While purchasing a new gaming laptop mostly people check the specs and look for a crispy display, fast performance, longer battery life, etc. All of these features would be useful if your laptop cannot last for a long time.
Since gaming laptops are a hefty investment, you must carefully determine how long will a gaming laptop last?
How Long Will A Gaming Laptop Last?
A new gaming laptop usually performs quite well for around 2 years. If we get a bit more specific, you can expect a good mid-range gaming laptop to last roughly about 3-4 years. On the other hand, good high-end models have a lifespan of 4-6 years.
But, if you have a well-maintained laptop it can even last up to 10 years. Incredible! This is not it. How long a gaming laptop will last solely depends on the factors that influence your laptop’s lifespan, maintenance, and usage.
What Are The Components That Affect A Gaming Laptop’s Lifespan?
A gaming laptop’s lifespan is dependent on hardware build quality the most. Let’s discuss it in detail.
1.) Central Processing Unit – CPU:
CPU is the most important component of a computer that holds the responsibility to process all the data related to programs and applications that you run. Professional gamers require good performance from CPU therefore, if you don’t have a fast processor, it may cause lags and may slow down loading times.
For playing first-person shooter (FPS) games or multiplayer games, you must have an Intel or AMD-based processor. Usually, Intel Core i5 and i7 as well as AMD Ryzen 5 and 7 are reliable for gamers.
The number of cores also plays a significant role in the overall performance. Most of the laptops are integrated with dual-core processors however, gamers require a quad-core processor.
With a high-end processor, your laptop’s CPU lifespan can be around 4 to 5 years.
2.) Graphics Processing Unit – GPU:
Responsible for smoother gameplay, video, and graphics performance, a GPU is another essential component for gamers. It is because the GPU requires processing 3D graphics, and rendering high-resolution images.
The best GPU manufacturers are NVIDIA and AMD that have rolled out numerous models. Entry-level cards from these companies such as NVIDIA GTX 1050, AMD Radeon RX 460 will last 4-5 years. Whereas, high-end cards including, NVIDIA GTX 1060/1080, AMD RX 580 can last for a lifetime.
For a better gaming experience, you will get 30 FPS or 60 FPS on most laptops. However, with some mid-range laptops, you can also get 120 FPS.
3.) Random Access Memory – RAM:
It is the short-term memory of a computer that is capable of data storage and transfer. It also performs the tasks currently running on the laptop, for example, multitasking between apps or internet browsing.
RAM reduces lags and speeds up the loading and is faster than SSD. The minimum acceptable RAM is 8GB however, to stream and multitask you would require a higher RAM.
For playing games such as Red Dead Redemption 2, Half-Life: Alyx, your laptop must have a minimum of 12GB RAM.
3.) Hardware:
The hardware of a laptop means its physical components and it includes, keyboard, monitor, mouse, trackpad, data storage, graphics card, etc.
Gaming laptops are strongly built and are intended to handle heavy-duty tasks therefore, a gaming laptop lifespan could be 10 years. As far as the hardware lifespan is concerned, these components are expected to last 5-6 years or above.
Despite the face, gaming laptops cannot beat the hardware build quality of a video game console like Xbox or PlayStation. You can still find gaming consoles aging back to the 80s and 90s that are still functional, thanks to their robust built.
The modern consoles generate more heat but still have 6 years and above lifespan. Why though? Because these consoles are designed only for gaming.
Gaming laptops on the other hand are lighter and thinner laptops and offer a lot more than just gaming.
How To Increase A Gaming Laptop’s Overall Lifespan?
The effective ways to increase a gaming laptop’s performance boils down to usage and maintenance.
1.) Regular Maintenance:
Make a habit of cleaning your laptop regularly since regular cleaning on the inside and outside makes a gaming laptop last longer.
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- Outside cleaning should be done using a microfiber towel to wipe down the exterior.
- Inside cleaning can be done with compressed air to clean the fans and heating vents as the dust causes overheating and damage, impacting the gaming laptop’s lifespan.
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2.) Manage The Heat Transfer:
A gaming laptop can heat up and lead to a burn or a fire hazard and ultimately damage internal parts without dust or dirt. Since gaming is the most demanding task and a low spec laptop will work overdrive causing the temperature to rise.
Fortunately, majority of the gaming laptops have built-in cooling systems to fight off the heat. If your laptop starts getting hot and lacks a cooling system, you can try a cheap but effective fix i.e., use cooling pads, this will help provide additional airflow.
3.) Overall Battery Life:
Just like the rest of the laptop’s hardware components, the battery has its lifespan too. Maintaining a fine battery life is a bit tricky for gamers as a gaming laptop’s battery tends to drain fast which is why gamers must have good battery charging habits.
To maximize your battery, make sure you do not overcharge it since it could cause overheating. Most of the laptops use lithium-ion batteries, that if charged between 40-80%, can last a little longer than expected.
4.) Keep Updating The Software:
Your laptop regularly sends you a software update notification which you might probably ignore just like every other user, right?
Most gamers use Windows, the latest operating system of Windows feature update every 6 months. Make sure you don’t ignore it the next time you see a notification because Microsoft’s OS updates include several security and performance improvements. These updates not only impact your gaming experience but the lifespan of a gaming laptop too.
5.) Consider Upgrading The Components:
Upgrade components every 2-3 years as it is a quick-fire way to boost the gaming performance and make it better in newer games.
You must also upgrade your RAM as it enhances the gaming experience. Whether you have an HDD or SSD, it is always a good idea to upgrade your data storage.
Since most of the laptops are now integrated with SSD storage, it would be a massive leap at a great performance by switching to an SSD.
For gaming laptops, the recommended SSD capacity is usually 512GB to 1TB. You can also upgrade the hardware components by changing your processors for much-needed improvements.
So, How Long Will A Gaming Laptop Last – Conclusion:
[su_note note_color=”#e2f0fc”]Besides the price, various factors impact the lifespan of a gaming laptop. Commonly, the physical components of a gaming laptop can give up to 10 years of service. However, proper usage with regular maintenance adds to the overall performance and longer life of a gaming laptop as well.[/su_note]