Originally Posted by
rydabent
I serviced computers of all sizes from 1983 to 2008, and other electronic business machines from 1962. For the most part if they get thru the first 90 days of life, they will be quite reliable.
Having run a company that designed and manufactured computers, this is called "infant mortality", and it can be largely eliminated using a burn-in process. Once a solid state component is held at or above operating temperature for awhile and doesn't fail, chances are it will last awhile. But manufacturing has improved so much, I don't believe burn-in is used nearly as much these days, if at all.