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    Studio XPS 16 - How to take care of the battery?

    Discussion in 'Dell XPS and Studio XPS' started by f0cu5, Jun 17, 2010.

  1. f0cu5

    f0cu5 Notebook Geek

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    What precautions should I take to ensure that my battery lasts the longest? Should I only charge it when it is almost discharged or it doesn't matter?


    Any tips appreciated!
     
    f0cu5, Jun 17, 2010
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  2. cbaty08

    cbaty08 Notebook Evangelist

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    Only real thing I do is to leave it out when connected through AC...
     
    cbaty08, Jun 17, 2010
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  3. funky monk

    funky monk Notebook Deity

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    That shouldn't really make a difference anymore, now batteries have circuits which cut the charging once they reach 100%. It used to be an issue on older computers though.
     
    funky monk, Jun 17, 2010
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  4. cbaty08

    cbaty08 Notebook Evangelist

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    Hm. Good to know. Thanks. +Repped+
     
    cbaty08, Jun 17, 2010
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  5. haris163

    haris163 Notebook Consultant

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    If you go back and forth A/C and battery a lot, it is better to disable charging from the Dell Battery Meter and fully charge the battery after it goes down to about 40-50%.
     
    haris163, Jun 17, 2010
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  6. Jedis

    Jedis Notebook Consultant

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    Really? Was always told to have it disconnected while running off AC, as the battery will get hot with the laptop thus shortening its life.
     
    Jedis, Jun 17, 2010
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  7. entrance002

    entrance002 Notebook Consultant

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    yea, I keep my battery plugged in all the time, and I never seem to lose capacity doing so.

    I -do- lose capacity each time I drain my battery. (e.g., to the point where the laptop will automatically hibernate)
     
    entrance002, Jun 17, 2010
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  8. tenknics

    tenknics Notebook Evangelist

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    If you took your battery out while plugged in that would defeat one of the benefits of the 9cell, its design. It lifts the laptop OFF the surface creating more airflow. If you took the battery out while plugged in you would have even worse airflow and a hotter laptop..Kinda silly..

    And yes modern batteries are designed to stop charging once its at 100% while still plugged in. It doesn't hurt the battery. My old power 90w powerbrick would make crackling noises when my battery was charging. When my battery hit 100% the sound would go away. Meaning its no longer sending current/charge to the battery.
     
    tenknics, Jun 17, 2010
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  9. funky monk

    funky monk Notebook Deity

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    I just felt the battery and it really doesn't get that hot at all. Unless you feel like putting your battery in the fridge when you take it out, it really won't make any difference.

    I've had my battery plugged into my laptop all of its life (just gone past its 1st birthday) and I'm only at 8% wear, I've done a few deep discharges too which is where most of the wear has come from. I also like to keep the battery plugged in because the power cable has a habit of pulling loose.
     
    funky monk, Jun 17, 2010
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