Manufacturers can end support for their products without you realising. Robert Irvine reveals which PCs, phones, routers and other devices are now obsolete and unsafe
One of the drawbacks of buying tech products is that you assume devices will last much longer than the manufacturers do. When you spend hundreds of pounds on a new PC, phone or TV, you expect to keep using it for several years – or at least until it stops working properly. But companies often end support for their goods long before they start misbehaving, usually in the hope that you’ll splash out again for one of their newer models.
We think you should eke as much life out of your products as possible, and there’s no shame in hanging on to an old gadget that’s served you well, but sometimes you have to admit defeat. Devices that no longer receive software and security updates can become slow, unreliable and unsafe to use, because hackers can exploit unpatched flaws to steal your data and spread malware. Unsupported products also miss out on the latest features and may be incompatible with newer technology.
Here, we reveal which devices are now considered obsolete or on borrowed time, so you can replace them before it’s too late. We look at everything from PCs and phones to smart TVs and speakers, to explain the type and length of support provided for the hardware itself rather than the operating system it runs.
DESKTOP PCs & LAPTOPS
PCs with obsolete processors
The average lifespan of a desktop PC is between five and eight years, while for a laptop it’s four to six years, but that mainly depends on the condition of its processor. A CPU that’s kept at a safe temperature – generally 40 to 65°C – can comfortably last for a decade, and most processors have built-in protection mechanisms that prevent them from overheating. However, those PC users – typically gamers – who overclock their CPUs by increasing the clock speed and/or voltage beyond that set by the manufacturer risk reducing their device’s lifespan by a significant amount.
Even an apparently healthy CPU can cause problems if it’s unable to support new hardware and software. Microsoft’s strict upgrade requirements for Windows 11 initially insisted you have an Intel 8th-generation processor or higher, and though this was later expanded to include older CPUs – see the latest list at www.snipca.com/49
