Question on some ThinkVantage features

Hi,

I have a few questions concerning some features of ThinkVantage:

- there is an option to set thresholds for battery charging. How would you use that to maximize battery life? Would you stop charging when the capacity reach for example 90% or is it better to go 100%?

- is it possible to use ThinkVantage to control the charge of a 2nd battery installed in the UltraBase (like the one for the X220). For example I'd like to stop the charge of the battery in the ultrabase at 40% for long term storage but still charge the battery in the laptop at 100%. Is it possible?

- Any use for Active Protection System if I get an SSD? Is it only useful to stop HDD in case of a drop or is there other hidden features?

Thanks

 

Basically setting a threshold below the full charging capacity can potentially reduce stress (heat) and wear on the battery over time thus prolonging the life of the battery. I generally set mine to 35%-95% thresholds to reduce the need to constantly charge my battery all the time.

I can't say much for the 2nd battery in the Ultrabase (I don't own one) but for the Active Protection System its not needed for SSD's as there is no moving parts in the drive for the APS to protect which makes it redundant.

 

Generally, you want to stop charging before the battery reaches 100%. Also, the idea of charge thresholds is to reduce the number of charging cycles, particularly if you do not always need 100% of the battery's life: like Hearst, I also use 35-95%.

From what I've read, yes, it seems it is possible to set charge thresholds for the slice battery (although it was not possible to set thresholds for UltraBay batteries in the past).

No, it is only useful for HDDs. If you do have a HDD in the UltraBay, though, APS also works for that drive.

 

Ok guys thanks for your replies. I'm considering an additional 6 cells battery, not the slice battery. It seems there is a battery location for the 6 cells in the Ultrabase serie 3 but I'm unsure if it's possible to set thresholds separately for it.

 

How does the 35-95% method work in contrast to the "Automatically optimize for battery lifespan" method? Which is better?

 

..and furthermore, why is it called 'Automatically optimize for battery lifespan' when, as you say, it charges to 100%, which is not good for the battery?

 

i'd like to know this too, doesn't seem like it's actually doing anything special