The average lifespan of any electronic device depends on multiple factors such as build quality, usage scenario, the technology used, and more. Generally speaking, for a mid-range laptop, the average lifespan of most manufacturers list it as 3-5 years. After this, either the lifespan just becomes obsolete or it doesn’t meet the requirement of the current world.
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The Operational and Useful Lifespan
When it comes to the question of how many years a laptop should last, the answer can be divided into two categories, operational lifespan, and useful lifespan.
- Operational Lifespan: This refers to how much your laptop is operational in the coming days or months. The operational life expectancy of a laptop can be anywhere from 3 to 10 years.
- Useful Lifespan: This refers to how many years your laptop is functional in the market to meet the advance requirement of system software.
Technically, the first phase will last for a long time unless or until you have a major hardware failure, but it won’t be very useful to meet the recommended system requirement of some programs. However, if your daily usage doesn’t require running some advanced software, then 5 years would be the idle number for life expectancy.
Some Major Laptop Elements that depends on average life
Just like a regular desktop PC, laptops are built with small components including RAM, CPU, storage, GPU, cooling system, and battery. Each of these parts can wear down over time, especially the Hard drive and battery. Here are some most important components of your system that play a vital role in the average life phase.
Processing Power
This includes a combination of 3 or more components such as CPU, RAM, and GPU. It depends on which generation AMD or Intel-based chipset you’re running, how much ram your laptop has, and what is the dedicated memory of the graphics card.
On average, the recommended requirement of most modern-day software is i5 6th generation or above, 8 GB of RAM, and at least 2 GB VRAM of a dedicated graphics card.
Storage System
Laptop storage is the first thing that has minimal lifespan as compared to other components. A normal Hard Disk Drive will last from 3-5 years. A Solid State Drive will run almost 4-7 years. However, you can easily swap these components as they are easy to replace and available cheaper in the market.
Battery Capacity
Alongside with storage, batteries are second in the lineup for most affected components. For a generic approach, a typical laptop battery will take around 1000-1500 full charges which are roughly 2-4 years. Same as for storage, these are easily replaceable but come at a relatively higher price compared to HDD or SSD.
You can also check the list of best laptops that last longer:
How to Increase the Lifespan of a Laptop
Apart from software and hardware capabilities, there are some things that you can perform to increase your laptop lifespan.
- Don’t overcharge your laptop: Although the charging current converts to DC as soon as it reaches 100% battery, it is a good habit to recharge it from time to time. Also, too much charging tends to heat up the battery and may cause internal damage.
- Upgrade when required: Perform both software and hardware updates when required. Use legit software, keep them updated, and install more RAM or an SSD if it’s all possible.
- Keep it clean: The laptop fan can soak up dust from outside to the motherboard. It is a good habit to take it to a service every 3 months. Change the thermal paste, remove the dust, and clean the internals for maximum outcome.
- Keep things cool: Overheating is one of the major causes of a laptop’s shorter lifespan. If you feel that your laptop is overheating, there’s always a reason behind it. Either don’t use it for a shorter time or invest in a cooling stand.
- Not Eating or Drinking: Keep your laptop away from food and drinks. Small particles can reside in your keyboard which then leads to the motherboard. Sticky stuff can make an annoying typing experience not to mention the drawbacks of liquid damage.
How to optimize your laptop battery life?
- Reduce screen brightness
- Use headphones over speakers
- Use minimum amount of programs if possible
- Close unused browsers tabs
- Turn off laptop location, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi when not in use
- Unplug the laptop when its charged
How long should a laptop battery last?
The average lifespan depends on its capacity, charge time, decrease time, and usage. A computer battery should last between 2 – 4 years on 1000 full charges.