CPUs are extremely durable.Most CPUs last for 10+ yearsand are the last component to die in a system. In terms of physical lifespan, once you purchase a CPU, you’re set for the next decade.
But the thing about technology is that obsolescence is always a major concern, and this is especially true for CPUs.
How soon a CPU becomes obsolete depends on the person’s needs and workload. On average,most people upgrade their CPUs every 5 years or so.
Factors that Affect CPU Lifespan
First of all, keep in mind thatDead on Arrival(DOA) CPUs are normal and even common to an extent. Barring such cases, let’s talk about what factors affect a CPU’sphysical lifespan.
Operating Temperature
CPUs don’t have any moving parts to cause mechanical wear and tear. Instead, they degrade over time due to material migration, or more specifically,electromigration.
This is where the current flowing through the CPU’s channels causes ions to drift away and slowly erode the connections (kind of like bank erosion by flowing water). This eventually leads to the failure of the circuits.
Heat is bad for electronics for numerous reasons. With CPUs, the main reason is thatheat exacerbates electromigration. It makes the failure of ICs due to electromigration more likely.
What does all of this mean practically, though?
Manufacturers take electromigration into account when designing CPUs, and official temperature limits exist for a reason. I’d say100°C is the average max tempfor modern processors.
As long as you don’t frequently hit temps like these wherethermal throttling has to kick in, you’re fine. And this should be achievable even withminimal cooling and maintenance.
Overclocking enableshigher clock speeds via higher voltages, and this canpotentiallybe bad for two reasons.
Higher voltage results in higher current, which results in more heat being produced. As we’ve already established, heat aggravates electromigration.
So, if overclocking results inhigh temperatures over long periods, that’s not good for your CPU’s lifespan. But if you’ve used a reasonable overclock witha good cooling setup, this won’t be a problem.
