I have a laptop that is constantly on, it has lasted 4 years. How much longer can I expect it to last if it is constantly on.
How long will a computer last if it is turned on 8 to 10 hours a day?
- Thread starter HAMSTER INSPECTOR
- Start date
Not sure about laptops but my PC is still working after 6 years and I use it everyday. I put it in sleep mode if i'm staying home and turn it off when i'm leaving the house or heading to bed.
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My desktop PC from 1997 still works/runs great and was used every day 8 hrs or more. Just retired it after getting a new one a couple months ago.
It still has the OEM 'massive' 8.5GB HDD that works fine but was replaced by a faster 120GB HDD.
It still has the OEM 'massive' 8.5GB HDD that works fine but was replaced by a faster 120GB HDD.
Why is it constantly on? Who are you watching?
My mac is used almost every day and it's been 7 years.
The majority of electric and electronic devices fail more in direct proportion to power-ups than to uptime.
You shouldn't sweat it. The two things that come to mind are that if a system has too little memory swap will almost always grind in windows, and that's not great for your hard disk (this is rare in the 2+ GB of RAM era), and if the PSU is too small the average draw will kill it quicker. So hours of unattended uptime can matter there, but they shouldn't with any recent sensibly built system. Assuming you aren't living in swap or don't have an underpowered PSU, the individual components will fail when they fail, and even on commodity stuff that can be years...
Something tells me you're going to have to explain PSU. Just saying.
HI no problems, just talk nice to it and it will work fine. Are you backing up your stuff?
My desktop is on 24/7 for the last 2 years and it is running as smooth as butter. For my laptop, I do cycle the battery so it can last longer.
My desktop runs 24/7/365 and has been for as long as I have had a desktop... (1992 I think...)
Only reason I shut it down is for maintenance and/or upgrades...
So which is it? Constantly on? Or turned on 8 to 10 hours a day? They are different scenarios, they put different stresses on the machine and the outcomes will differ.
One thing is certain, with a question like that, you'll get answers all over the map.
I should maybe qualify this with the fact that my PC is in a constant state of flux, as I am regularly upgrading parts on it... The original one was a 486DX if memory serves... I regularly swapped processors, memory, graphics cards, I/O cards, hard drives even power supplies... Only thing that has remained constant in the last 10 years is the case.
That, and spinning magnetic media up and down isn't terribly good for it. Actually spinning pretty much any moving part up and down isn't good for it (for anything). Then there's the process of electrify things...
I'm a linux and unix geek. On commodity x86 hardware you can build a home server, shove it in a closet, let it run continuously, and expect to upgrade before anything dies. Especially if no single disk ever gets more than a few years old (and use software RAID if you can). The most common things to go are optical drives (CD / DVD / Blue Ray), hard drives, and Power Supplies (PSU). Best value for money on a hard disk or PSU is about $80, and DVDrw drives can be had for as little as $40 (or less), all new. If you're that hard up you can't afford the internet for a year....
Guys, I'm a little confused. When one says the P.C. is on 24/7/365, does that mean the P.C. is never powered off even when not in use (like during your sleep time)? If so, are you not burning electricity and is the P.C. constantly "hot"?
