How to take care of my pc to last as long as possible?
Posted by AdIndividual8147@reddit | buildapc | View on Reddit | 40 comments
I know no Device is meant to last forever but we know pcs aren't cheap anymore i just made enough money to buy a decent build and i want it to last as long as possible, so help me and tell me everthing i should take care of and things not to do or it will harm my pc.
InfectedSteve@reddit
PCs can last a long time.
The leading cause of 'death' in them is over heating from dust and other build up if you smoke around it.
Second leading cause is stupidity. Dont download questionable shit and go on questionable sites if you want it to last harddrive /OS wise.
3rd seems to be people spilling things on their computer and frying them /blaming the cat / dog for spilling things on it. Keep liquid away from the PC. If it has a tempered glass side panel, keep it up off the floor if you have ceramic floors, temperature change shatters it.
If you dont plan to update parts later on, know your specs and be prepared to accept that the tech game moves fast around here and if you are running low to mid gaming, you're not going to be able to run some games later on.
Malwarebytes is good to have installed.
And above all, educate yourself more about PCs and maybe try and learn all the other ways there are to take care of it. Such as freeing up space, defrags, etc. Dont go taking everyones word as law with your own PC. You may have preferences others do not have when it comes to your build. Look up many sources, NOT AI, but multiple youtube videos, tomshardware, and other PC places for reputable sources to learn more about your rig, and how to take care of it as it ages, or run it to your liking.
If you are building your own PC, would suggest trying to post the specs here or r/pcmasterrace for feedback while giving an explanation of use to maybe help get the best parts possible for longevity.
PraxicalExperience@reddit
> 3rd seems to be people spilling things on their computer and frying them /blaming the cat / dog for spilling things on it.
The people who let their cats camp out on top of their computers with top airflow is wild to me. One, you're blocking your airflow, and two, if kitty decides to piss in it -- which does apparently happen not infrequently from the reddit posts I've seen -- you're pretty well fucked if the computer's powered.
AdIndividual8147@reddit (OP)
Thanks man i realy appreciate this.
PraxicalExperience@reddit
Dust it inside and out and clean any filters every couple months, ish. Keep it away from liquids. At the very least plug it into a surge protector, but a decent UPS that will condition your power and provide power conditioning's even better.
LowPomegranate225@reddit
Nah, I would argue don't dust it unless thermals are affected severely.
PraxicalExperience@reddit
It's not like you're gonna mess up the computer by taking off the side panel and going at it with an air duster. You might be able to get away with it, but if you live in a damp area dust can combine with humidity and cause corrosion, and just in general it's a lot easier to blast off a mild layer of dust than trying to get all the crud out once it's bad enough to affect thermals.
Lirael_Gold@reddit
Also don't smoke anywhere near your computer, that shit builds up on everything, especially fans.
(dust is kinda bad but cig smoke turns into an awful tar substance that also collects dust)
cbrec@reddit
Yes a quality UPS is really important
itchygentleman@reddit
a vertical gpu mount takes the weight of the thing off the motherboard, and doesnt twist under its own weight
Salisen@reddit
The most important component for longevity is the PSU. Make sure you check the PSU tier list and buy an excellent one.
WulfTheSaxon@reddit
Use a good surge suppressor with data line protection (and get a whole-home surge suppressor as well if you’re worried about lightning).
Keep it off carpet if it has any bottom vents (set it on a board if you have to).
Kilo_Juliett@reddit
It will most likely be obsolete before it dies.
Natural-You4322@reddit
Nah. No need to worry. I have 1 laptop that last me more than 10 years. Only thing that die is the hard drive. Change that and it works. Nothing fail at the end just that it became too slow to use. Screen even functions with a slightly broken hinge.
1 have a pc for 6 years. Still going strong. Never done any repaste or clean the heat sink for both my laptop and pc. No issues so far.
1 have 2 office pc running 24/7. Only hard drive die. Change them and copy data back from a nas and all functions well. Clean dust off heat sink once every few years or when temps get high.
All the devices in tropical climate with ambient temp ranging 26-34. Humidity ranging 55-90 plus, non condensing.
So, pc last very long with no issues. No need for worry.
DeepDarkWebNow@reddit
You must repaste if you're having bad temps.
OttawaDog@reddit
I used my last computer about 14 years. It only died a few months after getting it's replacement (PSU went).
I use a UPS to prevent power issues.
I use filtered intakes to limit dust, and carefully clean out the dust that does get in every few years...
Buy a quality PSU. This is one place to NOT save money. PSU failing can take out other components as well.
Have adequate cooling for components. Run some stress test at the beginning to see that everything is adequately cooled. I usually don't go for top end parts that too hard to cool.
ime1em@reddit
clean it regularly and monitor your temps, don't/limit overclocking and increasing voltages, don't shock or hit your pc.
some parts in the PC are consider wear/tear items that will go out eventually and need replacement like thermal paste/pads, and data written to your storages
buickboi99@reddit
I built a pc back in 2021, I dont think ive ever cleaned it, I forget to turn it off all the time, and I keep it under a desk (slightly elevated). It hasnt slowed down, its tackled everything ive ever thrown at it.
