How long can a high-ish end PC be expected to last (roughly)

[SupremeSteak1]

So I have been looking at the benefits of custom built PCs, and one of them is that they last longer than laptops. I know that this is true, but now I am looking for some specifics. How long would you expect a PC which is used for gaming and internet browsing, which has an i5 3470k and a GTX 970 to last for. I am looking for something just in the ball park, and I am willing to go down to medium settings on games before it is classified as 'done lasting'. Thanks for and ideas anyone has!

[LukaP]

it will play games without lagging for atleast 5-6 years. it will be "outdated" in a year  

 

but that doesnt mean it wont stay highend for a while. 

[thekeemo]

at least 4 years

[Arty]

adding on to @LukaP, after 6 years you can always drop the settings a little bit, and still enjoy it.

[LukaP]

adding on to @LukaP, after 6 years you can always drop the settings a little bit, and still enjoy it.

or just get another 970 (or a new x70 card) and be set, CPUs wont improve much more now, and i doubt we will see alot of (unscalable) threading in the next few years

[Guest]

Depends on the resolution, but at 1080p probably 4-5 years, and after that you should be able to give it some fresh blood with just a GPU upgrade. Then after another 2-3 years you're probably up for a mobo/CPU/RAM upgrade, which will be pretty expensive.

[Arty]

or just get another 970 (or a new x70 card) and be set, CPUs wont improve much more now, and i doubt we will see alot of (unscalable) threading in the next few years

Perfect, dropping a few hundred every 5 ish years is expected.

[DigitalHermit]

Good for around 4-6 years, usable for up to 15 years or until something critical breaks (whichever comes first)...

[Sauron]

If tomorrow quantum computers become a thing, one day.

 

You can't predict with certainty how long a pc will "last", no matter how high end it is, because of how a completely new technology may be required by new games/programs in a few months and you have no way to know. That's also the reason why it doesn't make sense to buy a pc and overspend on it thinking it's "more futureproof".

 

Take a gtx 690 owner: he spent about 1000$ on the best gaming graphics card on the planet at the time of purchase, only to be brutally excluded from 4k by its (now) relatively low vram capacity in a matter of months, even though the raw horsepower is actually more than enough for a good experience. If shadow of mordor isn't bsing us with its 3gb of vram requirement for high and 6gb for ultra, the 690 isn't even enough for 1080p ultra in everything anymore.

[Sauron]

Good for around 4-6 years, usable for up to 15 years or until something critical breaks (whichever comes first)...

 

Teoretically it's usable forever, unless something breaks. Nobody stops you from using a light os on it

[SupremeSteak1]

Thanks for everyone's answers! This has helped me a lot, and I especially likes Sauron's post. This is all helping in my decision to get a desktop instead of a laptop.