How long do you keep your computer for?

Forums › Desktop computing › How long do you keep your computer for?

rayonline

1734 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 51

#142965 30-Mar-2014 13:51

Just out of interest. Now that these days old PCs can be used for everyday stuff a lot longer. This is either a new computer or a substantially upgraded computer.

For me generally since 1992 been 4yrs we just put up with it ie Win95 or DVD had to wait etc .. - but my present one is 5yrs which might get to 8 or 9yrs it looks like. Laptop currently was bought used, since production it is 7yrs.

1 | 2

9439 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 14863

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1015400 30-Mar-2014 14:03

For commercial use - 3 to 5 years.
For private use - up to 5 years, with constant upgrading. Then mothballed for emergency backup.

Sideface

BigRat

64 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 3

#1015409 30-Mar-2014 14:45

My main PC's previous setup ran from 1st May 2010 till December 2012, because the motherboard's ferrite core choke blew up. Got the board RMA'd, but I'd figure that I'll go for a new setup. So the board, CPU and RAM got all sold. New setup now over a year.

My 2nd PC, which comprises of some sort of OS that we should not install on non-certified hardware, according to one company, had been running since 2011.

The Mac Mini G4 was only used for hobby and educational purposes. Although it was once used as a storage server but that didn't lasted for a month. Therefore, it is hardly being used.

My recent PC, the FreeNAS server, will be kept running 24/7, unless upgrades are being executed. But nevertheless, will be kept throughout its operational life.

But all things explained, I would usually do a complete upgrade at least every 5-6 years. Even so, tech just keeps improving significantly every 12-18 months.

alasta

6738 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 3168

Trusted

Subscriber

#1015411 30-Mar-2014 15:06

3 years for me.

kiwirock

685 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 137

#1015420 30-Mar-2014 15:48

Both my personal and radio automation PC I'm upgrading this week. I've had them since 2001. Always kept a spare power supply on hand and replace the HDD's about every 1-2 years in the radio automation one.

I generally live by the moto 'if it ain't broke don't fix it'. For automation, it's always done what it needed to and didn't need upgrading. Unfortunately the automation system is now compiled for 64-bit machines hence why I'm moving to multi-core 64-bit one's this week. So it's a forced upgrade not a planned one.

DrCheese

382 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 32

Trusted

#1015424 30-Mar-2014 15:58

Five routers in 11 years. Sometimes a router is given away for free when signing with an ISP, and other times I've upgraded to take advantage of ADSL2+, then VDSL2 later on. The old routers make useful switches, so they now have a second life.

D.

[Edit: for some unknown reason, my brain read "router" instead of "computer". The answer for me is four computers in 23 years, not including computers purchased by my employer.]

Coil

6614 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2153
Inactive user

#1015437 30-Mar-2014 16:30

I keep mine for 2 generations of Intel and 2 generations of Nvidia. Currently have Haswell, Before Sandy Bridge then....

charsleysa

597 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 125

#1015457 30-Mar-2014 16:54

Usually 3 - 5 years, though all my new purchases have been because the previous computer broke / failed and the cost of fixing it was higher than its worth and would be better to just purchase a new computer.

In saying that I have repurposed older computers for people with very simple computer needs and just harvested parts together in order to get it running.

Oldest setup we have is 2009 laptop with a smashed screen using monitor and speakers from 2004 acer computer, used for Web browsing and mine craft running Windows 7.

Regards
Stefan Andres Charsley

Sharesies

Trade NZ and US shares and funds with Sharesies (affiliate link).

Peppery

919 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 188

Trusted

#1015458 30-Mar-2014 16:54

I currently use a 2011 iMac 27", kitted out with 32GB of RAM and a SSD, it's still super fast :) Had the GPU die twice (common issue with these Radeon cards), hopefully is the end of it as it was replaced with the newer Radeon chip.

Laptops I swap out a couple of times a year because I'm foolish.