Icy_Teacher3320@reddit
biggest things: keep it dust free a can of compressed air every 3-6 months makes a huge difference in temps and longevity. don’t cheap out on the psu, a bad one can kill everything else. avoid moving it while it’s running. replace thermal paste on the cpu every 3-4 years. keep it in a well ventilated spot, not stuffed in a cabinet. and honestly just don’t stress about it too much modern components are pretty robust if you’re not doing anything crazy
darkcrimson2018@reddit
It’s important to get two cans of compressed air. Then you must dance around the pc chanting every 6 months. The pc dance will keep the evil spirits away
AdIndividual8147@reddit (OP)
Lol
ProfessionalHeat815@reddit
I just replace parts as I go. It's like the ship of theseus. The initial build was in 2014.
AceLamina@reddit
Not have it on the floor for starters
So many people do this and I still don't understand why, especially when they buy even more expensive white theme parts
AceLamina@reddit
Other than that, probably undervolting
Chenz@reddit
My previous pc lasted 8 years. Didn’t do anything special, except spent on a quality PSU. A decent case with dust filters and good cooling will get you far.
As for the people telling you to clean your dust filters every month, I got away with cleaning mine every 3 years or so (and every time they were barely dusty)
OffffThePlanet@reddit
Plug it in to a protected board
hypogonadal@reddit
That’s all I can think of, anyway.
blackrack@reddit
Make sure it runs cool under load, dust filters + regular cleanups, quality PSU
RumbleTheCassette@reddit
Most of the advice in here is unnecessary.
Just carefully dust as needed (depends how dusty your home is, but anywhere from once every 3 months to once every couple years is probably enough).
Besides that, just don't let any physical damage occur e.g. don't drop it, hit it, or let liquids spill on it.
FluffySheepCritic@reddit
Turn it off everytime you go to bed.
Don't update Bios unless it's an important update.
Dust carefully every 3-6 months.
Make sure to refresh thermal paste, at least once a year.
No-Succotash-9576@reddit
this might make some angry, but seriously. use linux. windows will slow your pc down over time while Linux will still allow it to run fast when it's old.
Sol33t303@reddit
Tbh I have cleaned by PC like once and it's lasted me over 10 years now lol. minus 1 failed GPU, 1 failed ram stick, and 1 failed HDD (granted, I have like 6 of them in my PC). All within the last 2 years.
I honestly think people think about it too much lol.
DependOnYouu@reddit
I would say buy a quality power supply with a 10 year warranty, preferably something well rated on the SPL list. PC’s are very “set and forget” so as long as you’re not doing any extreme overclocking or have some custom water loop, there really isn’t much to maintain outside of dust.
Oxxce@reddit
make sure it doesn’t get too dusty or go to long without dusting it off, i’ve seen so many of my friends pcs get overheated or clogged up because they just leave it running forever or smoke next to them. without making sure dust doesn’t get into their components. even here on reddit i’ve seen so many people ask “what’s wrong with my pc” ( even tho that may not be what’s wrong with it) with their pictures just look like they’ve put it through a sand storm. these things cost a lot of money, make sure you treat them that way
No-Actuator-6245@reddit
Buy a good quality psu, not only is it an investment in the safety of your pc but a psu with high ripple can shorten the life of other components. Then after that just ensure key components are running within safe temperatures and keep your motherboard BIOS up to date as newer versions sometimes have safer voltage management.
smlwng@reddit
Take apart the pc, put the parts back in the boxes, then put those boxes in a storage container. Your pc will last 10x longer.
Other than that, just dust it and keep it cool. Everything else is luck.
jamvanderloeff@reddit
Clean out dust occasionally and that's all you really need to keep the hardware happy unless you just get unlucky.
Most computers will easily outlast their usefulness.
cbrec@reddit
Keep temps and dust under control, use safe power, avoid unnecessary overclocking or high voltage, make sure cables and airflow are good. An air cooler is usually better for long term simplicity and reliability than an AIO because it has fewer failure points. On the software side, keep Windows and drivers reasonably up to date but avoid unnecessary BIOS updates if the system is stable
Qe0rqe@reddit
If your BIOS update failed and you’re stuck on a black screen, try a CMOS reset by unplugging the PC and pulling the coin-shaped battery off the motherboard for a minute. If that doesn't kick it back to life, you might have to use the BIOS Flashback button on the back of the board with a USB drive to force the update again. Just make sure the USB is formatted correctly and the file is named exactly what the manual says so the board can find it.
manicma@reddit
Dude it's not rocket science. Don't take it in the shower with you and blow the dust out once in a while.
dertechie@reddit
Specifically blow and not vacuum. Vacuum generates static charge.