What is the designed life of a CPU
 

What is the designed life expectancy of a modern CPU used in computers? For some readers laymans terms. How long will it last.

Life expectancy
 

The life expectancy of a PC is, as previous posters have mentioned, is tied to the quality of the components selected to make the PC, and the main component is the motherboard.

In my experience, if something goes wrong with the motherboard it will then burn out every other component connected to it, rendering your PC irreparable.

However, the practical life if a PC is three to five years after that it becomes increasingly difficult to get modern software and peripherals to work with it.



UK Bob

I bought a 2nd hand PIII 900 I have it running @ 1035 for about 2 years now :D .
Temerature is the key to a processors lifespan, keep your fan's and vent. openings clean and clean the inside of box every half year from dust (pay atention to the cooler on your processor)and your processor serves you for years.

The key to to the questioned posed is the wording. The key word here is "designed". What others do after it is designed is beyond the designers control. If it exceeds the design limitations of the part (CPU in this case) it will naturally have premature failure, but still fails to answer the question,

RaaF has come up with the best answer yet to maintaining the cpu and other equipment for that matter. As proper maintence will extend the life of particular parts and systems.

I'll be back tonight and post the answer if no one gets it.:)

CPUs have a "Designed" life expectancy of 1,000,000 hours or appx. 114 years. Most major manufactures of CPUs have this specafiction.

But for many out there like myself. We have misused the poor thing so many times that it says the heck with this, and does something frustrating like a catastraphic failure (Thermal Meltdown).