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Optimizing notebook battery life


Webb

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My new notebook came with some rather confusing instructions on optimizing battery life. I've done the charge/discharge cycle three times but I can keep it plugged in most of the time

 

The useful lifespan of the battery is adversely affected by the following usage patterns:

 

Using the computer on constant AC power.

 

Not discharging and recharging the battery to its extremes, as described above.

 

Frequent use; the more you use the battery, the faster it will reach the end of its effective life. An embedded battery has a life span of more than 1,000 charge/discharge cycles.

 

Optimizing battery life

 

Use AC power whenever possible, reserving battery for mobile use.

 

Excessive recharging decreases the battery life.

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securitybreach

If you leave it plugged in, take the battery out. The rest is generally BS.

 

Most of the newer batteries will stop charging when they are full so a lot of those precautions are crap.

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Removing the battery isn't a practical option.

 

Opening the case would void the warranty.

 

In the event I want to take it somewhere I'd have open the case again to put the battery back in.

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securitybreach

Oh, it doesn't come out like normal laptops/netbooks?

 

That would be a big no no, as the battery will be the first part to go out on a laptop.

 

I wouldn't buy any laptop without a removable battery.

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http://www.newegg.co...N82E16834314645

 

This is the model. I bought because it was cheap and I plan to use it just to download/stream video to my HDTVs with its HDMI port. I have two TVs so I need to move the computer back and forth. It's worth what I paid for it. The battery doesn't just slide out and I don't think removing it is easy or even possible.

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I've kept the battery in all the time on the 5 notebooks/netbooks I've owned and I've kept them plugged in for the majority of the time. The battery on my old HP (2001) lasted at least 5 years. I did not buy a new battery because it was getting old, was heavy to lug around so I used it plugged in.

I don't know about the Micron (received from someone in July 2003) because I donated it to someone who had no computer.

Asus eeepc (Jan 18 2008) battery might last about 15 minutes less than it did when new.

Acer 722 (Aug 18 2011) and Acer (Aug 18 2013) I haven't noticed any problems yet.

 

I did condition my Acers as you did by running the battery down three times, and fully charging before using again.

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securitybreach

Well I have two old laptops and an old netbook with dead batteries. Also, my mom's old laptop's battery doesn't hold a charge.

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So what's the general opinion about a new notebook battery? Mother's new Lenovo reported battery not in good shape (Lenovo's own hardware report) after about 6 months and Lenovo shipped me a new battery without a single question asked. It had been on AC power most of the time. Now I've started unplugging and letting the battery run down about 75% before plugging in again. Is this necessary?

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Removing the battery isn't a viable option.

 

It's not a pop out and I've read that it's not even replaceable.

 

To remove it I'd have to open the case, voiding the warranty. Maybe after the warranty expires.

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Then in your situation, when it is fully charged, unplug it and use it on battery. When the battery warning comes on, plug it in and recharge.

Keep repeating this pattern until the battery can't be recharged.

 

Next time when shopping for a notebook, be sure to check if the battery is easily removable. If not, walk away from the purchase no matter how good it sounds.

Edited by zlim
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The useful lifespan of the battery is adversely affected by the following usage patterns:

Using the computer on constant AC power.

 

That charges the battery to 100% all the time. The more voltage you put in the li-on cell, the more stress on the cell; the more stress, the less discharge/charge cycles your battery will have.

 

Not discharging and recharging the battery to its extremes, as described above.

 

Every time that discharge to 0% /charge to 100% occurs, you use 1 charge/discharge cycle. Shallow charging (like discharge to 40%, plug in and recharge to 70%, unplug) saves some cycles.

 

My suggestion is for you to plug in when the battery is at 30-40% and unplug when the battery is at 75%.

 

Next time when shopping for a notebook, be sure to check if the battery is easily removable. If not, walk away from the purchase no matter how good it sounds

Until manufacturers include a battery switch, I would never recommend a laptop with an internal battery.

Edited by b2cm
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My suggestion is for you to plug in when the battery is at 30-40% and unplug when the battery is at 75%.

 

That's my plan. Thanks for your help.

Edited by Webb
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Disassembly of your notebook

 

appears you even have to remove the motherboard to update the RAM! I have to say, I haven't seen a laptop this complicated to upgrade since the 90's.

I had to remove the keyboard in a micron to add more RAM. That's something I don't want to repeat.

 

Battery info program (no install) just run the exe file when it is operating on battery to get info.

http://www.nirsoft.n...ation_view.html

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securitybreach
appears you even have to remove the motherboard to update the RAM! I have to say, I haven't seen a laptop this complicated to upgrade since the 90's.

 

I had to remove the keyboard in a micron to add more RAM. That's something I don't want to repeat.

 

You sure this isn't a mac :hysterical:

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NirSoft looks fun but it doesn't seem to do much that would benefit me except estimate the time to recharge.

 

My plan now is to set the Windows low battery warning to 30%, then plug it in when the warning goes off. I'm still looking for something that would notify me when it recharges to 75% so I don't have to keep looking at the battery meter.

