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.

    Laptop Battery .. When to charge

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by hjcool576, Mar 7, 2011.

  1. hjcool576

    hjcool576 Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    11
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    well the heading might seem dumb
    but i wanted to ask when to charge
    i have herd of two theories
    1) Charge when battery is low and unplug charger when battery is fully charged even if your using the laptop .. Like you do with ur mobile phone/cell
    2) leave the charger plugged in and run the laptop of AC voltage coz charging and discharging ruins the battery ..

    So which one is better for a better battery life ??
     
    hjcool576, Mar 7, 2011
    #1
  2. Lithus

    Lithus NBR Janitor

    Reputations:
    5,504
    Messages:
    9,788
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    205
    Lithus, Mar 7, 2011
    #2
  3. Agent 9

    Agent 9 Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    565
    Messages:
    205
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    IMO the battery is for using: run on battery when you need/ want to, charge it up to ~40% if you don't plan to use it for a while (then take it out), charge it up prior to using it on battery power, drain it fully once or twice a year; the battery should be fine if you do that stuff (no matter what you do, the battery will wear out over time so you might as well take advantage of having the battery)
     
    Agent 9, Mar 7, 2011
    #3
  4. michael_recycled

    michael_recycled Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    329
    Messages:
    989
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Li-Ion batteries don't like being deep discharged at all. Best method to kill them.

    Michael
     
    michael_recycled, Mar 7, 2011
    #4
  5. chunlianghere

    chunlianghere Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    139
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    31
    no wonder your batt "wear out over time", because once u full discharge, it gets wear out..
     
    chunlianghere, Mar 7, 2011
    #5
  6. sgogeta4

    sgogeta4 Notebook Nobel Laureate

    Reputations:
    2,389
    Messages:
    10,552
    Likes Received:
    7
    Trophy Points:
    456
    A full discharge is fine since every lithium ion battery has a protection circuit. Just make sure to not leave it like that for long or else it will go into a deep discharge leading to irreversible damage. It's recommended to do a full discharge occasionally to recalibrate the wear in programs such as BatteryBar. I usually drain it intentionally every few months and when my computer unpowers, I immediately plug it back in. As long as there is charge 99% of the time, your protection circuit will keep your battery running fine.

    For more info, check out: Battery information from Battery University
     
    sgogeta4, Mar 7, 2011
    #6
  7. Syberia

    Syberia Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    596
    Messages:
    1,611
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    56
    I like being able to unplug my laptop and take it anywhere with 100% charge whenever I want to. Convenience outweighs any type of battery maintenance for me.
     
    Syberia, Mar 7, 2011
    #7
  8. chimpanzee

    chimpanzee Notebook Virtuoso

    Reputations:
    683
    Messages:
    2,561
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    55
    the battery wear out over time, no matter how you use it.
     
    chimpanzee, Mar 7, 2011
    #8
  9. woofer00

    woofer00 Wanderer

    Reputations:
    726
    Messages:
    1,086
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    55
    IMO, if your laptop isn't plugged into a battery backup (UPS), use the built in battery. Batteries aren't all that expensive compared to downtime or potential work loss due to an unexpected power outage/brownout. Besides, what are you going to do with the battery in 4-5 years? It'll have great charge, but it won't be compatible with your next machine.
     
    woofer00, Mar 8, 2011
    #9
  10. HTWingNut

    HTWingNut Potato

    Reputations:
    21,580
    Messages:
    35,370
    Likes Received:
    9,877
    Trophy Points:
    931
    Use it however suits your needs, period. Don't worry about it. It's there to use, it will start to lose charge whether you use it or not after two and a half years or so anyhow. Obviously more you use it on battery the shorter it will last on one charge, but that takes a lot of discharges before it makes any significant impact.
     
    HTWingNut, Mar 8, 2011
    #10