How long does a processor last

n7

Elite Member
Jan 4, 2004
21,281
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They will nearly always outlast their usefulness.

I'd say the CPU is pretty much last thing i'd worry about dying on a system.
 

RichUK

Lifer
Feb 14, 2005
10,341
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Originally posted by: Byte
They seem to last forever with my upgrading regiments.

:confused: isn't it a good thing when compenents last a long time and dont become faulty, i prefer it that way otherwise you have to spend more money to replace it :p

 

maluckey

Platinum Member
Jan 31, 2003
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Yeah, in 2000, most were using the blazing fast K62-400 or the screaming Celeron 300!! CPU are obsolete long before they die.
 

HDTVMan

Banned
Apr 28, 2005
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I dont think I have had one die yet and its been a long time running that Duron 600 at 930 is still going in my wife's PC.
 

ProviaFan

Lifer
Mar 17, 2001
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I have strange luck in some areas - I have lost half of the motherboards I've owned to some problem or another (not user's fault AFAIK). However, I have had no problems (taps fist on hardened plant substance) with CPUs.
 

imported_Starman

Senior member
Jun 1, 2005
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Processors tend to last an extremely long time, but much of that depends on the care the receive over the years. I still have original Apple II machines that work like a charm. I've got 386 and 486 processors that show no signs of ever dying down. Let's put it this way: your CPU will probably outlast you :clock:
 

theMan

Diamond Member
Mar 17, 2005
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yup. ive got a 386 system, and i was messing around and turned it on yesterday. worked just like new. it was kinda scary actually. wow.
 

imported_whatever

Platinum Member
Jul 9, 2004
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We have a few Apple IIe machines at school that still work fine (we have the software for them and new hardware/software is unnecesary). I'm just surprised the FDD haven't died yet on them (although maybe they did and got replaced :Dunno:)
 

GuitarDaddy

Lifer
Nov 9, 2004
11,465
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Some museum should take one of these 25+ year old chips thats been in constant use and set it up running constantly in a display, and see how long it will run? "This CPU has been running for XXX years and has performed XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX calculations"

Who knows the damn thing might run for a 100 yrs?
 

Valkerie

Banned
May 28, 2005
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I've lost plenty of motherboards. Meaning that I have old CPU's collecting dust.

Remember when the Celeron hit 1 GHz? Isn't that a kodak moment, getting it, because you thought it would perform nearly as great as the first time Pentium 4's. What a memory to recollect.
 

sandorski

No Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
70,784
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Originally posted by: maluckey
Yeah, in 2000, most were using the blazing fast K62-400 or the screaming Celeron 300!! CPU are obsolete long before they die.

Many Celeron 300's did die before obsolescence. That was due to extreme overclocking though.

A cpu running at stock speeds and kept well cooled will last for a very long time. Overclocked or overheated will dramatically shorten their lifespans though.
 

coomar

Banned
Apr 4, 2005
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i remember reading somewhere that they were expected a cpu to last 30 years, amd and intel engineers would have a rough idea, even heavily overclocked cpu's have lasted 5+ years
 

bim27142

Senior member
Oct 6, 2004
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Originally posted by: Starman
Processors tend to last an extremely long time, but much of that depends on the care the receive over the years. I still have original Apple II machines that work like a charm. I've got 386 and 486 processors that show no signs of ever dying down. Let's put it this way: your CPU will probably outlast you :clock:

probably yeeeeaaaaaaaaaaarrrsss................................................ especially if running only at stock speeds...
 

SrGuapo

Golden Member
Nov 27, 2004
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My dad still has an Apple 1 (yes 1) that he uses in his lab for his spectrometer. I still have a Commodor 64, 486, Pentium Pro, and P3 that still work. Only failure so far was a bad stick of SDRAM in the p3 system...
 

Jaimie

Member
Nov 12, 2004
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Hah, I used a Pentium III 500 Mhz for 7 years until I got my present rig, and it's STILL running downstairs as a temporary media center.

Our local elementary schools still use Apple IIe's for the Oregon Trail and other educational programs.

CPUs last as long as you want them to.

Jaimie
 

rgreen83

Senior member
Feb 5, 2003
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Originally posted by: maluckey
Yeah, in 2000, most were using the blazing fast K62-400 or the screaming Celeron 300!! CPU are obsolete long before they die.

CPUs arent exactly progressing as fast as they used to.

I must have the worst luck ever though, I had two k7s die recently, neither more than 2 years old. My cheap a$$ is at least gonna buy the retail cpus from now on to guarantee 3 years in case of another freakish thing like that.

By the way, Jaime, Oregon Trail still and always will rock!
 

gorcorps

aka Brandon
Jul 18, 2004
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I've had 4 diff systems w/ 4 diff processors. All have lasted over 7 years (except current one, just a few months old) without dying. The ram has lasted that long too. 2 systems were bought used, so they were even older than 7yrs after i was done with em. The mobos are usually good for 5 yrs with my experience. The vid cards die quickly or i just upgrade those first.
 

IGBT

Lifer
Jul 16, 2001
17,974
140
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..I still have slot a Athlon 950's in use..just upgraded em to xp pro..I don't think I can get mob's for em any more so when the mob's go I guess thats it for em.
 

Sonikku

Lifer
Jun 23, 2005
15,901
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It's when a cpu is starting to get old that you overclock the HELL out of it... Hey, what do you have to lose?