Whether you are looking to buy a brand new laptop or simply want to make a few operational improvements to your existing laptop, the longevity of a laptop happens to be a key concern for users. While most laptops look similar on the outside, they are all made differently on the inside.
Therefore, the main question of “how long does a laptop last” can be examined in two different ways based on how the hardware affects the performance and what purpose you use the laptop for.
In this article, we will go over all the nitty-gritty details of the subject in details to help you extend your battery life and laptop lifespan.
So, let's get started!
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How Long Does A Normal Laptop Last?
One of the primary factors to consider are the laptop's component. This includes the laptop battery, CPU, RAM, motherboard, GPU and so on.
Keep in mind that your laptop's battery will be prolonged for a long time if it comes with an array of high-quality hardware. However, the laptop's life will be decreased if it is equipped with low-quality key components.
Although, this is not a common problem, thanks to constantly evolving technology that helps to bring in new components into the market. But as time goes by, your graphics card, RAM, or processor might get outdated and lose capacity, which results in a shorter lifespan. In this case, your old hardware becomes basically obsolete and will no longer be able to perform basic or advanced tasks.
It's pretty simple: You get what you pay for. For instance, if you own a mid-range laptop that prices between $600 to $700, you can expect the laptop batteries to function well for at least 2 or 4 years. However, if you own high -end expensive laptops ranging from $900 to $1500+ the laptop's life will be around 3 to 5 years. Premium laptops that cost $1500 or more will last you a good 4 to 7 years of regular use without any big issues.
On top of that, it's highly important to differntiate between use cases for your laptop. While most people use business laptops just for work or light browsing, avid gamers use advanced gaming laptops to run the latest and greatest games.
For example, if you normally use your laptop to do light, easy tasks like watching videos, emailing, web browsing, streaming songs and movies, your device will last longer than the average laptop lifespan. But, if you want to use your laptop for high-demanding tasks that will easily push it to peak performance like graphic designing, rending various programs, video editing, high end gaming, and so on, the battery life will suffer eventually.
When it comes to laptops for everyday use (aside from gaming), nothing beats a Macbook Pro. The latest iteration of the Macbooks come with the super cool M1 chip, which boasts with up to 20 hours of battery. It's hard to beat that.
2020 Apple MacBook Pro with Apple M1 Chip (13-inch, 8GB RAM, 256GB...
- Apple-designed M1 chip for a giant leap in CPU, GPU, and machine learning performance
- Get more done with up to 20 hours of battery life, the longest ever in a Mac
- 8-core CPU delivers up to 2.8x faster performance to fly through workflows quicker than ever
- Apple-designed M1 chip for a giant leap in CPU, GPU, and machine learning performance
- Get more done with up to 20 hours of battery life, the longest ever in a Mac
- 8-core CPU delivers up to 2.8x faster performance to fly through workflows quicker than ever
- 8-core GPU with up to 5x faster graphics for graphics-intensive apps and games
- 16-core Neural Engine for advanced machine learning
- 8GB of unified memory so everything you do is fast and fluid
- Superfast SSD storage launches apps and opens files in an instant
- Active cooling system sustains incredible performance
- 13.3-inch Retina display with 500 nits of brightness for vibrant colors and incredible image detail
- FaceTime HD camera with advanced image signal processor for clearer, sharper video calls
But what about gaming laptops? How Long Can A Gaming Laptop Last?
If you play video games quite often, you may have bought yourself a decent gaming laptop. However, with this also comes the question of how long do gaming laptops last?
It is true that PC manufacturers release gaming laptops with incredible features needed to enhance your gaming experience. However, these features demand a lot of energy which results in a shorter lifespan, which, in turn, gives you lower quality graphics in gaming.
As time goes on, more and more games that required high activity and energy are being developed. However, laptop manufacturers and other PC companies are having a hard time keeping with the advances in the gaming industry.
It is still possible to use gaming laptops if you do not mind the poor resolution and delayed FPS rates. However, if you want a mid-range gaming laptop to keep up with the complexities of modern video games, your laptop will not have a longer battery life, rendering it obsolete.
Therefore, in order to get the best operating system to keep up with the best games of today, you will need to spend big bucks to check its compatibility issues and make sure it is suitable with both Windows and Apple software.
As a pro gamer, you will easily be able to estimate the cost of an advanced gaming laptop for your needs.