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That's fine ... Wait till you hit the sealed post in the middle of the back... The only way is to use a hot soldering iron to melt the plastic riveting . Talk about nerve rattling.

 

Re battery . There are some chargers about that will not overcharge . Some of them even have a reconditioning cycle .

 

Mac books had a battery reconditioning programme on them . Legacy stuff. " Mac Powerbook"

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it doesn't seem to do much that would benefit me
So you aren't interested in the Battery Wear level?

The wear level of a new battery should be around 100%, and it gradually decreases. This value is calculated according to the 'Designed Capacity' and 'Full Charged Capacity' values.

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This is a lithium battery.

 

I'm going to install the NirSoft monitor but I'm not going to obsess over battery life now that I have a plan in place.

 

I don't have any plans for this computer to ever leave the house but if I develop any plans in the future I'd like to have a functioning battery (assuming nothing else goes bad before then). If and when the battery goes I'll just buy another AC adapter (less than $10) so I can keep it in its two locations.

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Totally OT but just a comment on your sig -

Some countries use the metric system. Others land men on the moon.

The US uses the metric system in many cases, particularly in science. Search Quora for "metric system".

Also 20% of Americans believe the sun revolves around the Earth, and many believe the Earth is less than 10,00 years old. Some comments I've read from people who believe it is 2015 years old.

I know it's just a whimsical throwaway statement, but do you think the LHC uses SAE?

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Also 20% of Americans believe the sun revolves around the Earth, and many believe the Earth is less than 10,00 years old. Some comments I've read from people who believe it is 2015 years old.

Probably the most frightening thing I've read all week.
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  • 3 weeks later...

This is working great. I use it on weekends for watching movies so it discharges about once a week. I/m recharging it for this weekend and BatteryInfoView shows a Battery Wear Level of 104.4%.

 

:thumbsup:

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  • 3 months later...

I'm having a new problem.

 

The computer shuts down without warning and won't reboot (without plugging it in) when the battery level reaches 45%.

 

I suppose I could set the low battery warning to 50% but that would only give me a couple of days between charges.

 

Any ideas why it shuts down with a 45% battery charge?

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In February you posted

BatteryInfoView shows a Battery Wear Level of 104.4%.
Since this isn't possible, didn't it strike you then that BatteryInfoView was reporting faulty info?

 

With that it mind, a 45% charge level remaining is wrong. The notebook turns off because it is down to whatever percentage triggers it to turn off 2%, 5%. What does the manual say about percentage of low battery when it will turn off?

 

Try one or all four of these tools

https://www.raymond.cc/blog/easily-know-battery-remaining-time-and-battery-wear-with-batterybar/

and see what info you can cull about the battery.

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securitybreach

I'm having a new problem.

 

The computer shuts down without warning and won't reboot (without plugging it in) when the battery level reaches 45%.

 

I suppose I could set the low battery warning to 50% but that would only give me a couple of days between charges.

 

Any ideas why it shuts down with a 45% battery charge?

 

It sounds as though you might need to replace the battery. Basically it is not holding a full charge since it is empty when it reports 45% left. I have had a couple of laptops do the same thing over the years and is usually because I left it plugged in all the time. Now I remove the battery when I keep the machine plugged in or unplug it as soon as it is 100% charged.

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I let my Acer plugged in almost all the time. It was purchased August 2011. Likewise the Acer I gave to my husband. It is plugged in almost all the time and was purchased August 2009. Both batteries are fine.

 

Okay, I pulled the plug on my 2011 netbook and ran the portable version of battery care. The battery was fully charged and it show remaining time of 1 hour and 39 minutes. This was very inaccurate.

Point of reference: I conditioned the battery when the netbook was new.

1st full charge and discharge: 5 hours 33 minutes

2nd full charge and discharge: 5 hours 35 minutes

3rd full charge and discharge (this time I set it to power saving mode): 6 hours and 30 minutes

 

I used the netbook in the kitchen the other evening on battery only. After 3 hours, I still had battery remaining. I did not check the percentage remaining. So clearly in a few days, it would not drop from over 3 hours to 1 1/2 hours.

 

So, don't waste your time trying to get credible battery info from Battery Care.

 

I will look at the other two programs tomorrow.

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I'm having a new problem.

 

The computer shuts down without warning and won't reboot (without plugging it in) when the battery level reaches 45%.

 

I suppose I could set the low battery warning to 50% but that would only give me a couple of days between charges.

 

Any ideas why it shuts down with a 45% battery charge?

 

It sounds as though you might need to replace the battery. Basically it is not holding a full charge since it is empty when it reports 45% left. I have had a couple of laptops do the same thing over the years and is usually because I left it plugged in all the time. Now I remove the battery when I keep the machine plugged in or unplug it as soon as it is 100% charged.

 

The battery is less than 6 months old. Replacing it is not an option. This is a $200 throwaway computer. When the battery dies I will put it on AC power full time.

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