How to Beat the Average Laptop Lifespan: Simple Ways to Make Your PC Run Longer

On average, you can use your laptop for about three years before you start seeing any problems or decline in performance. But these are influenced by various factors, like its type, usage patterns, and how you maintain it. 

But how long do laptops last? We’ll explore this question, answer them, and give you valuable tips to help you increase your PC’s lifespan. 

Let’s begin.

What Is the Average Lifespan of a Laptop?

The laptop lifespan can vary depending on the type and usage. On average, a laptop typically lasts between 3 and 7 years, but the specific range depends on several categories and how it’s used. Let’s go through that and see:

• Budget laptops tend to last around 2 to 4 years because they are built with affordable materials and lower-end components. So, you can also use these laptops for basic tasks like browsing and light office work. An example is the Acer Aspire 5 and HP Stream 14. 
• Mid-range laptops can last between 3 and 5 years, like the Dell Inspiron 5000 and Lenovo IdeaPad 5. They offer better performance and durability than budget models. These laptops are usually suitable for light gaming and creating content. 
• High-end laptops’ lifespan can extend to 4 to 7 years or more. Manufacturers use premium materials and components to make them robust options for professionals and power users who need their machines to perform consistently over time. A good example is the Dell XPS 15 and MacBook Pro.
• Gaming laptops have a lifespan of 3 to 5 years. You’d think that they would last longer compared to high-end laptops, but the gaming demands can wear them down faster, especially if you push them to their limits regularly. For example, ASUS ROG Zephyrus and MSI GF65 Thin. 

Here’s a comparison table:

The Average Laptop Lifespan by Brand

Ultimately, the question of “How long do computers last?” really depends on two major things: the brand and how you use it. You shouldn’t focus on one aspect.

Most good-quality laptops are built to last for at least 3 years on average, and that is based on how durable the internal components are.

That said, as already stated, these numbers can greatly vary depending on how you use them. Let’s go through some popular brands and their average laptop lifespan:

HP laptops

HP laptop. Source: HP.com

For example, HP laptops are popular for their robust build and reliable components. If you buy a mid-range HP laptop, it can last about 3 years with regular use, but a business-class laptop like the HP Elitebook can easily go over 5 years or more (again, if treated properly).

Microsoft Surface laptops

Surface laptop. Source: Microsoft

On the other hand, Microsoft Surface laptops can last well beyond the average 5 years, although you may have to replace the batteries over time.

Lenovo laptops

Lenovo laptop. Source: Lenovo

Now, regarding Lenovo laptops, the budget ones may have an average laptop lifespan of 3 years, but their mid-range and premium models, like the ThinkPad line, usually exceed expectations (5 to 7 years).

Acer laptops

Acer laptop. Source: Acer

Acer and ASUS offer good performance for 3–5 years on average. Acer, particularly favored for its durability, can last longer if you maintain it well.

ASUS laptops

ASUS laptop. Source: PCWorld

In the same way, ASUS laptops, which are usually pegged at a 3–5 year lifespan, can last up to 10 years with upgrades and careful handling. 

Here’s a comparison table:

Best PC brands in terms of longevity

According to PCMag, the data below shows laptop brands people have been using for more than four years.

Source: PCMag

Here’s another piece of data from the survey for laptops for work:

Source: PCMag

Each brand has its strengths in terms of the average lifespan of a laptop. But it’s clear that whatever laptop you use, you need to maintain it properly to extend its lifespan.

Factors That Affect Your Laptop Lifespan

Let’s break down the things that affect your laptop’s longevity:

1. Tasks you perform (usage patterns)

The lifespan of the laptop can also change based on how you use it. Here’s a full breakdown based on usage patterns across various categories: 

• Casual use (6 to 7 years). If you mostly use your laptop for browsing, streaming, and light tasks, it can last longer because it experiences less wear and tear. This is particularly true for mid-range or high-end models. 
• Business use (4 to 6 years). If you rely on your laptop for business activities, it can moderately impact the lifespan, especially for mid-range laptops. Budget laptops might lean toward the lower end of this range.
• Heavy usage (3 to 5 years). Laptops used for gaming, 3D rendering, or video editing can wear down your laptop quickly, especially if it’s a budget or mid-range model. High-end laptops might endure longer in this scenario because of the premium materials and components.

Here’s a simple table to compare:

2. Environmental factors

High temperatures and humidity levels can damage the laptop’s internal components. For example, excessive heat can degrade internal components over time, especially if dust and debris clog the fans. When this happens, overheating is bound to occur, which can reduce the average laptop lifespan. 

Learn more about reasons for overheating and our complete guide on how to stop it forever to prolong the lifespan of your computer.

3. Lack of regular maintenance

Like any machine, laptops need regular maintenance. I’ve already touched on how dust naturally accumulates in laptops, especially around fans and air vents. That’s the physical side. 

