LCD monitor and other component(s) lifespan

[Saturos]

I was wondering. I've built my current PC approximately 1 year and 8 months ago, and should I consider saving for new components that might break down soon?

You know, the more common things that break down, such as the monitor or PSU?

Also, I've heard that LCD's tend to last no more than two years top. Does this hold true with some of you? It should be stated too that I don't leave my PC running for days at a time like some of you guys do, but still.

If I were to upgrade semi-essential components for the sake of being old however, it would probably be the CPU and video card(s), but seeing that's not possible in the forseeable future, I'd like to know if I should consider buying some quality backup stuff just because I should? (Or you can just tell me if I'm just being paranoid too) Here's my current setup:

Motherboard: MSI K9N PlatinumSeries nForce570
Sound: Audigy4 SoundBlaster 2.1 Stereo
Speakers: Logitech 2.1 Stereo
Video: DualSLI GeForce 7600GS(s) 256MB 128MBinterface
Video Driver: ForceWare 163.71
Monitor: 1280x1024 2ms ViewSonic LCD
CPU: AMD64 3800+ 2.4 GHz
HDD: WD 160GB 7200rpm SATA
RAM:2 gigs Corsair DualChannel low-latency 800MHz
Optical Drive: Pioneer DVD+RW
PSU:Enermax 600W
Case:AspireDeluxe 1 80MM intake 1 120mm exhaust
Operating System: XP Home Service Pack 2
UPS: Ultra x1800 w/ UPSmon monitoring software

 

[Krynn72]

The only thing I have ever experienced going bad on me was a couple hard drives and a power supply. Ive had my LCD monitor for over two years and it shows no signs whatsoever of dying. Never heard of the "two year lifespan" thing either.

Buying backup components seems pretty silly to me. I wouldnt even think of buying any replacement parts until I notice something starting to kick the bucket.

 

[Saturos]

Well, I DID pay a partly sum of close to $500 bucks for my Viewsonic. Like you said sea, you get what you pay for. The monitor and PSU were my main concerns though, and both are still chugging along quite well. Amazing that your dad's LCD monitor lasted so long too. Google "LCD monitor lifespan" when you get a chance, and you'll see what I was talking about.


@ Krynn: By the time I start noticing a component putting one foot into the coffin though, (Heh, my analogy is superior ),
it's usually too late and I'd have to resort to ordering parts from a *gasp* public terminal.
I'm not lucky enough to have multiple PCs to fall back on like many of you have. :|

 

[Krynn72]

@ Krynn: By the time I start noticing a component putting one foot into the coffin though, (Heh, my analogy is superior ),
it's usually too late and I'd have to resort to ordering parts from a *gasp* public terminal.
I'm not lucky enough to have multiple PCs to fall back on like many of you have. :|

I dont either. Usually I can tell when somethings going on the fritz and can buy a replacement before it dies off. And usually the things that die can be picked up at a best buy (hard drives, video cards, psu's) so its not really a big deal, even if it does die right away. Its at most a 1 day downtime while you drive to the shop.

It just seems silly to me to buy extra components in anticipation of their failure, because chances are you wont ever need it, and it will just be throwing hard earned cash right out the window.

 

[Saturos]

I dont either. Usually I can tell when somethings going on the fritz and can buy a replacement before it dies off. And usually the things that die can be picked up at a best buy (hard drives, video cards, psu's) so its not really a big deal, even if it does die right away. Its at most a 1 day downtime while you drive to the shop.

It just seems silly to me to buy extra components in anticipation of their failure, because chances are you wont ever need it, and it will just be throwing hard earned cash right out the window.

Best Buy? eeewwwwww. You can get much better deals online, especially with rebates, but yeah, I know what you mean about buying parts for the sake of buying them in case of failure.
(a.k.a anal retentive)

 

[Krynn72]

Retail stores often have really good deals on hard drives. When theyre on sale they tend to drop a huge chunk of the price, and a lot of times they have rebates on top of it.

 

[Saturos]

Yeah, but the video card selection in our BB branch leaves much to be desired tbh.

They like to sell all those crappy, overpriced OC cards, which I'll never touch with a ten foot pole.

To be fair though, I have seen a decently priced GeForce 8800GT 512MB card on their shelves recently. Not sure about the details like VRAM type and speed, and the floor attendents' knowledge on such things leaves much to be desired too. Meh, online's better for cards as long as there's no burn-in problem(s) with the hardware. IF there's no problems that is.

 

[Krynn72]

Yeah, I probably wouldnt buy a graphics card from them unless I didnt plan on playing games.

 

[Asus]

LCD's don't go out within a couple years unless you got a fluke. The back light does dim over time though.
If you put your PC together and used arctic silver compound between the heatsink and CPU then you might want to reapply it after a couple years. Clean the PC before it needs it. Of course how often depends if you live out in the country (dust) or have pets. Heat stress can shorten a PC's life pretty quick (like PSUs).

But really everything in a PC should last for a long time. My old AMD 650MHz (from 1999/2000?) is still going strong even if I don't use it any more. But I've had each of my PCs on many hours each day, 24/7 any more. I've only had a couple hard drive motors go out and 1 CRT monitor break (fluke).

Oh and I've had some case fans wear out.