JimmyH

2891 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1541

#1015460 30-Mar-2014 17:00

Until it won't do what I want. That used to mean 3-4 years, a few years ago. Now, as computers have become more powerful and cope with most things, and disk storage options better, I tend to keep them for longer. My desktop is coming up on 7.5 years and still running fine, but will be upgraded soon as it struggles with some of the video work I have been doing. It would have been upgraded last Christmas if Windows 8 wasn't so god-awful, but I now have an option from a different vendor to get Windows 7 instead (yay), and also considering a move to a Mac.

xpd

13829 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 4225

Retired Mod

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1015563 30-Mar-2014 18:54

I havent had a brand new PC since May 2003. I've always survived on other peoples junk parts (inc an AMD CPU/motherboard marked as "dead" in a bin - just flashed the BIOS and worked fine for me), so me answering the OP question is a tough one :-p
My current PC is only 6 months old to me, but is actually more like 5-6 years old (going by CPU age)....

Hoping to get brand new parts later this year or early next year, but in meantime, Ill survive on your guys trash ;)

XPD / Gavin

LinkTree

BigRat

64 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 3

#1015573 30-Mar-2014 19:04

xpd: I havent had a brand new PC since May 2003. I've always survived on other peoples junk parts (inc an AMD CPU/motherboard marked as "dead" in a bin - just flashed the BIOS and worked fine for me), so me answering the OP question is a tough one :-p
My current PC is only 6 months old to me, but is actually more like 5-6 years old (going by CPU age)....

Hoping to get brand new parts later this year or early next year, but in meantime, Ill survive on your guys trash ;)

5-6 years? So I'll doubt that you are using my old X58 kit (board, CPU and memory).

insane

3258 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 960

ID Verified

Trusted

#1015623 30-Mar-2014 19:52

The oldest parts in my Desktop are from 2007, newest part is 2 and a half years old (SSD). Honestly it's still really fast for what I do, and given I don't game anymore it'll last me for a while still. I guess the high quality power supply I bought back in '07 has proved it worth, no blown/failed parts so far, and the semi-regular dusk blow out it gets helps.

I'll replace it when I need to

jarledb

Webhead
3274 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1917

Moderator

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1015631 30-Mar-2014 20:04

kiwirock: Both my personal and radio automation PC I'm upgrading this week. I've had them since 2001. Always kept a spare power supply on hand and replace the HDD's about every 1-2 years in the radio automation one.

I generally live by the moto 'if it ain't broke don't fix it'. For automation, it's always done what it needed to and didn't need upgrading. Unfortunately the automation system is now compiled for 64-bit machines hence why I'm moving to multi-core 64-bit one's this week. So it's a forced upgrade not a planned one.

Cool. Whats the name of the radio station and which radio automation software are you using?

Jarle Dahl Bergersen | Referral Links: Want $50 off when you join Octopus Energy? Use this referral code
Are you happy with what you get from Geekzone? Please consider supporting us by making a donation or subscribing.

jarledb

Webhead
3274 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1917

Moderator

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1015633 30-Mar-2014 20:07

rayonline: Just out of interest. Now that these days old PCs can be used for everyday stuff a lot longer. This is either a new computer or a substantially upgraded computer.

For me generally since 1992 been 4yrs we just put up with it ie Win95 or DVD had to wait etc .. - but my present one is 5yrs which might get to 8 or 9yrs it looks like. Laptop currently was bought used, since production it is 7yrs.

Depends, used to be every 2 years back in the day, but now (for work) its every 3 years. Mind you, the old machines get new life as machines used in the family. My SO has gotten my 2010 Macbook Pro, and the 2008 MBP is now my backup machine in case something does wrong with my main machine. (A 2013 Macbook Air).

Also have a Mac Mini (2009) that is still running strong as a media centre machine.

scuwp

3900 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2471

#1015653 30-Mar-2014 20:24

My upgrade prospects have only 2 criteria:

1. When the current laptop ceases to work or is sufficiently stuffed that it can no longer do the job
2. When the wife says so

#2 is completely reliant on #1 criteria being sufficiently met first

Still using a laptop coming up 8 years old. Long live XP!!!!

Work cycle is replacement every 4 years.

Lazy is such an ugly word, I prefer to call it selective participation

1 | 2