PC duration

[poncherelli2]

I guess ive never really thought about since I usually dont keep a computer longer than 3-4 years. My current rig is a p4 1.8A@2.4 on a 845E mobo. It has a ti4200 card, 512 ram, and will be getting a new HD. It has a pioneer dvd rom and liteon cd-rw, plus an enlight 300W psu that came with the case.

Its been running pretty constantly since I built it in august '02 (almost 3 years), and the cpu temps are always between high 30s and peak in around real low 50s. Anyway, how long should this computer last before anything dies. I know things can die at any moment, but if there a typical lifespan?

I ask because I plan on giving this computer to my sister to take to college and it needs to last a while longer and be reliable as I wont be around to help if things go wrong. Thanks

 

[imported_Kensai]

I have a 486 from 1993 that still works.
I was playing solitaire on it last week...
If you lube up the fans and do a few quick scans to make sure everything works perfectly, it should last a long while.

 

[poncherelli2]

ok, thanks

 

[Matthias99]

Hard drive lifespans are usually in the 4-8 year range (although some will last longer). Other than that, the only things likely to break down are the fans and the motors in the optical drives. All the solid-state parts should be good for at least a decade, as long as you keep them from overheating and you're not pushing them beyond their stock settings.