[ajford]

I've got multiple RasPis from 2nd, 3rd, and 4th gen that all have lasted years. I know of a Rpi 2b still running in a shed in the New Mexico desert that holds at about 90*F that's still going after 5 years.

I had a 3B running as a car infotainment system with hard shutdowns at least daily for three years. Sold that car and it's now in a drawer, but slated for use in an arcade perhaps.

I've got another 3b running as a Unifi controller that's been running for 2+ years.

I've got two 3b and one 4 running OctoPi (3d printer server) without issues for 3+ years.

Given the mass adoption and heavy usage of RPis, I would venture to day most people don't find them to be "horrible computers". I think in 5+ years the only time I've had an RPi fail at the hardware level and die was due to powering it via the 5V headers and accidentally reversing polarity. Might have also shorted one out when an enclosure was flooded due to bad weather seals.

All anecdotal, but I find most of the time when Pi's fail it's often either voltage sag, poor quality sd cards, or excessive writes to the SD. The SD cards are definitely a weak link in the RPi ecosystem.

Whenever possible, ensure your Pi isn't reporting undervoltage and look for ways to minimize writing to disk (or attach a USB drive for any heavy writing necessary).