How long does gaming laptops last? [Pro tips to keep longer]

56 Comments / Guides / By GamerCenter

Are you a prospective buyer or current user worried about the laptop being kicked out into oblivion? Fortunately, for both these group of people gaming laptop life expectancy is a key concern.

In this article, we are pressing on some crucial questions related to this subject. Because investing a big amount in a gaming laptop is not a cup of tea, especially when we compare the price to its desktop counterparts.

In the other section of this article, we will provide some pro tips on how to keep gaming laptops healthy and longer running. So, let’s get started.

How many years can a gaming laptop last?

Honestly, no matter how much money you spend on your favorite laptop, there will come a time when it starts giving reduced performance before losing its gaming capability. If you own a high-end gaming laptop it can last between 5 and 7 years as the new video games will certainly become visually complex challenging the hardware potential of that device.

The more you pay, the more you can extend the durability of your laptop. A general breakdown of price and longevity is given below:

Less than $800: 3-4 years

Between $800-$1,000: 4-6 years

$1,000 or more: 6-8 years

A computer like any other piece of equipment goes through its own set of wear and tear. This degradation of the hardware is primarily attributed to many factors which we will discuss below. Continue scrolling.

What factors affect the lifespan of gaming laptops?

The specific hardware inside can significantly affect the life of the laptop. Here are some of the factors behind the longevity of a gaming laptop:

1. Build Quality – First and foremost, the overall build quality has an important role to play here. That’s the reason many gamers spend more on the best build quality gaming laptops. If you are really getting 5-6 years from the high-end laptop, you are actually paying less in the long run as an expensive model with sturdy build quality doesn’t end up breaking down early.

2. GPU – Graphics processing unit (GPU) is a crucial factor that goes into gaming. That’s why while searching for the best graphics card for gaming in laptop, you must first compare the performance of a few of them online.

Fortunately, there are many websites that show proper benchmarks including exact FPS measurements with PC configuration in just a few clicks.

Image Source: Eurogamer (https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2019-09-27-gpu-power-ladder-all-graphics-cards-tested)

In terms of performance, an entry-level graphics card such as NVIDIA GTX 1660 can easily last 4-5 years. While the top of the line models like RTX series can stay with the entire life without significant amount of performance reduction. So, you must future-proof this component if you really want your laptop to give a long-lasting performance.

3. Processor – What does every gamer want from their computer? Speed, right? While components such as RAM and hard drive can be upgraded over time, the processor in most cases cannot be swapped with a new one. In this situation, you are stuck with the original processor of the laptop forever. So, make sure you select the latest, fastest and efficient processor under your budget.

Even if you are on a tight budget, going for Intel i3 processor is not a good option. The best gaming laptops should at least sport i5 processor or AMD processors if you really want to cut cost by a good margin.

4. RAM – Generally, gaming can become RAM intensive. So an 8 GB of RAM is enough for a budget gamer who also wants some daily productivity tasks from his laptop. If you can stretch your budget a little, it is recommended to go for 16 GB of RAM, otherwise, consider upgrading it later.

5. Hard disk drive – You certainly don’t have to worry much in this area as all manufacturers nowadays offer SSDs (solid state drives) in their gaming laptops. However, budget gaming laptops still come with traditional HDD interfaces which may not be able to exploit the performance fully.

Instead, you can select newer form factors such as mSATA, M.2 and U.2 to boost performance. Adding more bucks to the budget and choosing higher speed interfaces such as NVMe will not only give you ultimate gaming performance but also future proof your laptop.

6. Cooling – Incredible amount of heat is generated by several components working simultaneously in a gaming laptop. And if they are running for a longer period of time it can prove to be one of the biggest killers of these devices. So it is better to look for gaming laptops that don’t overheat.

Almost all manufacturers today give heat dissipating or cooling system to calm down the temperature while gaming. For instance, Asus ROG line of gaming laptops sport Liquid Metal Boost Technology that provides nice ventilation during intense gaming. Other inexpensive options are cooling pads that increase airflow and deliver optimized cooling.

Image Source: Asus.com (https://www.asus.com/us/News/v99k284oxcxofhn9)

Other – Gaming laptops are a one-time investment. So, a display screen with vibrant visuals, high-quality sound, good battery life, and customized gaming keyboard layout are other factors to consider before buying.

How to take care of your gaming laptop?

Now, that’s the most vital aspect of our discussion as to how to keep gaming laptop healthy. Unlike gaming consoles which are hardware rich and tailor-made just for optimum gaming performance, laptops are a different breed. As several components go into the making of laptops, they are prone to compromises at some stage of their life.

However, if maintained well, you can easily breathe a few years of life in them. Here are some of the pro tips to keep your gaming laptop in a good shape before you need to replace them:

Periodic cleaning – It is very common that many new users don’t start caring for laptops right from the beginning and this may result in ill-treatment at a later stage. While the keyboard, screen and overall exteriors can be cleaned on a daily basis, the most daunting task is a complete cleaning of your laptop from inside.

For cleaning laptop internals, you need to disassemble it every 6 months. Use a can of compressed air to blow dust and debris out of it. It should be done in a way that dust dispels out of the vent. This type of cleaning can also be done without opening the laptop completely.

Beat the heat – While removing the dirt from the laptop prevent heat build-up, intense gaming can overheat your laptop in no time. However, if you add additional cooling pads, it would generate a decent airflow so that you can play your COD, GTA and Warcraft sessions uninterruptedly.

Image Source: Notebookcheck.net (https://www.notebookcheck.net/fileadmin/Notebooks/News/_nc3/IMG_20200506_142943.jpg)

Keeping an eye on your battery charging habits – Regardless of the gaming laptops with the best battery life, they have the tendency to eat up the battery in a few hours. So, it is recommended to keep certain things in mind every day in order to increase the battery life.

• Strictly avoid continuous charging, take off the charger at 100 percent.

• While at charge, limit your usage.

• Don’t completely drain out the battery, plug-in whenever you get the notification.

Regular software update – Nowadays you don’t have to care much about this as Microsoft can take care of Windows updates regularly. However, you should also keep an eye on regular driver updates of your GPU as well as good anti-virus software to keep the malwares at bay.

Conclusion

As technology becomes obsolete quickly, irrespective of the amount of money you spend, there will come a time when your best gaming laptops will witness frame drops and breaking down of internal components.

Picking up the right model, proper usage and regular maintenance are key things that mark a fine line between a longer running and troubled device. Some will find their gaming laptop in the dump yard within a couple of years while some others will pass on their device to the next generation. Which one would you like to be?