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    a few newbie questions

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by Seth1, May 28, 2007.

  1. Seth1

    Seth1 Newbie

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    Hi, I'm a complete newbie so forgive me if my questions will seem ridiculous.

    1. it says on post:
    http://forum.notebookreview.com/showpost.php?p=1696324&postcount=9

    that:
    Never discharge your battery to 0% – as this can render your battery useless.

    and pn post:
    Calibrate your battery with a full discharge every 30 charges

    isn't there a contradiction here?

    2. what exactly is the "automatic cut-off point"?

    3. I'm planning on using the laptop mostly with AC power and to disconnect my battery. If i use it once every few days when i take the laptop with me should i always let it go down to 40% and then after a few days charge it to 100% before i go out?

    I never used a laptop in my life, so this is all very new to me.

    Thanks.
     
  2. TedJ

    TedJ Asus fan in a can!

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    Never should probably read don't make a habit of it... Li-Ion batteries last longer with top up charges rather than the full charge-discharge cycles people became accustomed to with Nicad and NiMH batteries. Occasionally fully discharging the battery will ensure the battery's charging circuit is properly calibrated.

    The automatic cut-off point is where your notebook forcibly shuts down.

    The guidelines for storing the battery at 40% charge only apply to long term storage... say several months. If you're planning on using your notebook on battery a couple of times per week it's not worth the bother.

    This page at Battery University has the details for the care and feeding of Li-Ion based batteries.

    Oh, and welcome to NBR!