Hi everyone, Just looking for some advice. I'm in the middle of looking for a new PC from a company called 3XS System. I paid around £1500 for the last one I got from them, and I'm thinking of doing the same again. My old one has lasted about 5 and a half years. I know that all computers breakdown and things just die and you replace them as much as you can, Until eventually you reach a point were your better off buying a new one, If any of you where to buy a new custom PC for that price how long would you expect it to last?

Any thoughts on this would be great. :)

i'm assuming you are talking about a desktop? if you can upgrade different components yourself i can see a good 7-8 years to be honest.

I built my PC in 2012....i7 3770 @ 3.40GHz, 16 Gb RAM, GTX 670 gpu

Still ran most games at Ultra, but upgraded the GPU to a 980 this year because i could.

I see no reason that it still wont be viable in 5 years time. I want another bigger SSD for more storage but I'll get one when there's a good sale at some point.

For a computer of that value, I'd say 3-4 years of buying no parts. Then, another 3 years of buying parts here and there, and after about 6-7 years you'll replace the mobo/cpu, which basically means you have a new computer of similar value every 6-7 years.

An awesome PC should last you almost $1 every day until the time you want to replace it.

It depends on what I'm using it for, although I honestly expect my current computer to still play games on at least high settings at 1080p in 2017-2018. I built it in 2012, it has a 970 in it now, along with 8GB of RAM and an i5 3470. I may need to think about upgrading the RAM and I'm probably going to wind up buying a new HDD for it, but I probably won't have much of an issue if I just leave it alone. Hell, I might still be playing video games on it in 2020 if things keep plateauing, though I'd really like to have a new machine by then.

If I stopped gaming on it altogether and never really cared to do anything intensive on it ever again, the parts would stop working before operating systems/programs/applications started asking for more power than it has. Probably.

The more intensive stuff you plan on doing with it, the sooner you'll have to start replacing parts to keep up with modern technology.

On a different note, my parents bought their first computer in 2001 and handed it down to me in 2008. It continued to work, without any upgrades or replacements, until I took it apart sometime in 2011 or 2012. It had an 80GB HDD, a 1.8GHz Intel processor (I think), and 512MB RAM, which was downright pitiful long before it ever stopped chugging along. I installed Ubuntu 9.10 on it and used that as my main operating system a little while after I got it and that helped breathe a little bit more life into it. I still have the keyboard that came with that computer, actually, and it still works, though I don't use it.

Everyone is saying about the right thing.

The PC I've got was 'the most expsensive thing in best buy" circa 2010..and with the addition of a 960 (4GB) its running every new game currently online at the highest settings. I expect it to last me until Microsoft/Sony bring out new consoles, as until then games will have to work on those systems and my current machine matches or exceeds them slightly.

Meaning, since these consoles will have a shorter life span likely, yah, 7-8..maybe 9-10 years, given I don't require 'ultra' on my PC only "does it run on low? good lets play!" So I get more out of my systems then some.

And of course if you buy your own PC/build it yourself..its even longer. Like if your willing to spend 1500+ dollars on top of the line stuff it should/could last you a very long time indeed.

Depends, I upgrade incrementally so I haven't put down a huge sum in one go since probably 07 or something. But I'd expect a fresh PC with good hardware to last me 3-4 years without upgrades.

EDIT: I did a $450 Mobo/CPU upgrade this year. Does that count as a new PC? My previous motherboard lasted 4 years, and honestly I could've kept using it. I just wanted some more horsepower for a couple of super specific reasons.

i'm averaging about 7 years per build with minimal upgrades (adding ram or a drive when needed). i spend a little more upfront, however, and i'm not obsessive about frame rates and performance.

i also don't upgrade screens very often, so that helps to keep the gpu current (i'm at 1680x1050)

This literally cannot be true. Unless you're running games at 1280x720 or lower or are getting 20-30 fps max, there is no way a 960 can play all modern games at the highest settings.

Depends on what you mean by lasting.

- Before the parts actually break? About 7-10 years

- Before they slow down, or or mechanically lose effectiveness? About 5-6 years

- Before they need to be upgraded to play better games? Typically 3.5 years

- Before "I" get the itch for something better? 2.5- to 3 years.

- Before something better comes out at a decent price? >6 months

A well made machine will run for 8-10 years! But, long before that slow down creeps in, running is not living! Just because a computer turns on doesn't mean it WORKS or is WORTH using. Sure you could go in and clean the whole computer, and put in a new HDD to give it some spark...but why bother when your CPU is 6-10 years old and your RAM is from a Bush administration?! A home PC should be replaced every 4 years for a working adult, and maybe every six years for a retired adult (provided it gets a good tear-down/cleaning after four years.)

For, a gamer? that computers should be torn-down every 2.5 to 3 years and progressively upgrading a few parts. I'm a big believer in a gaming PC being TOTALLY fresh every five years.....new case, new everything.

Built my system in 2011. Only components I have upgraded are the gpu and RAM. If your going to buy a pre built system make sure they use a good quality PSU. Just ask on forums and such for recommendations etc.

I think you would be looking to upgrade or need to replace failing parts every 5 years.

I don't really know. I'm still on my first build that I've been upgrading as the year went on. ...well, mostly buying games at almost every given Steam and Humble Bundle sale and not so much setting aside cash for better parts. But, I built what I'm using now back in January, I can see myself sticking with Haswell for... I dunno. Five or seven years...? Certainly whenever every component I have becomes completely obsolete and I'll have to buy everything again...

7-8 years overall. 3 years to play most games on highest settings.

Probably 3 years, then swap out the GPU and then another 2-3 years.

This, basically. A decent motherboard/processor combination will last for about 5-6 years. My 2012 i5 3570k is having no problems yet. Once it does start to go, it's still an option to stick a better cooler on it and overclock somewhat. I upgraded to a 970 GTX last year, so my previous card did last about 2,5 - 3 years.

In general I think pasts last for a long time. I hardly ever sell old parts, as I like to tinker around every once in a while. If I need to get rid of old gear I tend to just give it away. Until recently I still had a 9700 Pro from around 2003 which worked absolutely fine despite being absolutely trashed by overclocking it. This stuff is generally built to last.

I've had my parts since 2014. With how unambitious and samey most games are nowadays, I don't expect to upgrade again for a long time.

I owned my last build for about two years. The parts for that one were previously owned by my brother.