The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    Battery degradation

    Discussion in 'Alienware M11x' started by vorob, Aug 22, 2011.

  1. vorob

    vorob Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    83
    Messages:
    1,140
    Likes Received:
    59
    Trophy Points:
    66
    I have r1 bought from the very beginning in march 2010. Now I'm seeing 50% wear level in HWiNFO32. I was using battery quite a lot.
     
  2. mikecalva

    mikecalva Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    38
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    My battery was at 100% for quite awhile (four months) until I was playing a game and didn't notice that my charger unplugged until it shut down. Otherwise I am very careful to not let the battery discharge to lower than about 40% before recharging. That one incident resulted in my "Wear-level" changing from 0% to 2.8%.

    Even the research I found on the web for these types of batteries show that the number of charge cycles is quite a bit higher if the batteries are not discharged below 40%.
     
  3. dave786978

    dave786978 Newbie

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    6
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    I also was having the same problem as you with the battery with over 50% wear and can't hold a charge for more than 20 minutes.

    Thankfully Dell is sending me a new battery on the last day of my warranty.

    Like other people have said, doing full discharges over and over again really does take a toll on the battery and from what I've been reading disabling charging at 40% is the way to go.
     
  4. ebondefender

    ebondefender Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    25
    Messages:
    385
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    I've also followed dave786978's example. I let mine discharge to about 45% then charge back up. I usually run from the outlet when gaming for a while.
     
  5. vorob

    vorob Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    83
    Messages:
    1,140
    Likes Received:
    59
    Trophy Points:
    66
    Lol, now its 58%

    I wonder if there is a way to re-calibrate battery.
     
  6. DrGoodvibes

    DrGoodvibes Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    389
    Messages:
    973
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    31
    To recalibrate the battery it is suggected to
    • Completely charge the Battery.
    • Switch to battery use and completely run it down, by disabling sleep or whatever along the way. Leave the battery discharging at 0% for four to five hours.
    • Now charge it up again.
    Calibrating your Battery

    Think I was a late March 2010 M11xR1 baby too.

    My battery has lost about 12% over the last year. Maybe approx 15% all up.

    My M11xR1 Battery status

    Mostly use AC with battery plugged in and battery at 100%. I thought that was a no, no. But hasn't had a major impact on my life (battery)

    I'm going head to head with the EverReady Bunny... Still going.
     
  7. vorob

    vorob Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    83
    Messages:
    1,140
    Likes Received:
    59
    Trophy Points:
    66
    I've done this. Since there are no way to disable "saving" features in w7, i just turned on bios and waited until battry "dies". Then i waited for few hours and charged it. Not its dead, lol.

    Windows says that i have major problem with my battery and its need to be changed.

    One thing pisess me off, for my hp new battery costs about 40$, but for m11x its 250$...
     
  8. mikecalva

    mikecalva Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    38
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    One advantage to living in Turkey, when my battery is dead, I'll give it to a guy in a little shop who will cut the battery case open, soldier in new identical cells, and glue the case back shut again... and charge me an extra 20 dollars for his time
     
  9. vorob

    vorob Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    83
    Messages:
    1,140
    Likes Received:
    59
    Trophy Points:
    66
    Now i need a new battery. Any place where i can get it cheap? Cause on ebay its 220$
     
  10. DrGoodvibes

    DrGoodvibes Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    389
    Messages:
    973
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    31
    Turkey maybe. :-D

    May find one here(nbr) at some stage.
     
  11. mikecalva

    mikecalva Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    38
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    Yep, rebuilt battery while you wait... Just sit there and drink cay! Istanbuls a bit warm this time of year though...
     
  12. GNandGS

    GNandGS Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    69
    Messages:
    1,247
    Likes Received:
    11
    Trophy Points:
    56
    14% wear level. Plugged in mostly. I do not do anything at all for batt life EXCEPT avoid extreme low levels. That said I have been below 10% batt level at least twice. Oops.

