Keeping a Mac or Windows PC running for a long time can be challenging. It's not as complicated as it used to be -- as anyone who remembers life before SSDs and the internet can tell you -- but at the least, there are basic software maintenance tasks, and repairing or upgrading hardware inevitably becomes difficult, if not impossible. You'll be lucky to own a computer that has parts available for a full decade.
Ignoring dust and other debris
The not-so-silent killer
Superficially, dust may not seem like a big deal. Most computers have internal fans to circulate air, and unless a machine's been sitting still for a very long time, the dust that does accumulate often looks light enough to be an aesthetic issue more than a practical one.
It's absolutely essential that you prevent dust from caking around a computer's vents, however. This slowly restricts airflow, trapping heat. While a modest amount of excess heat is tolerable, once internal temperatures start to climb over 80C (176F) or so on a frequent basis, it can lead to software instability or hardware damage. If nothing else, it's annoying when fans are constantly whirring to keep things under control.
With desktop towers, it's important to open them up at least once or twice a year and clear out any dust that's settled on components.
Check the vents on your computer on a regular basis, and wipe them off whenever you notice a visible layer of dust. With desktop towers, it's important to open them up at least once or twice a year and clear out any dust that's settled on components. This will prevent any insulating effects and reduce the chances of static discharge. Be careful about how you clean inside -- it's vital to unplug your PC, stay grounded, and stick to compressed air or electric blowers. Don't touch any circuits with your fingers. If you do use compressed air, avoid tilting the can too far up or down, since that can spray fluids onto electronics.
Pay attention to peripherals as well, including your monitor, mouse, and keyboard. A keyboard that's jammed full of dust and crumbs will eventually stop working properly.
Leaving an OLED display on all the time
A shortcut to disappointment
OLED panels are usually considered the gold standard in image quality. Their ability to shut individual pixels on and off results in excellent contrast and color accuracy, particularly with HDR (high dynamic range) content. There's a price to pay, however, in two respects: a limited lifespan, and the threat of burn-in. Both are tied to the "O" in OLED: organic materials.
The longer you leave an OLED display on, the faster those organic materials are going to decay. It's alright to use one for several hours every day for years -- but if you want it to last as long as possible, make sure your screen is set to shut off quickly whenever you're inactive. I have Windows 11 set to turn off my laptop display if I'm inactive for just three minutes, and I wouldn't suggest anything more than five.
You may want to stick to regular LCDs or mini-LED displays if you work from home most of the time.
Burn-in is a tougher problem. This occurs when certain graphical elements are left in the same place for a long time. This is relatively easy to avoid on OLED TVs, but of course apps and operating systems need to keep some elements stationary, such as browser tabs, in-game overlays, or the Windows taskbar. There's not much you can do here except choose dark visual themes, and limit how long anything stays onscreen to the minimum you need. You'll probably encounter some burn-in after a few years, but hopefully not enough to be distracting. You may want to stick to regular LCDs or mini-LED displays if you work from home most of the time.
Tossing and jostling your laptop
Out of sight shouldn't be out of mind
Laptops are actually pretty resilient these days, being built out of toughened metal or plastic, with few if any moving components inside. Before moving countries in 2022, I intentionally bought an all-metal laptop, knowing it would have to survive a lot of travel -- and sure enough, it made it through multiple security screenings and mad dashes across airport terminals.
Take extra precautions when you're packing a bag or suitcase -- all it might take are a few heavy items shifting the wrong way to wreak havoc.
The obvious danger is in hard drops or smashes, but subtler damage can happen from smaller impacts or sustained pressure. These could cause the adhesive on parts to gradually come loose, or too much flex in fragile components. You should probably be most concerned with the screen, as a few dead pixels will ruin your day, never mind cracks or disconnected cables. Laptop makers seem to be more concerned with making lids thin than durable.
To minimize risks, avoid tossing your laptop around or putting it in precarious positions. Don't stack anything heavy on top, either. Take extra precautions when you're packing a bag or suitcase -- all it might take are a few heavy items shifting the wrong way to wreak havoc. If you're commuting on a bike or PEV, don't make the mistake of keeping your computer in an outer pocket, which will bear the brunt of any crash.
Carelessly turning on overclocking options
The price of freedom is eternal vigilance
By default, the CPU (main processor) and GPU (graphics chip/card) in a computer both run at clock speeds their manufacturers deem safe. There's a certain amount of wiggle room, though, so it's common for gamers to turn to first- or third-party overclocking utilities to squeeze the best possible performance out of their systems.
If you're going to overclock a PC, make sure you use some sort of software tool for monitoring internal temperatures.
Ordinarily this is safe, especially if you stick to first-party utilities from companies like Nvidia or Lenovo. Risk enters the picture if you get too aggressive with settings, and/or ignore factors that might compound heat, such as inadequate cooling tech or high ambient room temperatures. That can lead to the sort of overheating I mentioned when talking about dust, if not worse, given that 3D games are already some of the most demanding apps a computer can run. At maximum detail, a title like Cyberpunk 2077 may bring a PC to its knees.
If you're going to overclock a PC, make sure you use some sort of software tool for monitoring internal temperatures, like HWiNFO, the Nvidia app, or simply Windows Task Manager. When temperatures become problematic, you've got two options: dialing that overclocking back, or adding extra cooling measures, such as an AIO (all-in-one) unit. If you've already got an AIO, a bigger one or more fans may be in order.