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.

    Maintaining Battery Life

    Discussion in 'Dell' started by Amateur, Jul 31, 2006.

  1. Amateur

    Amateur Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    121
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Whats the best way to maintain battery life? work with it charging or leave the battery go down and then charge?
     
    Amateur, Jul 31, 2006
    #1
  2. Zero

    Zero The Random Guy

    Reputations:
    422
    Messages:
    2,720
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    55
    Laptop batteries typically have battery 600 cycles. One cycle is one charge up, and one discharge. Depending on how often you use the laptop, it will probably last one year.

    But yes, to maintain its full 600 cycle life, it is better to charge, and then fully discharge, before the next charge.
     
    Zero, Jul 31, 2006
    #2
  3. Jalf

    Jalf Comrade Santa

    Reputations:
    2,883
    Messages:
    3,468
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    105
    Jalf, Jul 31, 2006
    #3
  4. Amateur

    Amateur Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    121
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Have a Dell Latitude D620.
     
    Amateur, Jul 31, 2006
    #4
  5. Zero

    Zero The Random Guy

    Reputations:
    422
    Messages:
    2,720
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    55
    Thanks for the link, point taken.
     
    Zero, Jul 31, 2006
    #5
  6. gridtalker

    gridtalker Notebook Virtuoso

    Reputations:
    18
    Messages:
    2,976
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0


    good info int hat link thanks
     
    gridtalker, Jul 31, 2006
    #6
  7. Wooky

    Wooky Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    60
    Messages:
    692
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Let me see. If the recommended charge for maximum battery life is about 40%, should I try not to fully charge my battery, whenever I can manage to? I am thinking of a theoretical way to improve battery life to the maximum, not real life use. Should I wait until it drops to ~35%, then recharge it to 50%, then repeat?
     
    Wooky, Jul 31, 2006
    #7
  8. Talimore

    Talimore Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    3
    Messages:
    141
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Batteries just die sometimes hehe, cant be prevented but if there was a way to make it last longer I wish I knew.
     
    Talimore, Jul 31, 2006
    #8
  9. drumfu

    drumfu super modfu

    Reputations:
    436
    Messages:
    3,651
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    105
    the only thing you really need to worry about is heat. keep your notebook (and consequently the battery) working in normal operating temps and your battery will be fine.

    there's no need to discharge/recharge batteries anymore (maybe once per month to callibrate the meter, but that's it). in fact, because new batteries have built in life cycles, discharging unnecessarily will result in reduced battery life as opposed to increated battery life.
     
    drumfu, Jul 31, 2006
    #9