How long do your computers last?

A

awdark

[H]ard|Gawd
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Mar 22, 2003
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I dunno... my computers typically last about 2 years of use. On about 10 hr/day then they just poop out on me or something breaks.

Compaq 2001-2003 worked okay until I tried to overclock... blew board and some other stuff. Hard drive died within one and a half years.
Current (#1 in sig) after first year, became very unstable... swollen caps on video card. Now, rest of board is dying at about the second year of use.

Computer #2 is about 3 years old and works just fine... I dont use #2 or #3 very much. My brother uses #2 and #3 gets very little use of a few clicks for starting the record and playing back videos.

So how long does your computers last until you need to toss more money at it due to some failure?
 
both of my previous 2 comps still works like a charm...

a 8 yr old K6 and a 3 yr old P4

usually, i get a new rig b4 they even come close to crapping out ;)
 
how long do they last physically?


or how long do they last until I get bored with them and want to try something new?


longest ANY system have mine has lasted is 2 years. That was a laptop. All the other systems received an upgrade or something that made it a completely different animal than it was at its initial purchase.
 
I still have comps that are older than my son, and my marriage put together. I don't use them, but I still have them and they still work.
 
My favorite computer for sentimental reasons is a P4 3.06 that I got right when the 3.06 came out. It had daily duty at 4 ghz tons of voltage and sub zero promethia induced temps. It is still alive and kicking today albiet at stock voltage and normal intel fan. Other than HD failures a couple of MB ruined do to moisture and a 9800 pro with a failed volt mod everything is reliable. My oldest functioning system is a 166 mgz intel.
 
P2 400Mhz - 1998-2001
P4 1600MHz - 2001-2005

Rig in sig - 2005-2008 [hopefully]
 
>_< I wonder how I abuse my computers so they want to suicide on me like that then.
I mean most of your computers seem to last a decent amount of time.

I should have defined it as use until you are forced to spend more on it. Like when the caps on my video card blew up... forced to spend vs FEAR looks like shit must upgrade style. ^_^
 
Average lifetime is about 3 years...

(from where I can remember the model numbers... I'm only 19 remember :p)

91-94 - Mac IIcx (Don't remember specs, 20something Mhz, 8MB RAM?, ??)

94-97 - Performa 6400 (180Mhz 603, 64MB RAM, onboard graphics?)

97-00' - Performa 7500 (128MB RAM, 16MB ATI Rage 128, 100Mhz 601 -> 180Mhz 604e -> G3 266Mhz)

00-03 - HP something (733Mhz P3, 768MB RAM, 32MB GeForce 2 MX 400)

03-current - HP Something (3.0Ghz P4 -> 2.4Ghz P4, 1GB RAM, Radeon 9800 -> GeForce 4 MX 440)

04-current - sig PC (various motherboards, cpus, ram, gpus).
 
My first computer that I built has lasted me 6 years so far. I have had some minor failures including a hard drive and a HSF. I have done minor upgrades like an Enermax PSU (from a generic one) and a better heatsink and fan (recently).

For the past 3-4 years this computer has been on for 24 hours a day just about 365 days a year. It still has life in it. I am going to buy it a new case because the current case has fallen victim to several of my first "case mods", and it will no longer have to run windows but rather Linux! I think it should be up to the server duties!

Compared to the "family computer" which is always a OEM computer, my computer has last a while. My parents usually only keep those computers for 3-5 years.
 
1 to 1.5 years usually, although I've been going through them faster than that. Averaging a new PC every 3 or 4 months.
 
my computers tend to last way too long :p ..my current system has been working just fine (except for the mobo which I had to replace) for 3 or 4 years now.. I don't bother to upgrade since I hardly ever play games...
 
My NEC 386SX-20 still functions after 14 years, but I barely use it at all anymore. I use a PIII-500 for my DOS needs.
 
I had a dual Pentium Pro 200 that I used for along time. From 1996 to 2000 or 2001. It was retired after that.

I build new machines all the time, but the old ones either get sold off to offset the cost of the new machine, or they get retired to lesser duties.
 
I rarely keep parts for more than 2 years, but I did have a Duron 600 KT7A combo that was abused, overclocked, peltiered, water cooled, condensation'ed, short circuited and generally raped and pillaged its whole life. It lasted about 4 years.

