How long can Tech be used

[Phse0]

Hello together,

 

this is something that keeps my mind ticking lately.

 

How long is it ok, safe and acceptable to use a PC, Tablet, Smartphone or Laptop? Or anything tech related.

 

With all the software changes, hardware bugs and rising demands (like higher data workloads, screen resolutions, privacy festures) upgrades are a good thing.

 

But is also comes with a price, like money or using vanishing resources of Mother Nature and do we really need upgrades all the time?

 

So maybe you can give me some recommendations or advices?

 

regards,

philipp

[Skiiwee29]

Easiest answer is to use it until you dont get the experience you want/expect from it anymore. Realistically the answer to your questions can only really be answered by you since everyone has different expectations when it comes to hardware and technology. 

[Levent]

I dont upgrade or change any component of my computer unless

a) its broken and has to be replaced

b) its not sufficient for my needs (pretty much if it doesn't run whatever I need, its getting replaced)

same goes for any device I own, I first try to repair them and if I cant, I try to get it repaired and if that person cant repair it, I just replace it.

[kelvinhall05]

I never upgrade my PC unless it breaks, I get free stuff that's better than what I currently have, or it doesn't suit my needs anymore.

 

So basically it lasts forever until it either breaks or gets too slow/unsupported/generally old.

[dcgreen2k]

I replace it when it isn't good enough for my needs anymore. 

[asus killer]

4 minutes ago, flappo0 said:

How long is it ok, safe and acceptable to use a PC, Tablet, Smartphone or Laptop? Or anything tech related.

companies and even governments use old tech (software and hardware) much often than ordinary consumers and they have generally have much more to loose than us in case of a security flaw. So i guess it's pretty safe.

[Nicnac]

stuff can last surprisingly well honestly. I bought a used i3 530 (1st gen i3!!) for a cheap cs:go machine and have been using it for 3 years now. it's from 2010 and though I don't know how much it's been abused before I got it it is still running perfectly even at sustained full load. same goes for the motherboard I got with it. More often than not it's that either the system needs a clean install and people think they need a new pc because it is getting slower or people simply want a new system because of new shiny hardware and they feel like it's time to upgrade (which is perfectly fine imo). gamers of course do upgrade more often though ^^

so yea I was kinda surprised how long you can use old hardware. an ssd does wonders btw

[Damascus]

I've got all sorts of hardware That's getting long in the tooth.  3 770's, an i7 860 and an 8800gtx come to mind.

 

All still work 10/10 perfecto, the i7 makes for a great gaming pc, the 770's are cheap 1050 ti's and the 8800gtx is fun to watercool.

[Aleks NE]

28 minutes ago, flappo0 said:

Hello together,

 

this is something that keeps my mind ticking lately.

 

How long is it ok, safe and acceptable to use a PC, Tablet, Smartphone or Laptop? Or anything tech related.

 

With all the software changes, hardware bugs and rising demands (like higher data workloads, screen resolutions, privacy festures) upgrades are a good thing.

 

But is also comes with a price, like money or using vanishing resources of Mother Nature and do we really need upgrades all the time?

 

So maybe you can give me some recommendations or advices?

 

regards,

philipp

Forever. I still sometimes use my Sony Erricson from 2004. If you take care of your tech it will last you a long time.

[Ashleyyyy]

i use something until for some reason i can't anymore. maybe due to it breaking or becoming unsupported... 

[Hiitchy]

I use it until it deteriorates to the point where I can't do anything with it anymore, or until something that is better suited for my needs shows up (which is almost never) 

[Crunchy Dragon]

I've only ever upgraded my tech when it no longer does what I need it to.

 

Once it stops performing as much as I need it to, it's getting replaced. In terms of longevity, I have 4 old GPUs; a GTS 250, a Radeon HD 4850, a GeForce4 MX420, and a GeForce 6200. All of which work fine to this day, along with my Athlon MP system and both of my Athlon 64 systems.

 

If you take good care of your tech, it'll last you a good long while.

[Mira Yurizaki]

If you treat technology like a tool (as you're really supposed to), you use it until it no longer provides what you need or it breaks.

 

The only exception I take to this is if something you use that's critical is connected to the internet. Security should be a high priority concern. Even if you think you can run a server based off some old Linux distro from the mid 2000s or something like Windows Server 2003 because that's all you need, you're doing yourself a disservice as it's riddled with security holes and it will make your server useless. So in that case, you should be up to date as much as possible on the software side. The hardware side is up in the air depending on the software's requirements, among other things.

[Phse0]

Thank you for all the answers:)

 

it isreally good for me, that i can get to know your opinions!

[JoeCoke]

As long as it's useful for what you need. I still use my good ol' Optiplex GX110 (Pentium iii coppermine 1.0ghz) as a music playing machine.

