Useful battery information for laptops

What determines the battery life of the laptop?

• The operating time of a laptop from a battery directly depends on the capacity of the battery itself; the larger the capacity, the longer the operation time.
• Laptop battery life depends on:
  • The number and nature of the programs and applications used. The most significant consumers of energy are programs for playing audio / video, "heavy" games and programs that require large calculations.
  • The technical characteristics of the notebook - the more powerful the processor and the larger the screen - the higher the power consumption.
  • The number of connected external devices without their own power (for example, USB devices) and network connections used.
  • Power management settings for a particular laptop.
• Battery life is affected by ambient temperature. Under negative temperatures, battery life is significantly reduced, and at elevated temperatures, the load on the cooling system increases, which also reduces battery life.

How to increase the battery life of the laptop?

• The most effective way to increase laptop battery life is to reduce power consumption. For this:
  • Close all unused programs.
  • Disable unused network connections (especially wireless). If network connections are nevertheless necessary, then make sure that the moment you are not downloading files and not playing media files from the Internet (music, movies, radio, etc.). If you can choose between wired and wireless connections, choose wired.
  • Disconnect unused external devices from your laptop (CD, HDD, flash drives, etc.).
  • Make sure that the profile for battery operation is selected in the power settings.
  • The default profile settings for offline work are selected averaged. If you want to further reduce power consumption - change the settings manually and reduce the screen brightness to the minimum acceptable level.
  • If possible, ensure the operation of the laptop at an ambient temperature close to room temperature, or at least in the range of 10 ^o -30 ^o C.
• Place the laptop on a solid, level surface. Most notebook models have air vents on the bottom or bottom of the sides. If the laptop is on a soft surface (for example, a sofa), the vents will overlap, which will lead to an increased load on the cooling system, and in some cases - to the overheating protection system and turn off the laptop.
• In order to increase battery life for most laptops, rechargeable batteries are available (high capacity, extended). Such batteries are 20-30% more expensive than standard ones, but they have a capacity of 50-100% more than regular batteries. If you decide to purchase a similar battery, then it should be noted that it is 100-200g. heavier than the standard and most likely will have large dimensions, speaking at the bottom or back of the laptop, thereby slightly lifting it.

What is the battery life for a laptop?

• Battery life for a laptop is measured in the number of discharge / charge cycles, which are calculated by the controller installed inside the battery. As a rule, the service life is declared by the manufacturer of about 300 - 1000 such cycles. In this case, the cycle is considered to be a full discharge of the battery, i.e. if a fully charged battery was discharged by half, and the next day it was fully charged and half discharged again, the controller would take it as one charge.
• In addition to the discharge cycles, the battery life for a laptop is affected by the natural chemical processes inside the battery, which are almost impossible to influence. After a year of operation, most batteries lose up to 20% of their capacity, and after 3-4 years - up to 80%, regardless of the number of discharge cycles. The only thing that can be recommended in this case is to store the battery (not even installed in the laptop), so that its temperature does not exceed 30 ^o C

Why does the battery voltage for notebooks of the same model have a different voltage of 10.8V, 11.1V, 14.4V and 14.8V?

• Most laptop batteries are based on standard 3.67V cells, assembled in a series-parallel method. When 3 such elements are connected in series, their voltage is summed up, but different manufacturers use “different” arithmetic - some consider the total voltage as 3.6V * 3 = 10.8V, and others 3.7V * 3 = 11.1V. The situation is similar with the pair 14.4В / 14.8В, only in this case not 3, but 4 elements are connected in series. In both cases we are talking about the same voltage. As for the difference of 10.8B / 11.1B and 14.4B / 14.8B, for most laptops this does not matter either, however, in order to avoid overlaps, it is better to consult with the seller beforehand.

How to extend the battery life for a laptop?

• Battery life is measured by the number of discharge / charge cycles, so no need to work on the battery, but connect the laptop to the charger.
• Optimal storage battery for a laptop (not installed in a laptop) is considered to be a charge level of about 40%.
• Regardless of the discharge / charge cycles, the life of the battery is limited due to the natural chemical processes occurring in it. A significant catalyst for such processes is increased temperature, so some sources even recommend storing the battery in the refrigerator. If you do not resort to such extravagant tips, do not store the battery near heating devices, under the influence of direct sunlight, etc. - this will be quite enough.

How to charge a laptop battery for the first time?

• The optimal battery charge for storage is 40% of its maximum capacity, so manufacturers supply batteries that are about 60% charged, given that the battery will be discharged during transportation and storage.
• In order for the laptop's charge controller to choose the optimal charge and power modes, it needs to get information about the actual characteristics of the battery and first of all about its real maximum capacity. To do this, follow these steps (you can perform them while continuing to use the laptop in the usual mode):
  • Install the battery in the laptop, connect the charger and wait until the battery is fully charged.
  • Unplug the charger and completely discharge the battery before turning off the laptop.
  • Repeat the procedure for a full charge / discharge of the battery 1-2 more times. Now the charge controller in the laptop "knows" the characteristics of the battery and will optimally manage it.