Kept clean, not overclocked and overvolted, they should last a long time. harddrives and floppies are the only real wear item, that and cooling fans.
 
I still have every component from my first computer I built in '99. Some of the parts got swapped into different machines, but the mobo and CPU are still together in a test box.

I slipped with a screwdriver on my old mobo I got in 2001 and destroyed it. Other than that I'm still using all the parts from that machine still.

My newest computer I built in 2003 just took a shit. My Fortron PSU died and took my mobo and CPU with it (please God let my RAM still work!).:eek: So that is the only major hardware loss I've had. I've had a pretty good run.

My A64 3700+ San Diego AV8 and Antec 480 TruepowerII PSU are due to be delivered tomorrow. :D

Of course a few hard drives and optical drives, two other PSU's and such have died along the way, but that's expected.
 
I'm still using a 40gig HD I've had since 1999 in the rig that's in, but I've had this rig since 2002 or 2003 I can't remember. But I've added RAM and stuff so it's not quite the same. I still have a Packard Bell 486SX I still use frequently for all my old DOS games, I scrapped stuff toegther to make it the meanest and baddest 486 I could. I've had it since 1993.
 
My first computer - P1 75mhz that I gave to friends is still running.

Mom's old computer P2 266mhz is still running - we gave it to my aunt

My old college computer P3 800mhz was still running the day i decided to gut it and sell the parts (few months ago)

My second college computer P4 2.4ghz is currently sitting in a corner collecting dust and acting as a file/database server.

I'm just suprised the P1 is still alive :)
 
I have a Apple IIe that will still run a commadore in storage. A few p1s and p2s, My sister is running my Moms old P3



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I've only had one computer that totally died (motherboard), usually I sell them off or retire them long before they come close to dying. I still have my Commodore 64 and a IBM PS/2 from the 80's that still have all original hardware and they run like new.
 
I still have trs-80's, C64's, XT's etc that still run....never replaced anything in them.
 
Ive had this Antec 1030b case since 2001, (well except for one door) but its the only thing left from the origonal build. My rig pretty much has just morphed 1-2 pieces at a time. Over the past 4 years. Ive only had the TI4400 die on me the rest of the stuff was sold or given away:
Ram: 512 PC 2100 > 512 PC 2700 >1gig PC 3500
vid: TI4400 > 9500pro > 9800pro > 6800NU
also on my 2nd CPU, 2nd HD, 2nd I/O drive, 2nd PS, 3rd mouse, 2nd keyboard, 3rd monitor, 4th heatsink
 
im on a 900 mhz amd thunderbird with 215 mb of ram and a geforce 2 64 mb ram
going 5 years strong ! but not by choice im broke cant get a new pc lol
 
I have a Pentium 3 450 Mhz, that I bought over six years ago from Dell, and have been using it for 2 months now as a server, running it 24/7 and so far so good...
 
Still have a 433mhz Celeron running at my father's house.
Fans are dying and so is the modem and CD-ROM but it works pretty well considering.
No major issues yet.
 
I use to have a PII 333mhz which i had for like 7 or 8 yrs can't remember, still works fine but hten i upgraded it to an AMD 800Mhz like last year and then to a 1.5ghz P4 this year all old parts from friends. I also got a P4 2.53ghz which i got like 2 or 3 yrs ago too nothing wrong with it.
 
Physically: Till the PCB deteriorates.

Performance: About 20 minutes, then I want something faster, because I have the need for speed.
 
are u kidding? mine last forever, even my damn 533 pII HP lasted for many years of gaming etc

i upgrade every couple years anyway, besides im smart enough to wait for vista to upgrade again
 
powerade said:
are u kidding? mine last forever, even my damn 533 pII HP lasted for many years of gaming etc

i upgrade every couple years anyway, besides im smart enough to wait for vista to upgrade again
Click to expand...

How exactly is waiting for Vista being "smart"...

I'll still be using XP Pro 32-Bit then, and when lots of 64-Bit games come out that benefiet from it come out, then I will switch to XP Pro 64-Bit..
 
Still using a socket A tbred 2800+ here from 5 years ago.

Hoping X2 prices will drop in a few months so I can upgrade...
 
i have no idea ive had computers in the house since the early 80's never had one break yet. i do upgrades all the time though not cause of some broke hardware though.
 
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