Electronic device lifespan

Discussion in 'Tech Discussion' started by Neiri, Mar 7, 2021.

  1. Neiri

    Neiri Well-Known Member

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    In using the electronic devices and accessories the lifespan varies according to user and brand.

    How long do you use them until you need to replace them?

    To be specific the mouse, keyboard and the computer itself.


    How about phones? .Do You Guys Not Have Phones .....oh wait....
     
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  2. Xxsafirex

    Xxsafirex Well-Known Member

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    my logitech infrared mouses (that tends to fly) resist for around 2 years then get a mouse button broken.
    never got problem with keyboards so far
     
  3. eray.gns

    eray.gns Well-Known Member

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    Unless it is a faulty product that goes bad in a rather fast fashion (I'm looking at you seagate 7200.11), pretty much everything's still working. The first computer we've brought in 2003 or something still works (even the OP maxtor hdd), running an old linux.

    And out of all the phones that are owned in my household, only one of them totally got shafted hardwarewise, rest is still working (albeit they lack proper batteries/charging cables now).
     
  4. Bias

    Bias Well-Known Member

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    Remember, the more complicated your electronic stuff is, the lesser its lifespan. Rule to live by.
     
  5. deepon

    deepon One who inevitably awakens

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    Depends on the degree of damage and the cost to fix it. Most companies will try to get you to replace, by either not repairing or charging exhorbitantly. For something cheap like a mouse, I change them almost once a year. Keyboards once in two years. Phones last me 3-4 yrs normally. TV, the current one is already 9-10 yrs old, only had to change a capacitor one in between. My laptop is around 7-8 yrs old. My CPU gets upgraded from time to time, one part at a time, but my samsung lcd monitor is around 13-14 yrs old.
    Funniest would be the washing machine. It's close to 25 yrs old, although, over the years, almost all the internal electronics and motors have been changed. Consider it a ship of theseus.
     
  6. Havisu

    Havisu Night Lurker

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    The longest device i have used in my life is my old, first version of Razer Abyssus mouse.

    I bought it around 2012, used from the start of my highschool until the end of my diploma years. Around 2017 or 2018 if i recall correctly.. at the end, the right button are totally dead while I am gaming.

    Now, Razer Abyssus are not the same as before anymore.. the shape are totally a joke, the sensor are totally a joke, the sensitivity also totally a scam. They changed everything I loved about the mouse. Now there's Abyssus 2014, Abyssus Essential, Abyssus this abyssus that... All totally a joke, and the oldest, first version of Razer Abyssus will never be produced ever again, which is sad, because its probably the best mouse for fingertip and claw grip i ever used, not even my Glorious Model 0 Wireless have the same feeling as that.

    RocketJumpNinja who is a really famous and trusted mouse only reviewer in youtube also said that Abyssus 2014 and beyond is a joke. And now XTRFY collaborated with him to make a mouse with the best shape, according to his experience.

    And no surprise, the shape is very close to the first version of Razer Abyssus.

    Very flat, very low, and don't have ridiculous oh-so-ergonomic shape.. yeah.. just like razer abyssus
     
  7. SoulZer0

    SoulZer0 Heaven Refining

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    Until it's broken
     
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  8. Fp401

    Fp401 Well-Known Member

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    We used to have an old plasma flat screen monitor we bought it around maybe 2007 or something and lasted all the way to 2017. We used it till the pixels got burnt yellow.
     
  9. Macrendil Ysmir

    Macrendil Ysmir Well-Known Member

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    PC is a good 9 years old and performs perfectly fine. Mouse, keyboard & sound system are 3 years older and didnt need to replace. Will however replace the lot when prices become more normal, simply because the rig is so old I cant really play the new games properly anymore.

    Phones last till the battery gives out/needs to charge twice a day or it becomes too slow to function.

    I've never broken any electronics, only ever used them till the end of their lifespan or when I need to replace them for improved performance.
     
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  10. DragonMage18

    DragonMage18 Outcast

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    The lifespan depends on the quality of the product and how you treat them. Ohh and be the lucky one, who gets pruducts without a defect.

    The last phone I hadd lasted 5 years, only reason I got a new one was that I accidentaly fried the chsrging port on the phone... The phone I have now is 3-4 years old.
    My PC is almost 7 yesrs old now. Working as if almost new. Only problem I have hadd with it was a faulty RAM that it hadd when I got it. (Tho, I can't play the games that came out the last 3-4 years on max resolution... might need to buy a new one soon...)
    The screen, keyboard and mouse, are still good as new, and I got them at the same time as my PC.
     
  11. Deadmantellnotales

    Deadmantellnotales rebmeM nwonK-lleW

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    I use it till they die or start to so slow that I want to throw it out.
     
  12. Ral

    Ral Not a Well-Known Member ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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    My last phone lasted a little over 4 yrs before screen completely stopped reacting. It was gradually degrading for ~3-4 months. I planned on using the phone for ~5 years, but fixing it didn't seem worth it.
    The new one will soon be 2y/o. Hope to use it for ~4 more years.

    My current PC is over 6.5y/o it was quite decent when I built it. Since I'm no longer gaming on it (or don't expect Cyberpunk too look great on it), I think I might use it as my main PC for the next 6 or so years.

    As for accessories, mouses and headphones usually go first. Mouses usually last two years, headphones about three or so.
    It's good if they start breaking down during warranty, because Logitech liked sending new ones as replacements. I got two mouses this way. And a 30% off code for their website for a past-warranty headphones. But that was a few yrs back. Not sure about now.
     
