How long do gpus last?

[adithyay328]

So, I checked the web, and I didn't find any clear answer to the question "How long do gpus last before you get bad performance?". So, that's why I came here. So, my question is: How long do gpus last before they get lower than 40 fps on most games at medium settings on a 1080p monitor, 5 ms response time? Thank you in advance for your responces.

[TheSLSAMG]

It's not linear, that's why there's no clear answer. From this generation to the next, there may be little change. There may be a huge change. We don't know which way it will go, we can only guess.

 

A GPU will last as long as it lives for. How long it will be until you need to upgrade to get reasonable performance is debatable, but since a GTX 580 is still relevant even with the GTX 760 and R9 270 existing, I think you will be fine for a while if you have current-gen parts.

[cheeze_tartz]

Maybe 2-4 years. Depends on the GPU load.

[Raudi_]

It depends on were you buy initially for a GPU.

[Fluffinator]

depends on many factors and how well you treat it, if you overclock it etc..

[Swndlr]

depends on how many times a year we get slammed with watch dogs-like ports LOL

[CoolaxGaming]

GPUs will not get bad performance over time. The PCB degredation will take place but a gpu will not reduce its performance (Unless of course TT cause of dust buildup). The gpu, one day, will simply die.

So let me give an example, I am playing BF4 right now and I get 90 average fps. In 6 years, I will still get 90 average FPS if my system is cleaned and the same. But at the point of 10 years, my gpu will be so old that it will simply stop working

[TheSLSAMG]

Maybe 2-4 years. Depends on the GPU load.

depends on many factors and how well you treat it, if you overclock it etc..

GPUs will not get bad performance over time. The PCB degredation will take place but a gpu will not reduce its performance (Unless of course TT cause of dust buildup). The gpu, one day, will simply die.

So let me give an example, I am playing BF4 right now and I get 90 average fps. In 6 years, I will still get 90 average FPS if my system is cleaned and the same. But at the point of 10 years, my gpu will be so old that it will simply stop working

You're missing the point of the question. OP isn't asking about the functional lifespan, OP's asking how long until current (when that time comes) gen games can't run well at medium settings at 1080p.

[CoolaxGaming]

You're missing the point of the question. OP isn't asking about the functional lifespan, OP's asking how long until current gen games can't run well at medium settings at 1080p.

Oh...

Huh then @adithyay328

 

Check @TheSLSAMG answer

[EllieThePurpleFuzzy]

Depends on the GPU , I mean the 7950/7970 is about 3 years old now and is still a very very good performer. I believe the gtx 480/580 also still packs performance and it's just about 5 years old or nearly is 5 years old.

 

then again nowdays games are starting to eat up more and more vram, which may lay waste to cards like the 480/580. (unless it's like the 3GB 580).

[G33k 4 L1F3]

Its based on what you do with it. If you overclock, it lowers the lifetime of the card. if you rarely use it, it may be longer then expected. with my MSI R9 270, it says on the box that its expecting 18 years, but with the way I have been using it, with overclocking and the demand of games, I am looking at 5-6 years from my card the way it's going.

 

Many cards will have expected lifespan, but that is only based on small factors, and is not very useful... Never expect 1 card to last the rest of your PC life.

 

*edit* And to answer your real question, The way that game designers and gaming companies are making their games, there can be no clear answer.

 

All games tend to utilize lower quality to keep the budget PC owners in their preorder lists, and the way that with every new gen, comes cheaper last gens, upgrading will become easier when it comes to loosing performance on the, say, R9 280x.

[GoodBytes]

This is to add on @ONOTech post

 

So, I checked the web, and I didn't find any clear answer to the question "How long do gpus last before you get bad performance?". So, that's why I came here. So, my question is: How long do gpus last before they get lower than 40 fps on most games at medium settings on a 1080p monitor, 5 ms response time? Thank you in advance for your responces.

We cannot predict the future and it really depends on the games you play, and your level of standard in graphics settings, and hence why they are no clear answers

For example:

-> You play Windows Minesweeper. You love it. You think it is the best game in the world. You graphics card will last forever, as long as driver supports with the latest version of Windows, assuming you change Windows for the latest version of Minesweeper, if any. Of course, we ignore the fact that the GPU will eventually break over time with normal usage, so technically not 'forever'. But we are talking about 7-10 years here, and possibly more, which is 'forever' in the technology sense.

-> You play the latest, greatest large scale, popular, AAA title game , and the only setting you want to play the game is ultra at 60fps. In such case, you'll probably replace your graphics card every generation, and your CPU as well. Not to mention that many of these game are usually, these days, not well optimized.

-> You play all sorts of games, all of genres, from indie games to AAA title games. You don't mind playing demanding title 50-60fps at medium settings after a couple of years, the simple titles should play just fine under high-ultra. In such case the GPU can last you 4 to 6 years, depending on the market, and monitor upgrades (multiple monitors, or higher resolution)

As you can see, there is no clear answer. The best thing to do, is to buy what you can afford that fits your needs. If it doesn't, it is best to wait until your budget grows to fit it. It is better if you add head room, and enjoy.

In my case, I was using the GeForce 260 until this year where the VRAM broke (but I was planning on buying the GeForce GTX 980. Now I have a GTX 680 which was given to me.. now I can wait for Pascal, Nvidia next GPU). I was fine playing games at 1080p (well 1920x1200 for my display), at medium settings. I don't play much FPS games. And if I do, it is usually games like TF2 in terms of visual and game experience shooters, and not BF4/Call of Duty. Mind you I did play 2 Call of Duty MW games. Some games like Hitman Absolution, is playable at 40-50fps. It is a slow paste game, so it is fine. I could lower the visuals further for 60fps if needs to be. They are medium-high side settings when I have my 260. Other games like Civ 5 aren't really demanding for the 260, and can be played near perfectly smoothly (~50-60fps) at max settings. Reduce some settings a bit or so, and get a solid 60fps.

The GeForce 260 was released in 2008, and this when I bought it, and I planned on buying the GTX 980 so, say form 2008 to 2014, that is 6 years. Not bad. that is like a gaming console in term of life. But I know many here that changed they graphics card more frequently.

[adithyay328]

Ok, thank you all very much!