[Zodiark1593]

2 hours ago, Nicnac said:

stuff can last surprisingly well honestly. I bought a used i3 530 (1st gen i3!!) for a cheap cs:go machine and have been using it for 3 years now. it's from 2010 and though I don't know how much it's been abused before I got it it is still running perfectly even at sustained full load. same goes for the motherboard I got with it. More often than not it's that either the system needs a clean install and people think they need a new pc because it is getting slower or people simply want a new system because of new shiny hardware and they feel like it's time to upgrade (which is perfectly fine imo). gamers of course do upgrade more often though ^^

so yea I was kinda surprised how long you can use old hardware. an ssd does wonders btw

My 2010HP laptop that has been thoroughly abused (late night render or encode sessions, sumetimes multiple days at a time) is still in service. It got a new SSD when the oem drive failed, and is plenty fast for web browsing and video. The Radeon 5470 is pretty weak (even by 2010 standards), though light games are possible.

 

When I was picking this laptop, it was either the one with the i5-460M and the Radeon 5470, or the one (slightly cheaper) with a dual core mobile Phenom and a Radeon 5650M. I chose the former as I felt the cpu performance would lend it some longevity. I may have chosen correctly.

[Wes2880]

On our machines at work, some of the controller boards still use 80186 chips and we still have some Pentium III servers on XP.  they run fine still after 25+ years.

[straight_stewie]

2 hours ago, flappo0 said:

How long is it ok, safe and acceptable to use a PC, Tablet, Smartphone or Laptop? Or anything tech related.

As long as you want. You can even use it after it's broken if you're so inclined. My favorite useful calculator is my HP-28C, which is from around 1990. Stack calculators are king.

In the general case, no. People generally don't need to upgrade every product cycle. My GTX 760's are just now starting to fade, my 980M is no where near fading.

[Zodiark1593]

1 hour ago, M.Yurizaki said:

If you treat technology like a tool (as you're really supposed to), you use it until it no longer provides what you need or it breaks.

 

The only exception I take to this is if something you use that's critical is connected to the internet. Security should be a high priority concern. Even if you think you can run a server based off some old Linux distro from the mid 2000s or something like Windows Server 2003 because that's all you need, you're doing yourself a disservice as it's riddled with security holes and it will make your server useless. So in that case, you should be up to date as much as possible on the software side. The hardware side is up in the air depending on the software's requirements, among other things.

How about consumer wifi routers, in the event that one is on a slow internet plan that even a G router can saturate with few client devices (ie, it suite the use case), and said router is long gone as far as official support goes, should one upgrade it based upon security alone?

[Mira Yurizaki]

1 minute ago, Zodiark1593 said:

How about consumer wifi routers, in the event that one is on a slow internet plan that even a G router can saturate with few client devices (ie, it suite the use case), and said router is long gone as far as official support goes, should one upgrade it based upon security alone?

Assuming you're not going to install Tomato or whatever other custom firmware on it that's up to date, I would say yes. The router is the network's first line of defense (if you don't count the modem).

 

But security on the other hand is about risk assessment and acceptance. If you're fine with running an outdated router and you can accept the risks, then go right ahead and keep using it.

[TheKDub]

4 hours ago, flappo0 said:

Hello together,

 

this is something that keeps my mind ticking lately.

 

How long is it ok, safe and acceptable to use a PC, Tablet, Smartphone or Laptop? Or anything tech related.

 

With all the software changes, hardware bugs and rising demands (like higher data workloads, screen resolutions, privacy festures) upgrades are a good thing.

 

But is also comes with a price, like money or using vanishing resources of Mother Nature and do we really need upgrades all the time?

 

So maybe you can give me some recommendations or advices?

 

regards,

philipp

 

Depends on what it is, what it's being used for, and the performance demands of the user.

 

Some things like audio equipment can be used for 20+ years with absolutely no issue, whereas some other things like a phone usually only lasts a few years before it's "unusable".

[Tech_Dreamer]

right now i think we manage to change stuff until we notice how speedier & lighter newer products get and by comparison we make a decision, technically you can chug on in the same glass for as long as it lives or until it somebody deliberate breaks it. newer is better in most cases, how better is a decision that's upto you , almost always newer hardware comes with  improved security features .

[aezakmi]

until it breaks or becomes too slow, I don't buy stuff I don't need

everyone has weird and huge phones nowadays and I just have a flip one, I just text and do some calls and still works with current networks so I don't need to get a new one

[Guest]

I mean, the technology in my barn has been there since around the 1920s (Although the barn was there way before that as well). I still use it and it works great. I wouldn't really consider upgrading unless its like a cool new thing that looks great. 

[Canada EH]

I bet my offices 4th gen pc could be used for another 20-30 years