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    Leaving the laptop plugged in with battery on

    Discussion in 'Gateway and eMachines' started by littlegamer360, Jul 2, 2008.

  1. littlegamer360

    littlegamer360 Notebook Guru

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    Alright, now I've heard some things here and there that if you leave your laptop plugged in for a long time that you should take out the battery? Is this true? Because I don't like leaving it plugged in with the battery on overnight. Am I worrying over nothing or is it bad to do this?
     
    littlegamer360, Jul 2, 2008
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  2. redrubberpenguin

    redrubberpenguin Notebook Consultant

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    Leaving the battery fully charged and plugged in can use up charge cycles while, and the heat from the laptop can speed up battery degradation. It's a good idea to take the battery out if you leave your laptop plugged in.

    I left my old Toshiba plugged in with the battery inside very frequently... after about a year and a half the battery began lasting only 5 minutes. Yep, five minutes. That was five years ago, though and it's certainly not as bad as it used to be (the newer Lithium Ion batteries don't suffer as many problems or lose their charge as easily as the old batteries did) but to prolong your battery health, I'd recommend you take it out.
     
    redrubberpenguin, Jul 2, 2008
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  3. CeeNote

    CeeNote Notebook Virtuoso

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    Yes but keep in mind you HAVE to keep the contacts of the battery clean if you take it out while it's plugged in or else it'll degrade even quicker so I suggest to store the battery in a plastic bag.
     
    CeeNote, Jul 2, 2008
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  4. tuffthegamer

    tuffthegamer Notebook Enthusiast

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    I have a stupid question then, does the laptop have a cmos battery then so when taking the battery out and leaving it out if you shut it down, the bios and such wont reset?
     
    tuffthegamer, Jul 2, 2008
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  5. CeeNote

    CeeNote Notebook Virtuoso

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    Yea it does. The bios won't reset if there's a black out or you just shut it down.
     
    CeeNote, Jul 2, 2008
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  6. msankadi

    msankadi Notebook Consultant

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    Yep...almost all (if not 100%) of the procs today hav a cmos battery..so nothing to worry about...though, not having a UPS can fry some parts

    http://kb.iu.edu/data/adoy.html

    MnVn
     
    msankadi, Jul 2, 2008
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  7. Infoseeker

    Infoseeker Notebook Evangelist

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    How long is it safe to leave the 6860 laptop on with maybe only Firefox and trillion on?

    How long would be too long for gaming?
     
    Infoseeker, Jul 2, 2008
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  8. Mad Maximus

    Mad Maximus Notebook Enthusiast

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    The weekend that I brought my 6860 home, I was essentially installing games & apps.... aside from the occational reboot, the laptop was up & running from friday night till monday morning. I merely closed the cover & left it running while I caught a few hours of sleep each night.

    I figured if it was gonna crap out, I wanted it to happen right away so I can take it back. The laptop never had a single problem, never a hiccup... and that included playing some games like Unreal Tournament 3, Call of Duty 4, Battlefield 2142, Assassin's Creed, etc....
     
    Mad Maximus, Jul 3, 2008
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  9. Tom1222

    Tom1222 Notebook Consultant

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    I am keeping my battery in the laptop. I don't think it is hurting a thing. I had my old Dell for 3 years with the battery in and the battery is as strong as ever. Most new battery's are much better than they used to be. But the choice is yours and if you want to take the battery out go for it. I think it hurts the battery just as much not being used then when it is plugged in.
    Besides I believe there is some sort of bypass anyhow.
     
    Tom1222, Jul 3, 2008
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  10. Infoseeker

    Infoseeker Notebook Evangelist

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    how long can the 6860 last in sleep-mode?
     
    Infoseeker, Jul 3, 2008
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  11. Snowsurfer

    Snowsurfer Rocky Mtn High

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    I hear you get a 1.5 FPS boost with the battery in! :p :p :p :p
     
    Snowsurfer, Jul 3, 2008
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  12. eekamouse

    eekamouse Notebook Enthusiast

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    LOL.. Actually I think it would be the opposite. Removing the battery will reduce heat and also give the computer "less to do".. ie.. it doesnt spend time making sure the battery is fully charged...

    That's just my hypothesis though. :cool:
     
    eekamouse, Jul 4, 2008
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  13. ridermtb

    ridermtb Notebook Guru

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    I had a G1S B1 that would get a bit higher 3dmark 06 score when it was on battery only vs. being plugged in. Sounds odd, but maybe you should give it a shot to see if its the same with yours as well.
     
    ridermtb, Jul 4, 2008
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  14. Rotz

    Rotz Notebook Consultant

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    Someone told me, so hearsay, that if take out and put in your battery multiple times, or if you use it for small amounts of time, that will make your charge less than either having it plugged in with the battery all the time or keeping it out all the time.

    This same person also suggested to just use it whatever way is most convenient to you, and plan to buy a new battery after a year or two.

    There should be a battery life extending ultimate guide for every different type of person! I use my laptop as a stay at home desktop replacement, but when I go to a public place with it a couple times a week, I use AC power all the time, except when I need to get up and take it with me mid session.

    Maybe the best idea is to keep the battery with you in a sealed bag, and only put it in when you need it. Otherwise, leave it out and away from heat as much as possible.
     
    Rotz, Jul 6, 2008
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  15. JohnnyFlash

    JohnnyFlash Notebook Virtuoso

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    That was very true of the older battery types. Newer battery techs don't have the memory problem nearly as bad.
     
    JohnnyFlash, Jul 7, 2008
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  16. mirkrim

    mirkrim Newbie

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    This is no longer true for lithium-ion batteries. You can find quantifiable evidence in iPods - they charge every time you sync with iTunes, but even with lots of syncing they last several years.
     
    mirkrim, Jul 7, 2008
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