what you need to know about dell 9 cell batteries

The 9 cell batteries last a good 5 hours when you first get them, but according to ratings, they drop down to about 40-50min of life after the first year .

and no, they aren't covered in the warranty.

http://reviews-cdn.dell.com/2341/312-0428/reviews.htm

 

oh boy...they better have made it better for my vostro

 

What the hell are u serious the batteries aren't covered in the warranty??!!??! That's bs....

 

High temperature + full charge = very bad for Li-Ion batteries.


http://www.batteryuniversity.com/parttwo-34.htm

 

Does that mean the 6 cell batts are good for 30-40 minutes after 1 year?

 

dell is becoming Apple!!! hardware self destruct after basic warranty ends!!!

 

i would assume so.

 

That's totally inaccurate...

Through NORMAL usage, you lose about 15% per year. If you have EXTREME usage, you can lost UP TO around 40% per year. I know I'm pretty close to an extreme user, and my 9-cell is *just* under the battery life of my 6-cell, so I use my 6-cell now.

I'd also like to reiterate that this isn't just Dell batteries or anything...all batteries do this...and no company's warranty covers them...

 

In my experience, notebook batteries normally lose 20 to 40% of their remaining capacity over a year depending on usage pattern.

I think you will see that Dell quote the battery life as something like 300 charge cycles. If you recharge your battery every night and use it every day then you can use up those charge cycles within a year. These charge cycles include partial discharge / charge. The 300 is a conservative figure. Unless they have reduced the quality of these batteries, more than 500 charge cycles is a better typical value.

If you are going to use the battery a lot then include at least one extra battery in your order, when the cost is low. If you get a second battery, use one battery only occasionally then watch how the main battery performs. If you lose at least 40% of the capacity in about 8 months then you might be able to get a replacement.

John

 

Batteries have a 1 year warranty.

Link: http://support.ap.dell.com/support/...04B2BC469DF266E040A68F5B282327&doclang=en&cs=

 

Actually, Li-Ion batteries prefer frequent partial charges over full discharges. A "cycle" is a full discharge/recharge, and a partial discharge/recharge only counts as a partial cycle. However, keeping Li-Ion batteries at full charge for prolonged periods accelerates it's aging, so it's a catch-22.

http://www.batteryuniversity.com/partone-21.htm

 

Wow, that's a development. I can't help but note that article was created 4/16/2007 and maybe that's a new thing for Dell...

 

dc74: Just looking at your sig, how on EARTH did you get a 75% off coupon!?

 

ok guys i just did some research:


my inspiron 6400's 9 cell battery was supposed to have a life span of 500 charges

let's just say i only take it out 1 hour per day and rest plugged in (but still being drained) it probably comes out to 1-2 charges a day

so in theory it should be okay to expect it to be thrown out in about a year

since 9 cell has more capacity i suppose it would last longer than 6 cell since it charges less frequently and has more room for crystals to fill

so 9 cell is still the better option

and about warranty, can't really complaint since all batteries degrade overtime

 

I'm sure the warranties will be different for different regions. In Canada, batteries are explicitly excluded from the warranty.

http://www1.ca.dell.com/content/top...n&s=gen&~section=010#limited_warranty_systems

 

Yea, batteries are chemical reactions that will degrade over time no matter what you do. It would be best to don't worry about it - sure it may sound unthoughtful, but its meant to be used. I mean, you did buy a notebook and not a desktop, right?

Battery life is pretty standard, however, it's not all the same. I can comment on that as my notebook used to get 4.5~ hours on a charge. It's been almost 20 months since, and it still lasts a good 4~ hours.

There is no right way of using a notebook battery, but knowing the basics could potentially help lengthen its lifespan.

http://www.batteryuniversity.com is a good read.

 

I should have clarified better i guess, i was referring to after the first year in my first post, because that is when batteries go down hill.

 

Either it was part of some sort of wacky Canadian mystery coupon deal or he gave Micheal Dell a hand job.

 

I asked him that too, it was the canadian mystery coupon, but i wouldnt rule out the hj either.