- Gaming laptops that cost $700 will last 2 to 3 years
- A gaming laptop ranging between $700 to $1500 will last 3 to 4 years
- Any gaming laptop more than $1500 will last 4 to 6 year
However, a cheap or old laptop with weak batteries will give you lower graphics settings, which will decrease your in-game experience.
We can highly recommend the Razer Blade 14 as an awesome compromise between powerhouse hardware and decent battery life:
Razer Blade 14 Gaming Laptop: AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX 8 Core, NVIDIA...
- Aspect Ratio:16:9
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series Graphics for Stunning Visuals: Built on NVIDIA's award-winning 2nd-gen RTX architecture, these GPUs provide the most realistic ray-traced graphics and cutting-edge AI features for the most powerful graphics in a gaming laptop
- Aspect Ratio:16:9
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series Graphics for Stunning Visuals: Built on NVIDIA's award-winning 2nd-gen RTX architecture, these GPUs provide the most realistic ray-traced graphics and cutting-edge AI features for the most powerful graphics in a gaming laptop
- Whether gaming or creating, AMD Ryzen processors offer ultimate performance: AMD Ryzen 5000 Series processors power the next generation of demanding games, providing one of a kind immersive experiences and dominate any multithreaded task like 3D and video rendering3, and software compiling
- Next-gen Displays to Meet Your Needs: 165Hz QHD display for the best of both worlds in fast gaming and ultra clear display
- Vapor Chamber Cooling for Maximized Thermal Performance: The laptop quietly and efficiently dissipates heat through the evaporation and condensation of an internal fluid, keeping it running smoothly and coolly even under intense loads
- Customizable RGB Individual Key Lighting: Illuminates in sync with Razer Chroma-supported peripherals and popular games with multiple lighting effects
- Windows 11 Compatible: Includes Windows 10 Home with a free upgrade to Windows 11 when available through Windows Update – experience the best Windows ever for gaming with superior graphics and faster load times
Is It Possible To Increase Your Laptop's Lifespan?
The good news is, yes, it is possible for you to step in and help increase your laptop's lifespan. However, in order to do so, you will need to take proper care of your laptop at all times. Listed below are a few tips that you can use to extend the life of desktop computers.
If you take care of your laptop computer when using it, you can expand its lifespan.
- While using the laptop, make sure to keep away any liquid or food, as spilling can cause a lot of damage.
- Make sure to unplug the charging cable after your laptop is fully charged.
- Make sure to regularly clean your laptop to keep away dirt, dust, and other debris. Additionally, keep in mind to always practice the right cleaning procedures and instructions given by the manufacturer
- Avoid overheating your laptop. Even the most powerful laptops can be rendered obsolete if subjected to regular overheating, damaging internal components. Make sure to use the computer's fans to keep the temperature inside low always. A dedicated laptop stand to help cooling is also a good idea for gaming laptops.
Pccooler Laptop Cooling Pad, Laptop Cooler with 5 Quiet Red LED Fans...
- Stainless Steel Honeycomb Mesh Design: PCCOOLER laptop cooling pad with 2.5mm metal mesh surface to provide excellent airflow, and improve heat dissipation.
- Super Heat Dissipation: 4 ultra-quiet 85mm fans and 1 powerful silent 110mm fan, provide superior airflow and take away heat quickly.
- Stainless Steel Honeycomb Mesh Design: PCCOOLER laptop cooling pad with 2.5mm metal mesh surface to provide excellent airflow, and improve heat dissipation.
- Super Heat Dissipation: 4 ultra-quiet 85mm fans and 1 powerful silent 110mm fan, provide superior airflow and take away heat quickly.
- Magic Color: 10 red cool LED lights, support for 12-17.3 inch laptops provide a better gaming environment and experience for your laptop.
- Dual USB Interface/Stepless Speed Regulation: Fan speed adjustment helps computer cooling quickly and dual USB port design increases computer more power mode.Support mouse, keyboard, U disk, computer fan and other USB device connection.
- Ergonomic Design: 5mm iron bracket and the structure is stable and safe. High and low 6 angle adjustable settings for various work and game environments.
And always remember to update to the newest operating system whenever possible. New computer hardware will help improve the performance and keep your laptop running for a long time.
If nothing helps, try to upgrade your laptop whenever possible to optimize its performance. For instance, you can add more RAM for this PC or use a better storage drive like an SSD
Can You Use An Anti-Virus Solution to Extend the Laptop's Average Lifespan?
