Can USB ports wear out??

Can USB ports wear out? Let say I use a USB mouse on my laptop, would it gradually lose conductivity? Or eventually fry?

 

I don't think it can.

 

You mean, can they wear out from having something connected in them all the time? No.

However, if you plug/unplug something into the port constantly, after a long long time, the port will probably wear out/break. But by then, some other component of your laptop would probably die.

In short, don't worry about it.

 

Nope... As long as you do not physically abuse the connector or short-circuit the USB power lines, they should run fine...

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no. if you keep removing the device from the port in a rough manner, then yes, you can damage the port, but thats not really wear.

 

I have some laptops which have had USB mouses and usb cards removed from for over 6years and never had any problems.
The only way you can destroy a USB port, is to physically short the port, draw too much current and fry the USB hub, or physically push a usb card in too far making the port snap off of the motherboard.
Under normal use a USB port can probably last 10 years.
However you will notice that over time the port gets a little loose, but that is from just wear from the thousands of times the USB port is used

K-TRON

 

Ive seen people break their ports because they pull up when trying to remove the usb cable, but that is just because of pure stupidity

 

So using a laptop cooler plugged into the USB port of the laptop everytime I use it should be fine right?

 

That will be fine as long as the cooler does not draw more than 0.5Amperes
or 500MAH

K-TRON

 

yes should be fine, but on occasion I do see usb ports that have broken solder joints on the motherboard and need reflowed to work again properly even with careful use

 

Thanks guys. I probably won't have trouble since I won't be pulling out of USB in/ out that much. I am using it as a desktop replacement so I just leave my keyboard and mouse plugged in all the time.

 

normally no.
if you ever want to destroy it though, get some el-cheapo usb cooler, it might short your port, and kill your mobo too!

 

I bought the Zalman NC2000. I hope it won't damage it.

 

it's a quality cooler, 100% safe under normal operations.
i was talking about unbranded usb devices, you always take a chance with those.

 

They wear out in the fact that they can only be inserted and removed so many times. I know its in the 1000's of times.

 

THey won't lose their functionality but they do tend to get loose after many years of use.

 

I think my last jump drive listed the number of insertions on it before the copper leads would wear out.