Decades have passed since the release of the first microprocessor and since then thousands of models and hundreds of architectures have appeared. We continually see the continual renewal of products in the CPU market. But, what is the life of a processor and what factors can shorten or lengthen it? Are the first models that came onto the market still working?
In recent times we are seeing a resurgence of retro, with 8-bit and 16-bit microcomputers being completely restored. However, in many cases, replacements have to be found for the different chips, since these have broken over time. We can find them in the form of replicas, FPGAs and even replacement chips. All this leads us to the next question, can the processor of our PC last forever or does it have a life limit?
How long can the life of my processor last?
Well, it depends on how you use it, since there are a series of elements that can shorten its life and leave it completely useless. Specifically, those that have to do with the increase in the temperature of the processor, due to the fact that when it reaches a certain level of heat, it happens that the internal structures can be physically affected and stop working. That is, as long as certain conditions are maintained, a processor can last a lifetime unless there is an external accident such as a sudden voltage change.
So if you don’t do any extreme overclocking exercise your processor will last you a lifetime as it won’t degrade. Proof of this is the amount of hardware from 30 years ago that is still working after a long time. What’s more, if something breaks that makes them stop working, it’s because things like a condenser have broken and all the acid has spilled or because of poor storage and cleaning conditions.
The pity is that many systems, especially newer laptops, have all the components soldered to the board. Therefore, if one of them fails, the rest of the chips cannot be used, even if they work perfectly. So there are a lot of processors that have ended up in the trash and are fully functional because of it.
Pamper your computer’s CPU
This may seem silly, but it is very important to give it an ideal environment so that the life of your processor is as high as possible. The fact that a computer lasts for years is a way to save money and its main component is the CPU. If you pay, for example, 1,000 euros for a PC and it lasts three years, you will have paid more than if the same PC lasts five years. That is, watch out for weird overclocking experiments if you don’t have the know-how.
By the way, what we say always keep your PC clean, make sure to give it optimal cooling with the right heatsink and from time to time clean the thermal paste and renew it. In the end you will have a computer for life and it is already known that the hardware is revalued over time. If not, look at how everything retro has resurfaced and the value of a computer in good condition.
