How often you've been upgraded your PC

[jjyu2000]

As I am in the process of planning a new build, I need information on the "age" of your PC.

 

[bmik22]

My good Old Sony laptop is going on 6 years! Still runs like a champ.

 

[obsidian86]

i try and upgrade bout every 9 months and do a new build every 4 yrs

 

[l_r_c_t]

I don't understand what you need our votes for, but alright.

My computer is going to turn 2 within a few days, and I'm upgrading him every once in a while (buying and installing new parts).

 

[jjyu2000]

I'd like to gauge how often people upgrade their PC. I have been thinking of building a new one since the one I am using was built in early 2003. However, the "OLD" one is working fine unless I run multiple video or IO intensive programs concurrently.

The vote would give me some idea what to expect when I build a new one.

Thanks.

 

[terr281]

As most people will tell you, they do "complete" rebuilds every X years and "updates" every X months/1 year.

For the pcs I advise (my personal and friend's pcs), I seem to be in the habit of new complete rebuilds every ~2-3 years (major processor revisions) with a ram "max out" after 1 year, and new or "upgrade to SLI/Crossfire" every year.

My recent personal history:

1. AMD Thunderbird / GeForce 2 Ti (Geforce 6800)
2. "One of last" Pentium 4 / Radeon x600 (No video upgrades on this one, as system 3 was built 2 years after this one due to this system's use of AGP vs. PCI-E)
3. Core 2 Duo / Geforce 8600 GT (2nd 8600 GT, 9800 GT w/ single 8600 GT PhysX)

However, due to using a slowly failing Nvidia MB in system 3, it will not be getting another graphics upgrade. I am pricing for a "major rebuild" (keeping Sata drives, disk drives, case, and ... until video/ram upgrade 1... the PSU) for mid-next year. (Following, hopefully, Nvidia's next release of cards.)

 

[jjyu2000]

Well, I have been thinking about it for a while, 2 years? I haven't done anything because mine is still working fine. It comes down to what you use the PC for. I use it to surf, sometimes do some coding (c++), or use CS3 for JPG editing. Occasionally I watch DVD on it.

If I use it for ONE task at a time, it's not that slow. I can forgive the aging when comparing the price tag of speed improvement and 10-20 minutes longer when compiling some big programs.

That is why I dont understand the needs of upgrading < 4 years. On the other hand, I need to have a realistic expectation on the next build, this is why I put out this poll.

 

[dndhatcher]

2. "One of last" Pentium 4

There are lots of Pentium 4s with Windows XP still running.

Last week I just took an old business system Acer P4 2.8GHz, installed it into an Antec 300 illusion case and threw in my 9800 GTX+ graphics card to make a gaming PC for my son (put a 5770 in my computer to replace the 9800).

 

[Cades]

Getting ready to replace my Pentium D desktop that died 2 years ago and have been traveling alot since and move in the middle of January so a new one will be built, putting parts together and researching alot myself

Gonna upgrade that pc with i5 750 and give it to the gf.

First laptop I had lasted 4-5 years and the one I have now is 2 years old.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

I primarily use laptops these days....one just past 3 years .... one just passed 16 months .... besides those, there's another 9 at home / home office and about 25 at the office. The home office server is an NT4 box running 24/7 since 1998 ... has had two HD replacements and a CPU upgrade.

 

[Snuffles]

Peripherals - when they die.
Platform - 2 years
Graphics - 8 months to 1 year

 

[l_r_c_t]

I don't understand how do you do all of the things that you mentioned in a computer that can handle one process each time.

By the way, hasn't your HDD already out of room, or that you are using an external one?

 

[KidHorn]

I do upgrades as needed. Like if I run out of HDD space, I add another one. I also add RAM since it seems older computers add more bootup stuff over time and need more RAM. I know I can clean this stuff up, by my kids install all kinds of crap and I'm never 100% sure what's important.

When I want or need an upgrade that requires a new MB, that's when I get a whole new system and give my old one to the kids. Usually a new system every 2-3 years.

Laptops are a different story. I don't upgrade them and replace them maybe every 6 years. We use ours to surf the net mainly. My older kids have their own laptops to help with homework.

 

[terr281]

There are lots of Pentium 4s with Windows XP still running.

Last week I just took an old business system Acer P4 2.8GHz, installed it into an Antec 300 illusion case and threw in my 9800 GTX+ graphics card to make a gaming PC for my son (put a 5770 in my computer to replace the 9800).

My friend's pc, ordered 3 months after mine from HP/Compaq (this was before I began researching/building them on my own... I only knew enough to be in trouble then) is lucky enough to a have a PCI-E x16 slot. Thus, he has had the capability to do as you described, and we installed my "former" 2nd 8600 GT in the system as a free upgrade to his Radeon x600. (No PSU upgrade required since the 8600 GT didn't need a PCI-E power connector.)

He still uses the machine as his gaming rig for "older games" (Oblivion, etc.). But, I built him a i7 920, 6 GB DDR3 (3x2 GB, upgrade to 12 GB later), and 2X Crossfire'd 4870 1 GB system ~ 3 months ago that he uses as his primary now. Whenever he gets tired of the older system, I have already told him that I want it.

That way, I can setup a Windows 98 sub-network for games that can't operate on Win XP and later networks (Master of Orion 2), and where I'll have 3 total computers that have an actual MS-Dos underlay. (On top of my P4 system and my hopeful inheritence of my friend's machine, I did something similar to you and purchased a former business P3 desktop system about a year ago. I haven't moved it into a new case yet, however.)