XPS 13 9343 Battery Wear

Hey guys,
Going through some of the reviews of the XPS 13 online and looking at a few posts on here regarding the battery of the XPS 13 has got me worried about mine. I have been using the 9343 for three months now and the battery wear is at 3.6%. How long have you been using your XPS and what is your battery wear level? Also I mostly plug it in at 40% and unplug at 80%. I have only once charged it up to full but when I unplugged it at 100% after letting it sit for an hour or so then it showed 0.5% wear right then and there. What are you charging patterns like?
Thank you.

 

My usage pattern is pretty simple.
>> When I need to use my laptop when unplugged, the battery drains.
>> When I am plugged in, the battery charges.
That's the only "management" of battery wear that I do.

Seriously... there are plenty of threads on here over the years about battery life and battery wear. Most of it is hypothetical / theoretical, with very little application to real-world battery life or battery wear. In the end, any steps or effort you put into this is going to be a waste of time.

I wouldn't read too much into an application that claims to predict 5.2% vs 5.6% battery wear. When it comes to batteries, almost every "reading" is an approximation or guess; and those readings are to be used as rough ballpark figures, not actual accurate measurements. So seeing 0.3% wear pattern between charge cycles doesn't actually mean 0.3% wear... it's probably just a fluke in the way that the software calculated the approximation.

So, just charge and use your battery as you normally would, and don't worry about it. When it eventually wears down (after 300 full charge cycles, or about 2 years of use), then buy a replacement battery. Anything else you do to try and "manage" that battery wear is going to be a waste of time.

 

I am worried that I might not get a replacement battery or even the Dell Power Companion when I need one. Getting this laptop itself was a hassle and had to pay extra to get it to my hands. That is the main reason why I am concerned.
Would you mind if I ask how long you've had the laptop and what your battery wear level is at? Just out of curiosity. There's nothing else I can do to reverse the wear anyway.

 

I really wouldn't worry about the battery too much, even if you can't get a replacement battery. Most people use laptops for years without ever changing the battery. Only the most OCD people even care about the battery to that extent, and would even consider replacing the battery.

On average, a battery will go through about 300 full charge / discharge cycles before dropping capacity by 50%. For a laptop with this battery capacity, I'd estimate that it would take you about 3-4 years of heavy use (using battery every day) to get to that point. And by that point, you are likely going to replace this laptop due to some hardware failure, or for performance purposes anyway.

Technically, you COULD take extra care of your battery.... Keep it charged whenever possible, and using BIOS settings to never let it charge above 60%.

But that kind of defeats the purpose of a laptop battery. If you need to specifically go out of your way to NOT use the laptop battery, then you're doing it wrong.

Again, don't worry about it. Whatever steps you take, extra tender care, extra steps, etc... It's going to be a waste of your time, because you'll never notice a difference in real world results. All you'll be doing is wasting your time trying to prevent a problem that doesn't exist.



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The only time I really want battery charge to last is on a flight (as I fly very frequently for my profession). That said, most planes I fly on are being outfitted with plug in power sources and the power charger that comes with the XPS 13 isn't a current hog so these work without issue. I generally plug in when I am at the customer locations so again this isn't a primary concern. I have no idea how to even get to the display the OP put up to see what my values are.

 

That's alright RobotDoctor. I get the gist. Maybe I have been too worried than I should be. But almost a percent decrease day to day might do that to anyone.

 

I guess I will stick to me 40-80 charge rule. But it is alarming to see the battery wear slowly increase from one day to the next. I am probably being too cautious about this. I will try and enjoy my laptop while it lasts.