How long do gaming laptops last?

The average laptop is designed to last about three years before it needs replacing, but that figure can actually be significantly lower when you consider how much time people are spending in front of their screens. With an average age of 28, most gamers are unlikely to retire the latest hardware any time soon. They'll want to squeeze every ounce of performance out of it, and that's when the machine starts to show its age.

It accumulates a lot of wear over a year or two of hard use, so components can fail much earlier than manufacturers would have you believe. The most common problems are with the display, keyboard, and trackpad. All three usually run into issues long before you'd expect them to go out of warranty, which is normally at least one or two years after you buy the laptop.

Some manufacturers offer extended warranty options that can help improve your machine's lifespan if you intend on keeping it for a long time, but most gamers will be stuck with whatever standard warranty they're offered when they first buy the machine.

The question of how long a gaming laptop lasts is very different depending on the quality of the machine you buy. Its core components – processor, graphics card, and memory – will be pretty much identical whether you buy a cheap or expensive laptop. If anything, they'll last longer because more expensive components are better made and designed to cope with sustained periods of demanding use.

The biggest difference is in the build quality and materials used to make the laptop. Cheaper machines are more likely to have a lower-quality chassis, which is more prone to damage and wear and tear. They're also likely to have fewer ports, lower-resolution displays, and less powerful speakers.

In general, you can expect a gaming laptop to last anywhere between three and five years. It really depends on how often you use it and the quality of the machine you buy. If you're looking for something that's going to last you for a long time, then it's worth investing in a more expensive model. But if you're not too fussed about having the latest and greatest hardware, then a cheaper machine will do just fine.