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    1530 Battery Life

    Discussion in 'Dell XPS and Studio XPS' started by artgoi, Oct 8, 2008.

  1. artgoi

    artgoi Notebook Consultant

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    Hi,

    Ive always gotten, well, not so much battery life out of my machine. However, today Ive realized it might be a problem with it, rather than how it is meant to work. Today I put a DVD (AC/DC live!), plugged an hdmi cable into my tv, and it died half way the 2 hour concert. All my laptop was doing was working as a dvd, so, I figure something must be wrong. What do you people think? TIA!
     
  2. Dumpduck

    Dumpduck Notebook Consultant

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    I don't know that specific machine, but it sounds reasonable.
    Laptops with dedicated graphics cards doesn't run for long, unless they're idling or browsing the web.
     
  3. Bog

    Bog Losing it...

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    Playing a DVD draws a very large amount of power, not to mention the increased CPU usage. How long does the battery life last if the machine just idles?
     
  4. artgoi

    artgoi Notebook Consultant

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    like 1h 30m
     
  5. Bog

    Bog Losing it...

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    1.5hrs while idling isn't normal. I would check Vista's power settings, defrag the HD, and clean out the laptop for dust using compressed air and a vacuum cleaner.
     
  6. artgoi

    artgoi Notebook Consultant

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    How do you clean it? Just through the air exits?
     
  7. Bog

    Bog Losing it...

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    Use a can of compressed air to dislodge caked dust from the fan blades; then apply the vacuum directly to the fan vent to draw out that dislodged dust.
     
  8. artgoi

    artgoi Notebook Consultant

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    Great. Thanks a lot for the help!
     
  9. stevey5036

    stevey5036 Notebook Evangelist

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    Definitely change the power settings to 'Power Saver' when doing stuff like that.. Also close the lid, as you prob have no use for the LCD if you have it hooked up to the TV.
     
  10. joepro

    joepro Notebook Enthusiast

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    when outputing hdmi it EATS the battery like crazy to my 42" plasma, I always plug it in. I have the led screen and get 2.5-3 hrs with normal tasks, browsing, word processing etc...dvd, prob 1.5 hrs on battery. If you have you brightness up it will kill the battery too. I do wish I ordered a 9 cell, but I could not wait that long for the computer.
     
  11. msboc

    msboc Notebook Consultant

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    My XPS is just four months old. I don't use it on battery often; but it's seemed the last few times I have, the battery has lasted less than two hours. I know during the first two months it lasted longer. Any thoughts? The computer is clean. I just switched it to power saver from Dell recommended.

    Is the battery issue something I need to take up with tech or customer service; or have all of you only been getting a few hours out of your batteries?
     
  12. sesshomaru

    sesshomaru Suspended Disbelief!

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    Check battery wear using a 3rd party utility like NHC or Battery Tracker .. If it's lost more than 5-10% capacity in 4 months, it's abnormal, and should be replaced under warranty..
     
  13. steelroots7xe

    steelroots7xe Notebook Evangelist

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    What are the specs of your XPS M1530? More powerful processors and a dedicated graphic card will definitely drain your battery out a lot faster. Also, I'm guessing you're running on a 6-cell, not a 9-cell? Try checking the Dell Battery Meter "Battery Health" tab and see if it indicates any fault with your battery. I myself have a 6-cell and I can say mine lasts a good 2hrs, 30mins when watching movies (on T9300, GeForce 8600GT).
     
  14. don813

    don813 Notebook Geek

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    i have t8100 without undervolting i get 3 hours to 3 hours and 15 mins, this is doing word processing and taking notes and web browsing
     
  15. msboc

    msboc Notebook Consultant

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    Can you tell me where the battery meter is. My computer is less than six months old and the battery is only lasting 1 1/2 hours when I'm in the recommended power option and only browsing.
     
  16. Bog

    Bog Losing it...

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    Have you undervolted the T8100? Care to share the resulting battery life after UVing?