How long can laptop last with very little use?

[Satearn]

I just bought a new laptop and I realize will only use it maybe 10 hours a week, only on battery.

I use my desktop and only sometimes laptop to relax in coffee shops.

It's an Acer aspire and they claim 1000 charge cycles (usually 300-500 right?), does this mean I can expect this machine to last 3-5 years with good battery, or will the thing just break down and rot with age, even with very little use? 😉

 

[hang-the-9]

If you are talking about how long the battery will last, 3 years is about a normal life span for them before they drop in capacity enough to be annoying. Worrying about it now won't help you much, you bought it, use it. When it fails, replace battery if you want.

 

[10tacle]

I've had a lot of laptops over about 15 years. It's hit or miss on battery quality. I had a Dell E1705 gaming laptop from 2006 of which the battery only lasted two years before giving up the ghost...and I ran it balanced between plugged in and on battery power. My old trusty Lenovo T410 with an expanded option battery is still going strong being from 2010 or so. Next up, my 2014 era HP Pavilion G7 which battery is also still going strong.

I wouldn't sweat it. Just follow well-known details of proper battery management and you might find it will last well past the 2-3 year estimated life. And even if it does croak, you'll have options to buy a replacement for years to come. You might have to pay a lot, but they'll be there. I wouldn't worry about it so much. What I would worry about more is trying to keep it upgraded and useful years down the line or worrying about the cooling fan(s) dying. Had to replace my CPU cooling fan after only two years on that HP Pavilion. Real PITA tearing a laptop down and putting it back together, but at lest the OEM replacement fan was cheap ($5 on Amazon). I can see why computer repair centers charge a lot for working on those for hardware fixes. Took me about two hours from start to finish.

 

[rune2h]

There isn't a reliable answer for the average lifespan of anything when talking about computers. Theoretically the battery should be the first thing you'll have to outright replace if you intend on using the laptop that long, but again, there isn't a predictable timeline.

 

[Satearn]

Actually this question is not only about the battery, what about motherboard, CPU , ports etc...if I almost never use it, it won't wear out right, let's say take the battery out of the equation?

I don't really care because I might buy a better laptop by then, but I'm curious to know if they last longer if you barely use them.

 

[rune2h]

Not using or even stressing the components will not necessarily make them last longer. I don't see what the point would be, anyway. They are designed to be used, so my honest advice is use it as you please and try to keep those things in the back of your mind. Computers are not as fragile as you may believe.