Knowing about the age of the computer has many benefits. You can use it to check your device warranty or confirm whether the computer can still be upgraded or not. The information also helps a technician determine if they should replace a component or suggest a user to consider changing the device altogether.
Easy Ways to Find Out The Age of Your Computer
For whatever reason you want to know about the age of the computer, there are only a few reliable ways to do so.
Check the Serial Number
Regardless of the computer warranty, all pre-built PV have a sticker with its serial number on it which is regarded as a computer’s unique identifier, pasted on the back of the case in case of desktops and somewhere on the bottom panel for laptops. This number reveals certain information about the device and its components.
The stickers on some of the updated devices contain QR code as well which you can scan to immediately access the online support page. Here’s what you need to do with the serial number to find out the age of the computer.
- Open Google search page and type in the serial number to access the manufacturer company.
- Here you can find the manufacturing date of the computer as well.
Check The Computer Original Packaging
Do you still have the computer’s original packaging still lying around in the house? Perfect! The packaging can be a foolproof way to figure out the age of the computer.
Take a good look at the box. You will find the manufacturing date stamped somewhere on the package, typically on one of the sides. Some believe that this trick applies to laptops only because the majority of the prebuilt desktop systems are assembled from off-the-shelf components and so each of them have an individual manufacturing date. Nonetheless, if the device has not been tampered with, the date on the packaging box will give you some idea of when the device was made.
Check CPU Date of Release
Checking the release date of your processor is another way to determine how old the computer is. The information is available in the System Information app.
- Go to Start on the computer and type System Information.
- Then click to open the app. You will find the name of the processor under System Summary.
- Then open Google and type in the name of your CPU along with the keyword “launch date”.
You will see the information here that you were searching for in the top of two to three links. However, keep in mind that the processor age does not necessarily mean that it is the age of your computer. New laptops and computers often use older processors.
Check the Date of Creation on Folders in the C Drive
If you open ChatGPT right now and request the easiest way to find out the age of the computer, perhaps this will be it!
If you have not reformatted the hard drive after buying the computer, the date when the Windows was installed will be the same as when the computer was manufactured. You can check the date of Window installation by viewing when folders were created in the C drive.
Again, this is not a foolproof method as you may find some files that are way older. For example, applications like Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 with creation or modification date of 2006 or 2005. This can be misleading when determining the age of the computer. Nonetheless, to check the date of your modified C drive, here’s what you need to do:
- Go to My PC and double click on Local Disc (C:).
- Then right click on the files to choose Properties.
- Look for the option of Created under the General Tab. This will give you some estimation about the age of computers.
Check BIOS Version Using Systeminfo.exe
You can access the summary of BIOS by using the systeminfo.exe command tool. This also shares the age of the motherboard’s BIOS but only if you have not ever updated your BIOS.
- Click on Start and type in cmd to open the Command Prompt.
- Then type in “systeminfo”.
- In the next step, you will see a bunch of different information, BIOS version data.
- The data will give a rough estimate of the date on which the computer was manufactured.
Before You Go: The Average Age of a Computer
How simple it would be if you could find out the age of a computer like you read off a menu in a restaurant. But since that is not the case, it helps a lot to know tips and tricks to determine the age of a computer.
Wait a minute! It wouldn’t be helpful knowing the age if you are not knowledgeable about the average age of such devices.
When we purchase an electronic device like a computer, we like to believe that it will last for a lifetime. However, computers do have a lifespan after which they tend to down-perform. When you notice a computer slow down, experience software issues, notice the components wear out, it is probably because it has met the end of its time.
You can expect the average age of a computer or a laptop to be around 3 to 4 years. Please note that this is just an average so you can rest assured that your desktop can last longer if taken well care of.
