Every gamer I have met has inquired, How long do gaming laptops last? And my reply to it is, A gaming laptop will last for 3-5 years depending on the frequency and duration of use. This range can be increased with maintenance.
Many pro players even spend hours inquiring about the lifespan of gaming laptop parts before making a purchase. That is why you should be mindful when looking for the best gaming laptops.
Upon answering this question about the expected life of a gaming laptop, you can make an informed purchasing decision and the necessary steps to ensure its best health.
If you, too, are puzzled about how long a gaming laptop should last, this guide is just for you.
Here I will discuss, what is the average life of a gaming laptop, how to increase the longevity of your gaming laptop, and many more related questions.
Let’s begin the unraveling of the Gaming Laptops’ life expectancy.
What is the Average Lifespan of a Gaming Laptop?
On average, a gaming laptop will last for somewhere between 3 to 5 years with considerable moderate usage. However, high-end gaming laptops can also give a substantial performance for 6 to 7 years.
And, with the best care, the hardware of your gaming laptops will be in sparsely usable condition even after 10 years. But it won’t be able to support the latest games.
Any gaming laptop will give its top result in the first two years. It is from the 3rd year that the performance of your gaming laptop will drop.
You will notice your gaming laptop often gets heated up after a short session of gaming. By the time you reach the fourth year, components like the CPU and GPU will become outdated and slow.
Another reason for such a short life of gaming laptops is that this industry is a non-sleeping giant that keeps developing and upgrading each year.
So by the time your gaming laptop is in the mid of its life, the whole industry would have gone 5 levels up. Leaving you with a laptop that will not support newer games.
A high-budget gaming laptop indeed gives much longer performance than budget-friendly products like under $800 gaming laptops. But, there are other factors too that determine how long will a gaining laptop last.
Some of them are discussed in the sections below.
The Lifespan of Gaming Laptops’ Components
How long will a gaming laptop last is greatly influenced by the lifespan of gaming laptops’ components. Just like any complex organism, a gaming laptop will last till its organs are functioning in a proper manner.
Let us explore the expected life of the various parts of a gaming laptop:
How Long does Gaming Laptop Battery Last?
The battery life of any gaming laptop will be at its peak for 1-2 years. After this, it will start degrading. The rate at which the battery of your gaming laptop falls depends on how often and for what duration you use your gaming laptop.
You should also note that higher quality GPU and CPU will not only drain the battery quicker but also put it under more pressure.
You must make sure you replace the battery of your gaming laptop within 2 years of use. Apart from this, while playing some games, you can keep your gaming laptop on low-power mode.
RAM’s Performance Lifespan
The RAM of a gaming laptop usually lasts for more than 8 years. Hence there is nothing to worry about the durability of the RAM.
However, you must pay attention to the space available with the RAM of your gaming laptop. Anything lower than 8 GB needs to be replaced as soon as possible. The best RAM for a gaming laptop will have 16 GB of storage space.
If you have a tight budget under $400, it will be best to get a gaming laptop with a smaller RAM and then update it within 2 years at the least.
How Long Does Graphic Cards Last?
A decent GPU will last for 5-6 years at least. It is true that the GPU (and CPU) are in for the long run. That is why most gaming laptops are used as ordinary laptops after the end of their service life. With proper care, GPU can even last for 7-10 years.
A graphics card’s durability depends on the gaming laptop’s cost and use. Low-end laptops indeed have poorer GPU and CPU that can last for 3-4 years with the best performance.
SDD and HDD Shelf life
Typically, a gaming laptop SDD can last for 7 years while an HDD has a lifespan of 5-7 years. This figure is for those who game almost every day for hours. If appropriately used an SDD should last for 10 years while an HDD for a max of 8 years.
Many new gamers often ask me: Does playing games damage SSD?
My reply is: Playing games will not damage the SDD of gaming laptops.
In general, the SDD lasts longer than an HDD as the HDD contains a moveable disk that causes more wear and tears mechanically. However, in my experience, it is best to use a configuration of SDD and HDD together.
What Affects The Life Span Of a Gaming Laptop?
The lifespan of a gaming laptop depends not just on how rigorously and often you use it, but also on the quality of its components like battery, graphics card, cooling paste, condition of the cooling fans, etc.
You can put all the aspects that affect the durability of a gaming laptop in the following components:
Usage
The first and foremost thing that will determine the longevity of your gaming laptop is how rigorously you use it for gaming. Like all electronic products, gaming laptops are also vulnerable to wear and tear that comes with frequent usage.
A gaming laptop is a laptop, after all. Hence is also used for various purposes by gamers. This may include video and photo editing, web surfing, watching videos, blogging, djing etc. All this together put some pressure on the gaming laptop, eventually affecting its performance.
So if you play games and stream them from your gaming laptop set or enjoy extended gameplay, there is a high chance that your gaming laptop will be short live.
Hardware Quality
Next on the list is the hardware of your gaming laptop. Since not all gaming laptops have the same build and features, the quality of various specifications can alter the shelf life of a gaming laptop. This is typically around 5-7 years.
This includes the status of the following components –
- CPU and GPU
- RAM
- Cooling System
Maintenance
Technology, though powerful, is a sensitive thing. It requires proper and timely maintenance and regular care. The more you take care of your gaming laptop, the longer it will last.
