Some people think their computers are like toasters or appliances, expecting them to run forever with no attention. This is far from reality. Even tablets and web-books need software maintenance periodically. High quality anti-virus and a strong firewall are just as essential to long computer life as is the blood flowing through your veins.
We will cover here other hidden issues affecting computer lifetime and performance most people do not know about.
If you are looking to extend the life of your laptop or notebook, here is what I have done which has a proven track record over decades. This applies to both Macs and PC computers. My machine is now approaching 10 years old. Checking the web, the average lifetime for a laptop is just 2 to 4 years. You can far surpass this with simple preventative maintenance. No tools required.
* Endless software updates take their toll on CPU speed over time by increasing CPU processing. An i5 or i7 (even better) processor greatly helps prevent slow-downs from updates over time. If you are considering buying a new computer, be sure to buy one with an i7. In the case of a Mac, buy the one with the fastest CPU you can afford. An i7 gives you 8 processor cores. It makes a big difference over time, too.
* Gaming computers and laptops normally last at 3-5 years. A Qosmio PC computer I have been using day and night (sold as a gaming computer) is now almost 10 years old and runs great. I only use it for business. Why did I buy it? It was an economical way to buy a new i7 computer and prevent the endless system software update speed trap.
* NEVER turn your computer off unless you absolutely need to. Just let it blank the screen and go idle. Here is why: Inside all chips is one common circuit, which consists of two transistors in series connected from the power supply to ground. This is used for transmitting data around the motherboard or to data drives. Only one of the two transistors is on during normal operation.
But at power up, BOTH transistors can turn on together momentarily while the chip is not yet fully initialized. This causes a high current inrush stress inside thousands of chips on the motherboard at every power up, shortening the life of chips over time. Other parts of chips endure stress at power up, too. By not turning off the computer, I obtain an average of 10 to 15 years from every computer I have owned over the years by doing this.
Remember incandescent light bulbs? These usually burned out with a flash of light when turned on.
* Gamers over-clock their processors. This often causes premature failure of the expensive processor chip, by increasing chip temperatures far above manufacturer design limits. Chips are like vehicles: the hood on a car, SUV or truck may feel quite warm to the touch, but coolant inside the engine will easily burn your hand. Same holds true with chips in computers - internally all chips are tens of degrees hotter than the hot air coming out of the computer blower.
* If your fan is always running above idle speed with only the desktop on the screen with no programs are running, you either have a dust build-up problem or unwanted background program(s) running.
* Another issue that needs attention about every 2 to 4 months: The cooling blower. When the computer is running and dust enters the computer, dust becomes trapped in CPU heat sink fins. A CPU heat sink acts like an unwanted air filter. Over time the internal dust layer builds up, choking off air flow and forcing the fan to run faster. Eventually the CPU chip runs far hotter than it is designed for and it will fail - usually at the worst time when you need it the most.
To prevent the dust build-up without taking your computer apart or using any tools, the blower must be shut down to work properly. Various stores and online stores sell 4 packs of compressed gas for just a few dollars.
Follow these steps:
1. Do not turn off the computer. Put it in sleep mode to turn off the fan to keep the mother board powered up. If you cannot get the fan to turn off in sleep mode, then power it down. NEVER BLOW GAS INTO THE BOTTOM OR AIR INTAKE OF A NOTEBOOK COMPUTER FIRST! Doing so can permanently force dust into internal heat sink fins.
2. Use a can of compressed gas to blow dust out the way it came into the computer. FIRST force the gas into all the louvers of the blower exhaust vent, usually found on the left or right side of the computer. Forcing gas into blower exhaust vents will eject accumulated dust from the computer underneath (blower intake.)
3. After no more dust is ejected out of the bottom blower air intake, blow gas into the bottom air intake to eject any remaining loosened dust.
* Don't forget to back up all hard drives in your computer at least once a week (or more if needed) to an external HD. If you must replace a failed hard drive, this will take the pain and suffering out of getting your computer operational again. NEVER leave your back up hard drive connected to your computer - if a virus or other bug has wiped or damaged your computer's hard drive(s), the same thing could happen to your backup drive if it is connected at the time, too.
DESKTOP AND TOWER COMPUTERS
You can use all the above steps to extend the life of both desktop and tower computer power supplies and CPUs, with a few small changes. With the power supply shut down and the side panel removed, blow gas into the fan exhaust usually found on the back panel. After no more dust is ejected, then blow gas into vent holes or slots on the power supply box inside the computer until no more dust is ejected out of the back panel. Don't forget to blow any dust out of the CPU fan and CPU heat-sink before re-installing the side cover.
Ted Twietmeyer
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