To extend laptop battery life, know the type of battery you have, avoid unnecessary charging cycles, use power saving settings, use the battery at least once every two weeks, consider a long-lasting battery, avoid using peripherals, defragment your hard drive regularly, and do not run unnecessary programs or devices.
The issue of extending laptop battery life is one of the most vexing concerns of many who take to mobile computing. A laptop battery can be a very expensive component to replace, most cost at least $100 US Dollars (USD) and some cost much more. Therefore, it is beneficial for the computer owner to follow a few simple steps to extend the battery life.
Of primary importance is knowing the type of battery you have. For example, Li-ion batteries work differently than NiCD or NiMH batteries. The latter two should be fully discharged to avoid a memory effect, which will work to drain a laptop’s battery life. The Li-ion battery should never be fully discharged.
Whenever possible, avoid unnecessary charging cycles. Any rechargeable battery has only so many. Draining a battery for a few minutes and then plugging it back in could cause your laptop battery life to drastically decrease prematurely. Rather, if you don’t need the battery and it’s charged or even if it isn’t charged, take it out and slide the cable.
Most laptops have power saving settings. Use them. Most any computer expert will tell you this, for good reason. It might just be the best way to extend your laptop battery life. Dim the screen, hibernate, don’t operate the CD/DVD drive any more than absolutely necessary when the battery is of assistance.
Use the battery at least once every two weeks. While this may seem counterintuitive given the instruction to avoid unnecessary charge cycles, it’s not. This is because to get the maximum possible battery life, you need to use it. Rechargeable batteries must be operated or they will lose their effectiveness. This doesn’t mean recharging the battery after every 15 minutes of use, but rather using the battery for substantially longer periods of time.
For those who rely heavily on battery power, consider a long-lasting laptop battery. This will help extend the time it takes between charges, reducing the number of charge cycles needed. While this may seem like an expensive option, it also offers the added benefit, if you already have a standard battery, of having a backup when you’re away from a corded power source.
Look at the use of peripherals, which can basically draw power from the battery. If it’s running on battery power, use the touchpad instead of the USB mouse. Also avoid other connections of this type, as they tend to shorten laptop battery life.
Defragment your hard drive regularly. This is also a good idea for desktops, but it’s especially important for laptops. Defragmentation should be done when using corded power as it is resource intensive. However, a properly defragmented hard drive will help keep your hard drive from working harder than it should when running on battery power.
Also, do not run unnecessary programs or devices. Also, the battery will run out prematurely. When extending laptop battery life is a concern, this might be one of the easiest things to do. For example, if there is no WiFi access where you are, having that component turned on is nothing but a waste of resources.
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