  13. xiazixin

    xiazixin Well-Known Member

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    Laptop
    Usually a laptop can last for 20 over years if you maintain them properly. (yes I'm dinosaur) I got a powerbook 4 with Motorola cpu in a working condition. But during the lifespan you would probably have to repair and replace some parts from years to years.
    [​IMG]
    (The original ipod in the photos are also in working condition now 2021* yes those ipod runs on mini hdd harddisk and they are still in perfect working condition) yes that is Pc133 sodimms. And yes that runs on IDE hdd.

    A laptop would lasted about 2 years to 3 years and after that the 2.5 inch harddisk will break. For super thin laptop like asus zen book, that use SSD it's more of write circles of ssd.
    OH and laptop battery usually latesed 5 years. Before you get a replacement batteries.

    Overall the best laptop brand with most solid build is NEC and Toshiba (not sure about how they are currently, I only use clevo and lenovo now), with clevo been the easiest to repair (also the best quality laptops currently). The worst been the Acer laptop.

    Phones.
    One of my friend owns a original iPhone1 with no issues now. Still in working condition. There is no issues.

    Phones are pretty difficult to repair unless your experience or you buys an repair kits.

    DSLR
    Dslr can last about 12 years if you change the shutter box. Because older cameras are just not worth it. Shutterbox like ssd are depending on usage. Usually they can last 200 to 300 thousands photographs.

    Ask a professional for replacements. Dslr are really complicated.

    Music players,
    My hm-603 lasted 9 years no replacement.

    My thoughts
    Usually 95% chance for a laptop and a pc to fails on a hdd. Personally I recommend getting SLC SSD instead.
    [​IMG]
    Forgot to take photos of the side with die... But it's intel slc with smi2246en controller in 128GB.
    512mb*2/1GB dram cache I think.
    Its not even in BGA.

    Though if you didn't buy slc ssd back then in the years, good luck finding them now.
     
    Last edited: Mar 7, 2021
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  14. Euphues

    Euphues Well-Known Member

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    Most devices can last quite a while, but the main problem is that other advancements make devices obsolete.

    For example, while a pc can last up to 10 to 20 years, but after 3-6 years, it can no longer keep up to date with the latest software and games etc etc. And they may no longer get updates that may create compatibility problems. But things like mice and keyboards can last for ages...

    Phones are more battery status dependent
     
  15. joey183

    joey183 The Mysterious Entity

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    Electronic device lifespan depends on how well you take care of it. But the easiest to die is always the battery lifespan. When the battery is no longer working, it's time for a new hardware.
     
  16. Jeebus

    Jeebus Well-Known Member

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    For most electronics, the determining factors are heat, humidity, and agitation.

    Humidity is water vapor in the air. Water corrodes things. Corrosion is bad for electronics. Really high humidity can even condense on components and cause shorts.

    Agitation, like shaking or jostling, is bad because it can weaken and break solder over time. Extreme agitation can even cause components to come loose. Electronics that are intended to be moved a lot, like laptops and mice, can be designed to mitigate this to some extent, but minimizing agitation will still help to keep those types of electronics kicking for longer.

    Finally, heat. Heat is the enemy of most types of components. The hotter things get, the shorter the lifespan of electrical components. For instance, electrolytic capacitors can lose up to half their rated lifetime usage for every 10 C they go above their maximum heat rating. If you go way above the allowable heat, it can degrade the lifespan of the capacitor even further. Alternatively, if you run them cooler than their heat rating, you can get double the life for every 10 C you are below that rating for at least the first few 10 C increments. Heat can even reduce the lifespan of a HDD by hastening the demagnetization of a drive's platters.

    Batteries are rated for a certain number of recharge cycles. Once you get close to that recharge rating, the battery will lose voltage until it drops to the point where it can't power anything at its rated voltage. The good news is that batteries aren't terribly expensive, nor are they terribly difficult to replace. Once your phone won't hold a charge for long enough for it to be useful, just replace the battery and you can get 5-10 years out of most phones.

    A mechanical keyboard with good switches will likely outlive you if you take care of it. Optical mice can last at least a decade if you keep them clean and don't drop them or throw them. Computers themselves are a mixed bag. Mechanical components like optical disc drives and HDDs usually last 5-10 years. Many components on motherboards are rated to last around 5-10 years of continuous operation. You should consider replacing HDDs after about 5 years if you want to stave off data loss.

    TLDR: Keep your electronics dry, cool, and stationary.
     
    Last edited: Mar 12, 2021
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  17. xiazixin

    xiazixin Well-Known Member

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    I acturelly thought that its every 5 degree celsius increase in temperature cutting the lifespan by half. Every 5 C decrease in temperature increase the life expectancy by twice.
     
  18. Jeebus

    Jeebus Well-Known Member

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    Last edited: Mar 14, 2021
  19. RadleFinch

    RadleFinch New Member

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    The average lifespan of consumer devices, and the parts that go into them, have been rapidly decreasing since PCs and mobile phones first made an appearance. Initially expected to last 40+ years, the average lifespan of electronics today ranges from 1.5 to 13 years, with the majority averaging 4-5 years.
     
  20. Jeebus

    Jeebus Well-Known Member

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    When have consumer electronics had a lifespan of over 40 years? There was a time before planned obsolescence when electronics were easier and cheaper to repair, but no one in 1950 expected their TV to last into the 1990's. You might have a case for industrial or commercial tech, which comes with an astronomical price tag to match. If you're paying in the millions-to-billions USD for a piece of tech, you'll expect it to last and be repairable for decades. Not so much for a $1000 phone.
     
    Last edited: Mar 19, 2021
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