You also need to maintain the software on your PC, like system updates and cleanups, to prevent incompatibilities, errors, and security vulnerabilities.

Also read: Free PC Cleaners Review: What Are the Best Tools for Cleaning Your PC?

4. Laptops with low-quality material

Budget laptops are generally built with more cost-effective parts and materials, and that’s why they are affordable for most people. However, that also means they have to sacrifice durability; they may not last as long as high-end laptops. 

Laptops that are of high quality usually come with sturdy frames, reliable keyboards, and durable hinges. 

All these help to prevent wear and tear from everyday use. It also means they are less prone to breakdowns compared to the affordable ones.

5. How you treat your laptop

How you handle your laptop can affect its lifespan. Even if you purchase the sturdiest laptop, frequent drops or bumps and mishandling can destroy the internal components, hinges, and screens. 

Not turning off your PC regularly (maybe not every night but still regularly enough) also influences your battery life and overall performance and longevity of your computer.

Furthermore, it’s a bad habit to keep your laptop plugged in constantly because it can degrade the battery. I know most modern laptops have this feature where it stops charging when it reaches 100% and draws power directly from the charger, but you need to remember that there can be a downside.

How to Increase the Lifespan of a Laptop

With the question, “How long should a laptop last?” answered, and out of the how, let’s find out how to increase a laptop’s lifespan:

Tip 1: Maintain your laptop on regular basis

If you want to prevent wear and tear, thereby reducing the laptop’s lifespan, regularly perform PC maintenance, which includes: 

• Physically cleaning your laptop regularly: this helps preserve your internal components and prevent overheating.

• Updating your drivers, system, and software to ensure you have the latest performance and security enhancements. 
• Keeping your system clean from unnecessary files.
• Keeping your system secure. scan your system for malware and remove them.
• Keeping your drives in shape: Defragment your hard drive or optimize your SSD to organize data and speed up how fast you access information.

Follow the steps below to set up a regular PC maintenance schedule:

Tip 2: Take good care of your laptop’s battery

Earlier, we covered one truth about laptop batteries, at least for modern PCs: there’s no danger in overcharging the battery. However, some laptops generate heat when you leave them plugged in for extended periods, and that can affect their longevity. Plus, keeping at 100% constantly can cause slight wear over time.

So, based on these truths, how should you approach the battery to increase the average lifespan of a laptop?

Strike a balance	Microsoft says that it’s not good to keep the laptop plugged in all the time when it’s fully charged because it can cause the battery to damage faster. So, leaving the laptop plugged in won’t cause any problem, at least for the short term.  But you’ll see the battery’s capacity decreasing after a year. In the same way, using only the battery’s power can also cause it to deteriorate faster.  So, the best answer is a bit of a compromise. Use the battery power on some days and plug it in on other days. However, whatever you do, make sure the laptop’s battery doesn’t get too hot.
Keep your temperatures in check	High temperatures can cause the battery to swell, lose its capacity faster, and, in severe cases, even lead to leaks or explosions. What you can do is use a cooling pad or ensure proper airflow by placing your laptop on a hard, flat surface to maintain even temperatures.  Also use tools like Core Temp and GPU-Z to monitor the system’s temperature in real time. This is particularly helpful for gamers.
Optimize power settings	Activate the battery saver mode when you’re not performing intensive tasks. Just open the Settings window and type battery saver. Select the relevant result to enable the feature.
Constantly monitor your battery health	Open the Command Prompt as an administrator (search for cmd and select Run as administrator) and run this command to check the battery report: powercfg /batteryreport. Then, follow this path to get the battery report in HTML: C:\WINDOWS\System32\battery-report.html. You can search for it in the System32 folder. The report gives you insights into your battery’s capacity, charge cycles, and any signs of wear. If you don’t know how to read the report, check out this guide: Check Laptop Battery Health on Windows 10/11. If you notice a significant decline in battery life, replace it before it starts affecting other components. You can use tools like BatteryBar or BatteryInfoView to check charge percentage, capacity, and wear calculation.
Extra tips to prolong your battery life	Avoid full discharges by keeping the battery level between 20% and 80%  Manage the heat the laptop produces and try to avoid overheating Unfortunately, you may have to limit intensive tasks like gaming or video editing Use external power solutions like power banks

Tip 3: Upgrade components when possible

One of the ways to improve your laptop’s average lifespan is by upgrading the hardware of your PC.

You can upgrade:

• RAM. When your laptop is running low on memory, it heavily relies on storage for temporary data, and that can increase the wear on the storage drive. Consider upgrading your RAM to minimize the stress on the system and extend the average laptop lifespan.
• SSD. You can swap your HDD with a solid-state drive to increase your laptop’s durability. Since traditional hard drives are prone to wear and failure, particularly if you move your laptop a lot, this is ideal. If you’re already using an SSD, like a SATA SSD, you can replace it with a faster one, like an NVMe one. A faster drive means quicker data access, and that can reduce the overall strain on the system.