The main reason why people use anti-virus solutions is to keep their laptops safe against viruses and other malware. When unprotected business-grade laptops get affected by this malware, it can decrease the laptop's battery while also affecting the general laptop functionality.
Therefore, it is always recommended to install antivirus software like Avast, MalwareBytes or (our recommendation) Norton 360:
Norton 360 Premium 2021 – Antivirus Software for 10 Devices with Auto...
- ONGOING PROTECTION Install protection for up to 10 PCs, Macs, iOS & Android devices - A card with product key code will be mailed to you (select ‘Download' option for instant activation code)
- REAL-TIME THREAT PROTECTION Advanced security protects against existing and emerging malware threats, including ransomware and viruses, and it won't slow down your device performance
- ONGOING PROTECTION Install protection for up to 10 PCs, Macs, iOS & Android devices - A card with product key code will be mailed to you (select ‘Download' option for instant activation code)
- REAL-TIME THREAT PROTECTION Advanced security protects against existing and emerging malware threats, including ransomware and viruses, and it won't slow down your device performance
- SECURE VPN Browse anonymously and securely with a no-log VPN while using public Wi-Fi Add bank-grade encryption to help keep your information like passwords and bank details secure and private
- DARK WEB MONITORING will monitor and notify you if we find your personal information on the Dark Web
- 75GB SECURE PC CLOUD BACKUP store and help protect important files as a preventative measure to data loss due to hard drive failures, stolen devices and even ransomware
- PRE-PAID SUBSCRIPTION A payment method must be stored in your Norton account to activate You won't be charged until the prepaid term ends For new Norton subscriptions only at an introductory price
- AUTO-RENEWAL Never have a service disruption since this subscription auto-renews annually If you do not wish to renew, you can cancel in your Norton account anytime
In addition to this, you can also consider using professional PC backup software to help recover data from your laptop's files, folder, disks, drives, and more in case of a system crash.
This way, you can safeguard your data while also enhancing the lifespan of a laptop.
If you are unsure of how to install anti-virus software, don't worry! Simply follow the steps mentioned below.
Step #1: Getting Started
Most anti-virus software is cloud based these days, so you can easily download it from the provider of your choice. Some still offer DVDs, but it's not as common anymore. Once you've downloaded the software locate the file on the laptop (these usually have file names like setup.exe or install.exe, etc.) After this, click on the file to launch the installer.
Step #2: Keep A Watchful Eye On The Installation Process
Most of the time, during the installation process, you will be guided through with no complications. In fact, you can get through most of these steps easily and intuitively.
However, you will still need to keep a watchful eye on any additional programs normally tagged on with the main antivirus software. Therefore, make sure to look through these bundles and uncheck those boxes. This will help you cut out the additional costs.
Step #3: Finish Up
Once the installation process is completed successfully, you can launch the anti virus software on your laptop. Keep it running at all times to stay protected.
When Is The Best Time To Change The Laptop?
The key to knowing when the best time to change to a new laptop is by knowing how to read the signs.
Listed below are the common signs that will indicate that it is time for you to change your laptop.
You Continue To Have Compatibility Issues Even After A Hardware Upgrade
The first thing you will do when your laptop's performance decreases is to upgrade the hardware. You might replace the RAM, SSD, CPU, or even the motherboard. If that doesn't help, it is most likely time to invest into a newer model.
Your System Gets Slow
One of the most popular signs of a failing laptop battery is when the system starts getting slow … too slow. Apps and other programs might take a long time to load and doing everyday tasks become an annoying mundanity.
Unable To Install New Software
Microsoft often releases new updates that will help you improve your system's security while also enhancing overall system performance. However, if the quality of the battery is deteriorating in an old computer, you will not be able to install the software on your laptop.
Other signs include:
- A laptop that frequently crashes
- Poor display
- Will have trouble multi-tasking on the system
- Frequent servicing is required
- The fans and other internal systems get noisy
- Tons of bluescreen
Bottom Line
Buying a laptop can be a hefty investment. Therefore, in order to make sure you get good value for your money, you will need to keep it in good working conditions for a long time.
When thinking about how long a laptop can last, you need to keep in mind that all laptops are built differently, and each has its own battery capabilities. However, if you take good care of your laptop, you can be sure to enjoy it for a long time, making it a worthwhile investment.
