A future-proof PC is one that you won’t have to worry about upgrading for the next few years. Ideally, it should also be forward-compatible enough to allow the replacement of individual components in the future.
To answer the question,you may future-proof your PC. But how future-proof you may make it depends on your expectations and budget.
I’ll describe thetypical lifespan of future-proof PCsto help you set some realistic expectations. I’ll also talk about the key pointers when selecting components for a future-proof build.
What Is Future Proofing? How Is It Done?
There are two main things to consider for future-proofing – theperformance dropandforward compatibility. I’ll talk about compatibility later in the how-to section.
As for performance, it’s a divisive topic with mainly two opposing viewpoints. Let me demonstrate with a common scenario. Say you’re building a PC soon.
First, you couldbuild a 4K gaming PCwithtop-of-the-line components. It’ll give you high FPS with maxed-out settings for now. But a few years down the line, the performance will be at least halved in the most demanding games.
People spend a lot to build such decked-out systems. So, they tend to stick to the build for a few more years, even if performance is declining.
Thesecondapproach is tobuild a mid-range PCwithforward-compatible components. It’ll give you decent FPS with close-to-max settings. The price-to-performance ratio is awful on the highest-end components. So, you’ll save a ton of money with this build.
In a few years, you’ll have to drop down to mid or low settings to play the latest games. At this point, you may use those savings to upgrade certain components. Or, you canbuild a new mid-range system.
Either way, due to how fast PC hardware evolves, this build will perform much better than the 4K build from the first scenario.
The way I see it –both are valid approaches.
The first approach gives you a better experience for the first few years, while you get a better experience in the later years with the second.
Is Future Proofing Worth It? Should You Do It?
As stated earlier, the viability of future-proofing depends on theuser’s expectations.
Programs become more demanding over time, and your PC will have a harder time keeping up. This is inevitable.
All you may do isbuild a system that’ll give you satisfactory performance for the next X years(4-5 years for the average person).
As long as you haverealisticexpectations, you’ll be happy with your future-proof build. But if you’re expecting that the PC will perform well for 10+ years just because it’s high-end now, prepare to be disappointed.
How To Future Proof Your PC
Onto the main question –howdo you actually future-proof your PC? Let’s go over the most important details for each component.