    Its been more than a year. Shelf life says if I get 2 years then nothing to complain about. 3 is a bonus.
     
  13. darkdomino

    darkdomino Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    203
    Messages:
    833
    Likes Received:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    31
    I've noticed my battery life steadily declining over the year that I've owned my M11x R2.

    I get about 2 hours to a charge now, even with the screen dimmed and just browsing.

    I'm guilty of running off the AC adapter too much too... but I don't see what choice I have... Trying to play games un-plugged results in horrible framerates.
     
  14. GNandGS

    GNandGS Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    69
    Messages:
    1,247
    Likes Received:
    11
    Trophy Points:
    56
    Leave the AC plugged in if you want. I've seen it happen no matter what you do.
     
  15. 1201NFTW

    1201NFTW Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    54
    Messages:
    419
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    My battery has had very little degradation. However it is typically plugged in unless I'm traveling and in that case I bring my charger to my hotel/motel. I've had my M11x for about a year.
     
  16. Raine2

    Raine2 Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    12
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    Weird, I have had my m11x for a year now, and battery wear is only 2%.
     
  17. vorob

    vorob Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    83
    Messages:
    1,140
    Likes Received:
    59
    Trophy Points:
    66
  18. DDriver

    DDriver Notebook Guru

    Reputations:
    3
    Messages:
    50
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    15
    I am not sure it's genuine.
    Here is another similar "original" offer link.

    My battery experience. After 10 months or so I've got 5.9% of wear. Battery usually sits around 100% on power all the time, except occasion presentations for 2 hours or less. Wear of 50% or more means (in my book) battery is dead. My previous acer laptop was killing batteries in 2-3 months - smth was wrong with the motherboard that leaded battery controller to work badly.
     
  19. GNandGS

    GNandGS Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    69
    Messages:
    1,247
    Likes Received:
    11
    Trophy Points:
    56
    The wear indicator if accurate will ramp up quickly at some point. There is not that long a life span no matter what you do. If can get 2 yrs or more of useful batt life it's normal

    I'm over 20% maybe 25% wear now and get less than 3hrs with current config. I *think* it's been nearly 2 years
     
  20. deadboy90

    deadboy90 Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    44
    Messages:
    625
    Likes Received:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    30
    my battery ran all the way out 3 times on me in 8 months and it was up to 10% degradation. Then my powersupply failed and Dell sent me a new charger AND battery yay! Still at 0% after 2 months too!
     
  21. viral taco

    viral taco Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    39
    Likes Received:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    16
    My M11x r2 is about 1,5 years old now and I am not seeing that much of a decrease in battery life performance, definitively better then expected. I can still get over 3.5 hours during normal wifi usage with the screen on a bright setting. I have tried not to have the unit plugged in constantly, and have had it down to below 20% a bunch of times. Maybe I am just lucky?
     
  22. GNandGS

    GNandGS Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    69
    Messages:
    1,247
    Likes Received:
    11
    Trophy Points:
    56
    :) indeed.
     
  23. un4tural

    un4tural Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    53
    Messages:
    666
    Likes Received:
    14
    Trophy Points:
    31
    had my R3 for almost a year now, basically bought it right after it came out, was really happy they finally upgraded the GPU :). My battery gets daily use, nearly every day gets discharged to 20-50%, rarely i let it go below 20%, my AIDA64 still shows battery wear level at 3% - Designed capacity 64530mWh, Fully charger capacity 62070mWh which i consider really good after almost a year.

    I don't really pay much attention to being "super careful" about it... i just use it off the cable for few hours when i am not in my room around the house, or use it as a music player sometimes(fairly silent, but lasts for like 8hours before i plug it in when it is at 40%, though usually it doesn't discharge as much when doing it). So yeah it gets its fair wear and tear, dunno maybe it got tough with all the exercise.

    Hopefully it wont die suddenly like i read some people report with R1 and R2s.