With proper care, you can increase the lifespan of a gaming laptop. This will include being mindful of how much time you spend on your gaming laptop and ensuring you keep giving it proper rest.
Checking for unusual temperature rises, identifying abnormal behavior, and upgrading the elements of your gaming laptop are a few other ways you can ensure that your gaming laptop lasts longer.
How to Increase The Longevity Of a Gaming Laptop?
Taking care of your gaming laptop can begin from the first day itself. It will include minute details like not using your gaming laptop non-stop without any rest and even extra expenditure to ensure your gaming laptop is updated and protected.
Given below are pointers to keep in mind to expand the service life of gaming laptops –
Let it Cool
Long gaming sessions can be fiery for your gameplay and gaming laptop. Often resulting in quick heating up of your laptop and putting extra pressure on the cooling systems.
Over time, the thermal protection system will wear off, and your gaming laptop will face more heat. So much so that it can severely damage the internal parts of your system. It can even switch off your gaming laptop amidst a great game.
Hence proper heat management is a necessary step you must take to ensure a longer service life for your gaming laptop.
One of the best ways to fight the heat is by getting extra cooling pads. You must also avoid using your gaming laptop on surfaces like a bed. It leads to poor airflow and causes your device to heat up faster.
Keep Dust and Dirt Away
Keeping your gaming laptop clean inside-out is the best way to ensure it lives longer. Dust and Dirt particles can hinder the functioning of various elements of your gaming laptop.
Imagine the amount of damage that can happen to your gaming laptop if too much dust gets collected on its cooling fan.
It is advisable to clean your gaming laptop thoroughly from the inside twice a year and from the outside almost daily.
While cleaning, make sure you do not use any form of liquid or wet wipes/cloth, and for internal cleaning, seek the assistance of an expert strictly. Also, do not put any kind of object inside the ports on your laptop.
Hardware Updates
Apart from the daily maintenance, it is vital that you make sure your gaming laptop has updated hardware. Upgrading the hardware system of your gaming laptop is a sensitive task.
Though it must be done within 2-3 years of use, it is always better to wait till you have authentic and un-corrupted parts.
First, I will suggest changing your RAM since it is cheaper and more accessible. A RAM of 8-16 GB is best for gaming laptops.
Then you should move to upgrade the storage of your gaming laptop with an HDD or SDD. In my opinion, nothing is better than having a combination of 128 GB SSD and a 1TB HDD.
Lastly, you must pay attention to the trickiest section of your gaming laptop: the CPU and GPU system. Many laptops do not have the facility to upgrade their processor.
On the flip side, both CPU and GPU are incredibly long-lasting.
Get New Software
The gaming and technology community moves fast. With every update, the older version becomes less supportive. Hence as a gamer, you do not have the luxury of skipping a system update notification.
If your gaming laptop does not have the latest version, you will not be able to enjoy many advance level games. Thus you must get an update the moment there is a newer software version in the market.
Most players use Microsoft’s Windows OS, and if you are one of them, do remember to that Windows launch some or the other updates in 6-12 months.
An older OS version also means your gaming laptop is open to security and performance interruptions. This, in multiple ways, can affect your gaming experience and gameplay.
Have an Anti-virus Protection
Another essential step to ensure your gaming laptop’s improved life expectancy is to get a good quality, all-around protection anti-virus.
Many gamers enjoy playing online games. Though they are great, they always pose an extra threat of being contaminated by viruses.
No one wants a gaming laptop attacked by malware and viruses, creating glitches in the gaming experience. It is also a grave concern to your privacy and security, in addition to the overall health of your gaming laptop.
Improve Battery Life of Gaming Laptops
Using your gaming laptop will affect its battery life directly. Often this results in overheating and poor battery performance.
To improve the battery performance of your gaming laptop, you must make sure it is plugged out when not in use. In addition to this, leaving your laptop in heated spaces with poor airflow, like a locked car, is a big no.
Secondly, you can save a lot of battery by managing the battery setting on Windows or enabling low-power mode.
The easiest way to do so is to click on the battery icon from the taskbar and shift the bar to the best battery life from the best performance option.
Never Dine on your Gaming Setup
Food and drinks can become a potential threat to your gaming laptop. A spill of some liquid or a crumb of bread can damage your gaming laptop in a big way.
Can you imagine the amount of loss you will need to face if water seeps into your SDD? Or if the battery of your gaming laptop is damaged because you accidentally spilled juice over it?
In many cases, the damages are irreversible, making your gaming laptop next to useless.
FAQs on Gaming Laptop’s Lifespan
A gaming laptop with moderate usage will last for 3-5 years. The average lifespan of a gaming laptop can be extended to 7-10 years with top-notch care and maintenance.
A gaming laptop has a longer lifespan than any normal laptop. It not only comes with more efficient components but also has higher efficiency and performance. In addition, you can use a gaming laptop as an ordinary one even if its gaming performance drops.
The recommendable amount of RAM for gaming is 16GB for high-resolution games. However, the minimum requirement lands on 8 GB RAM.
Wrap Up
This is all you need to know about how long gaming laptops last. Always remember to keep a check on your gaming laptop’s health and performance. Once you master the ways to improve the longevity of your gaming laptop, you are in for great gameplay in the long run.