• Battery. If the laptop’s battery is old, it can lead to voltage fluctuations and unexpected shutdowns, and that may damage internal components over time. So, consider replacing the batteries to protect sensitive parts like the motherboard and storage drive. Ultimately, that will prolong the laptop’s lifespan. 

• Fan. If your laptop fan isn’t working as it should, you can upgrade to reduce thermal stress and ensure the components last longer. However, the process can be a bit too much compared to replacing RAM. So, you should get professional help to avoid damaging your laptop. 

Related read: Quick Tips: How to Control CPU Fan Speed on Windows PCs

Tip 4: Manage usage and avoid overloading

How you use your laptop speaks volumes. Below are some ways to reduce overloading and manage the usage:

1. Check the most intensive tasks and disable them

Some applications and processes consume lots of system resources. You can use the Task Manager to find out the apps that are taking too much resources and disable them. Here’s a simple guide: 

• Go to the Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
• Click on the Processes tab to see the list of all running applications and background processes.
• Look at the CPU, Memory, Disk, and Network columns to check their usage. Just click on them, and the most intensive processes will display at the top. Apps with the most resource usage are usually highlighted, so it should be easy to spot them.

• After that, right-click on the process and select End task.

However, make sure you don’t close system-critical processes, like explorer.exe, svchost.exe, and any other process with .exe at the end.

2. Close background apps

Running multiple resource-intensive programs at the same time can put excessive load on your RAM and CPU. You can close any background programs you don’t need. 

• Open the Task Manager.
• Then, go through the processes and shut down the apps you don’t need.

Again, make sure you don’t close system-critical processes.

3. Adjust your power settings

You can also set your power settings to balanced mode instead of best performance mode to reduce the strain on the laptop’s components, especially your battery. Here’s how to adjust it: 

For Windows 10, go to Settings > System > Power & sleep > Additional power settings. 

For Windows 11, go to Settings > System > Power & battery > Power mode. Then select Balanced.

We have a detailed guide here: Pro Tips: Mastering Advanced Power Settings in Windows 10/11

How to Decide Whether to Repair, Upgrade, or Replace Your Laptop

Knowing when to upgrade, replace, or repair your laptop is a balancing act. We’ll go through the three stages and cover what to do in various situations and why.

When to repair your laptop

It makes sense to repair your laptop if the problem is isolated and the cost to repair is reasonable compared to the current market value. Here’s what I mean:

• Minor issues. If you have a broken keyboard, a cracked screen, or the battery drains tooo fast and they are affordable to fix, it makes sense to repair them. Remember that the emphasis is on “affordable” because some broken screens can be expensive, depending on the brand.
• Recent purchase. If you just bought a laptop and you still have a warranty, getting it repaired is no-brainer, if the warranty covers it.

When to upgrade your laptop

If your laptop is performing well but could use a boost, this is the perfect time to upgrade it. Here are situations where upgrading your laptop is ideal:

• You need more storage. If you’re constantly running out of storage, you can upgrade to an SSD with more storage. You just have to make sure it’s compatible with your system. Also, if you’re a gamer, you can upgrade to the SSD for your gaming needs. 
• Boost your performance. A slow laptop can be really frustrating. If you’re using an HDD, you can switch to an SSD or even upgrade your RAM.
• Compatibility issues. Sometimes, your laptop may not be able to handle newer apps smoothly. In this case, you might need a hardware upgrade. Just make sure your laptop model permits your preferred upgrade because some modern laptops limit how much you can upgrade their hardware.

When to replace your laptop

Usually, going for this option means that repairs or upgrades are no longer viable options. Here’s when a replacement is a good option:

• High repair costs. If the laptop has numerous issues, like a failing motherboard, the repair cost can be high. Buying a new laptop can be a more economical option.
• Hardware is obsolete. If your laptop can’t support necessary upgrades or can’t run modern software, it may be time for an upgrade. For example, I know some colleagues that still use Windows 7. If you’re still using older Windows, you might want to check out the new Copilot PCs for a change!

So How Long Should the Laptop Last?

The average laptop lifespan typically ranges from 3 to 5 years, depending on how you use it, brand, and care. However, this is just the baseline. If you regularly maintain your laptop, upgrade relevant parts, and mind usage habits, even budget laptops can last up to 7 years or more.

Remember that a little care goes a long way in making sure your laptop remains stable for years to come. So, invest in regular maintenance and choose the right type of laptop for your needs. And use the machine wisely.

If you have any questions or tips to share, drop them in the comments. We’d love to hear from you!

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