Your laptop’s life span depends on when you bought it and how you’ve been treating it since. While there are ways to lengthen its life, every piece of tech reaches its limits eventually. So, how long does a laptop last?
Although you can get up to a decade of use out of a laptop, five years is a more realistic timeline. If you’re on yours a ton, things wear down faster than you’d expect. Almost every modern laptop uses a lithium-ion battery. They last 1,000-2,000 cycles on average, meaning you can charge them that many times before they’re done for.
How long does a laptop last while charging? We wish we could say one cycle is equal to a full charge, but that’s not how it works. Instead, you use one whenever you plug your device in to recharge it. To make matters worse, a battery’s performance significantly drops before it reaches zero. If you overcharge it, you’ll exhaust it long before you’re supposed to.
Yes, some laptops last longer than others. It might not apply 100% of the time, but it’s a general truth. While it’s better to look at things on a case-by-case basis, some companies are just great at making solid systems.
People wondering whether Mac or Windows laptops last longer are about to get an answer. If you’re an Apple fan, it’s time to rejoice and claim superiority. Indeed, Macbooks have a better battery and life expectancy than Windows computers. They live around twice as long, holding out for an extra 3-5 years on average.
Most laptops run slower way sooner than they should because of poor optimization. Everybody cares about the next best thing, so nobody supports your outdated equipment anymore. It’s the same reason why AAA games now take up hundreds of gigabytes.
In a few short years, your laptop can go from having the fastest processing power to taking a full minute to open a file. It seems ridiculous, but it’s a byproduct of a lack of system support and mechanical limitations. While some parts can keep running fine forever, others quickly degrade.
You can make your laptop last longer if you treat it well, upgrade its parts and know how to handle its battery.
You can make your laptop last longer if you:
How long does a laptop last if you take care of it well? You can get years of extra use out of yours if you follow the previous steps. However, you won’t be able to keep it alive forever.
You’ll know when your laptop reaches its limit when it becomes impossible to use. Severe slowdowns, constant lag and overheating tend to signal it’s at the end of its life span.
Watch for these signs to know when you should replace your laptop:
How long does a laptop last before it needs a replacement? While you can lengthen its life span by upgrading parts or replacing the battery, you’ll probably only get a few extra years of use. Even if your system runs fine, your software will become way too outdated after a full decade.
You should look for plenty of RAM and a lengthy battery life in a new laptop. Those factors heavily impact your laptop’s life span, so you want to make sure they’re robust. Gaming laptops are an excellent choice even if you’re not a gamer because they come with heavy-duty parts. For example, you can spend a little over $1,000 to get an Asus gaming laptop with a solid GPU and great RAM.
If you can’t get Apple’s fantastic battery life out of your head, consider giving in to your desires and getting a Mac. They can be expensive, but you technically get more bang for your buck since you get to use them longer. If you don’t feel like emptying your wallet, find an older one. For instance, the 2020 M1 Macbook Air is old enough to be affordable yet new enough to be powerful. The processing power of its M1 chip makes it a standout system for the price range. You can even get it for about $800 on sale, which is a steal.
Remember to treat your laptop well and follow the proper care instructions. Even though everyone has to say goodbye to their old tech eventually, you can double the life span of yours if you’re careful and lucky. Who knows, maybe you’ll prove everyone wrong and keep it running for over a decade.
