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How Long Will My Computer Last

CrystalDreamer59CrystalDreamer59 Member Posts: 32
in Hardware

I have a windows 8.1 laptop that I just got last fall. Lately I've been thinking about going back to college and finishing my associates in liberal arts hopefully by then I'll have an idea of what I want to get my bachelors degree in. Since I've already done a year of college I expect it will take me about 3 to 4 years to get my bachelors degree and I'm wondering if my computer could last that long. 

 

Here are my hardware specs that I know of 

 

725 GB hard drive space 

AMD A8-6410 processor with AMD radeon R5 graphics 2.00 GHz 

8 GB RAM 

 

Unfortunately as of now I don't know what I want to get my bachelors degree in once I get my associates degree so that may not help much. 

Comments

  • OhhPaigeyOhhPaigey Member RarePosts: 1,517

    Last for? Just school work? Probably unless you drop it or a part stops working lol.

    For gaming laptops aren't that great.

     

    When all is said and done, more is always said than done.
  • jdnewelljdnewell Member UncommonPosts: 2,237

    For school / office work it should last years.

    Web browsing, MS Office type stuff, streaming, ect. all dont stress the system much. Which keeps the laptop cooler generally speaking than gaming, which generates a lot of heat and can cause issues sooner.

    I have a laptop similar to yours and it is going on 2 1/2 years old. Had an issue with the wireless NIC going out but a USB adapter fixed that for cheap. Other than that it is working as good as when i bought it. Mainly used for office work, browsing & streaming on occasion. I am hoping to get another 2 1/2 years out of it.

  • NanfoodleNanfoodle Member LegendaryPosts: 10,901
    As long as the hardware dont quit you should be good. For gaming, you maybe pressed with the new games coming out but anything out currently you should be fine to run as med settings. 
  • LoregabaLoregaba Member UncommonPosts: 19
    It'll last longer then it used to last 10 years ago.
  • PepeqPepeq Member UncommonPosts: 1,977

    You computer will last longer than your interest in the subject matter in which you are studying... 

     

    Laptops are the number one reported theft item on college campuses...

     

    Your laptop is not a frisbee... although you will be tempted to treat it as such...

     

  • RemyVorenderRemyVorender Member RarePosts: 4,006

    Your laptop is already dead.

     

    Just kidding. A laptop used for gaming will last on average between 2-3 years, depending on use and length of play sessions.

    Joined 2004 - I can't believe I've been a MMORPG.com member for 20 years! Get off my lawn!

  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,501
    If you mean how long will the laptop run, as opposed to nothing happening when you press the power button, then that depends on a variety of factors, including how much you use it, whether you abuse it, the build quality of the laptop, and dumb luck.  If you mean how long will it be good enough for your needs, that depends on what you want it for.  For gaming, it was obsolete before it launched, as the architecture was designed from the start to be low power and low performance.
  • syntax42syntax42 Member UncommonPosts: 1,385

    An average laptop should last 2-4 years, depending on use and abuse.  There is also a chance for parts to fail early and cause a drastically-shortened lifespan of any electronic item.

    Good luck in life.  I hope you pick a useful degree instead of Liberal Arts.

  • RidelynnRidelynn Member EpicPosts: 7,383

    Originally posted by syntax42
    An average laptop should last 2-4 years, depending on use and abuse.  There is also a chance for parts to fail early and cause a drastically-shortened lifespan of any electronic item.Good luck in life.  I hope you pick a useful degree instead of Liberal Arts.

    I agree with the first paragraph - seems that we get on average about 3 years of good life out of a laptop - some last a lot longer (we've got a few on on 10-12+ years and still going), but most don't last nearly that long. After around 3 years are when most have fully developed their "personality", and start requiring some serious work to maintain. After 5 years, we don't even repair them any longer, because it costs more to repair than it does to replace at that point.

    As far as your degree goes - good luck - I'm of the opinion it matters less what it's in as opposed to what you do with it.

  • syntax42syntax42 Member UncommonPosts: 1,385
    Originally posted by Ridelynn

     

    Originally posted by syntax42
    An average laptop should last 2-4 years, depending on use and abuse.  There is also a chance for parts to fail early and cause a drastically-shortened lifespan of any electronic item.

     

    Good luck in life.  I hope you pick a useful degree instead of Liberal Arts.

     

    As far as your degree goes - good luck - I'm of the opinion it matters less what it's in as opposed to what you do with it.

    I should have clarified my statement.  Liberal Arts is a "useful" degree, as much as any other degree.  Around half of people with 4-year degrees aren't working in a field directly related to their degrees.  Since Liberal Arts doesn't really focus on any specific career, you would be competing with those who look for any job, as well as those who are applying for a job in their field of study.

    As a Liberal Arts major, the act of finding a job will be toughest right after you graduate, especially if you don't get an internship somewhere.  After you've established yourself with some hands-on experience, that experience will matter more than the degree.  A Liberal Arts degree is just "less useful" than a focused degree for starting your career.

    If you don't know what you want to do in life, a degree of any kind is better than no degree at all.  It is also better than attempting a degree, finding out you don't like that area of study, then owing the college money for courses that didn't earn a degree for you.

  • CrystalDreamer59CrystalDreamer59 Member Posts: 32
    Thanks. You're right and for simple stuff such as word processing and web browsing my computer ( which I'll probably be doing a lot of as a liberal arts major ) should last several years. As for gaming my computer should probably last as you said 3-4 more years as long as I take good care of it, but once I start school I'll be too busy to be gaming. Besides I've been told I should get out more to keep myself more busy. IMO an associates degree in liberal arts is a good idea for someone who at the moment is unsure of what they want to do in life though I have some idea of what I want to eventually do. I've been talking to career counselors and they say I should do something that has to do with nature so I've been thinking maybe getting my bachelors in Biology or something like that. 
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