laptop is a few years old, it probably won’t support the latest operating system. For example, the Windows 11 operating system is not compatible with: Intel processors older than 7th generation. Of course, this isn’t the end of the world for the laptop, but it certainly won’t get the latest and greatest features that the next-generation OS has to offer. Also, after a while, the company usually completely pulls the plug on the older operating system, meaning the laptop won’t receive security updates and bug fixes or new features. This is when the upgrade becomes mandatory.
Internal and external damage: Laptops usually suffer a lot of damage, both internally and externally. Both can also shorten the life of the laptop. The external damage is caused by bumps, drops, etc. which can damage the hardware both internally and externally. Even in the event of serious damage, put the ‘RIP’ tag on your laptop earlier than expected.
Heating can limit your laptop’s capabilities over time: Fans and thermal management in the laptop are usually there to compensate for the heat generated by internal components such as CPU, GPUmotive, RAM, etc. generate. However, if the fans aren’t working properly, it won’t be able to manage thermals properly, which can damage the internal components over time.
The right time to upgrade
The term upgrade does not mean buying a brand new laptop or PC. What we are saying is that laptops and PCs usually offer the option of making some component changes to extend the life of the laptop. So not only is it better for the wallet, it also extends the lifespan by at least a few years. So when should you buy a new laptop and when should you change components? Let’s explain:
If you want to be always up to date: upgrade to a new laptop
If you’re tech savvy and want to upgrade yourself to the latest version, you’ll probably want to upgrade your laptop almost every 2 years. But it is an expensive affair.
Battery and Performance Issues: Upgrading Components Could Be the Solution
If your battery life has decreased, it’s not a good idea to upgrade the entire laptop. Instead, you can purchase a new battery pack from an authorized dealer or service center and have the batteries replaced.
If you are also dealing with performance issues like lag, lag, etc, then you may want to upgrade your RAM (if your laptop supports it), go to SSD (in case your laptop has a hard drive) and get it properly served .
However, there is a time when something goes wrong with the internal hardware such as processor or RAM, then replacing every part can be a bit expensive, meaning buying a new laptop is a better choice.
Lifestyle change or need: Upgrade to a relevant model
Apart from all this, there are certain factors that leave no option but to buy a new laptop. For example, you were a gamer during your college days and had a large and bulky laptop. However, if you want something light that is easy to carry, switching to a smaller and lightweight model is the only option. This is also a reverse scenario.
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