[yoko]

What is the best way to give my Lenovo laptop the longest life? I have set it to power saver settings but when it comes to recharging laptop batteries, is it best to keep it plugged it all the time (when I have ac access), access the battery without ac power until battery is almost completely depleted, or occasionally recharge the battery at random intervals (not allowing it to completely drain). I hear so many conflicting solutions, of which I tend to believe that it would be best to keep it plugged in (if ac is accessible) because it runs off ac when plugged in if battery is complelely charged.

I just purchased this computer and after my other three laptops' batteries no longer charge, I just want my new laptop's battery to last.

[smax013]

Depends on the type of battery that the laptop uses. Older NiCad batteries could develop a "memory", so it was NOT recommended to partially drain them and then recharge too often in a row.

Generally, with batteries that come with today's laptops, you can charge/drain as you see fit and/or primarily run on the AC power. But, many will recommend that you at least once a month completely drain the battery and then fully recharge it. Apple recommends that...don't know about Lenovo...you should see if they have anything on their website.

Also, when running on AC power, I believe some manufacturers recommend removing the battery, while others recommend leaving them in. You should check that with Lenovo.

[crazy4laptops]

the best way to extend battery life is to dim the screen as much as possible

little to no wifi usage

power saver setting

before going on battery, make sure your computer is booted and you've logged on... then hop in standby for a minute before unplugging

the technology in laptop batteries is a technique called load balancing... where the power in each battery in the pack is either charged or discharged evenly across all the batteries. (most laptop batteries consist of 4-9 individual batteries to make a specific voltage for your computer)

that technique helps extend the batteries life

but most laptop batteries like light cycles... instead of a deep cycle (100% to 10% in a constant run/on- no sleeping or hibernating)

light cycle 100% to 70%

sleep

~70% to 50%

sleep

recharge... on AC for a day all day (or leave on AC all night if you need battery in the morning)

light cycle 100% to 80%

sleep

~80% to 40%

sleep

recharge... like above

[tek101]

Dunno ..if your Lenovo can run without battery installed.....? when plugged in power outlet....

My Sony can...and I'm using it without battery at home.."VGN=FZ. model"

I think this is the good way to extend battery life ....Other than that ...you only save the energy but not the life of it....IMO..

[smax013]

I suppose we should ask what you mean by "battery life".

Do you mean how long the battery will last when using the computer with out power adapter?

Or do you mean how long the battery will last before you need to replace it with a new battery?

[yoko]

Well, I guess I mean both. I would like my battery to last as long as possible before replacing it and that my battery holds the longest charge time as possible for the longest period of time (have my cake and eat it too)!!

I havent tried to remove the battery to see if it will allow me to plug it in without the battery but to me, it appears to be the best solution.

[smax013]

yoko said:

Well, I guess I mean both. I would like my battery to last as long as possible before replacing it and that my battery holds the longest charge time as possible for the longest period of time (have my cake and eat it too)!!


I havent tried to remove the battery to see if it will allow me to plug it in without the battery but to me, it appears to be the best solution.

For the second, you want to reduce your power consumption as much as possible. Reduce screen brightness. Use the hard drive as little as possible. Use the optical drive as little as possible while on battery. Most laptops have power conservation settings that will slow the processor's clock speed down to save on power...if you don't need high speed processing (i.e. typing a Word doc, etc), then look to use these settings.

For the first, you really should see if your computer manufacturer has what they recommend to make the battery stay as healthy as possible. As I said, it first depends on the type of battery...but most laptops to day use batteries that don't have "memories". The key is to use the battery every once and a while...don't just ALWAYS use it with the power adapter.

[marina]

First I should say everything has its life span,and it's quite normal for a laptop battery going to be dead someday. But there is did some tips to extend its life.



1. Use the A/C adapter via wall plug whenever possible. Always plug in your laptop to an AC adaptor whenever one is available. This will ensure that your battery always has full charge and ready to take over when needed.


2. Laptop Temperature: Make sure to read your laptops temperature ranges and not let it go beyond what is recommended. When your laptop is hot then turn it off and let it cool down. You can also use cooling devices, like laptop cooling trays and pads that will make sure your laptop is cool and not sucking extra battery juice.


3. Program Overload: Run only the programs you are using at the time of use. Programs that run in the background use more system resources and drain laptop battery life.


4. Adjust screen brightness: If you use Windows on your laptop, there is a Power Options option in Control Panel that helps you optimize power usage. You can set the laptop to become inactive when not in use for quite some time. It is also possible to adjust the display brightness on the laptop. This may allow prolonged battery life.

5. Battery Charging: Another tip to remember is that when you are working on the battery as opposed to AC power, let the battery discharge completely before starting to charge it again. The battery can only withstand a certain thousand number of charge/discharge cycles. It is better to let it charge fully before attempting to use it again using battery power. Charge the laptop as soon as you see the battery getting too low.

6. Keep a spare battery: A good idea is to have a spare battery. Batteries are affordable these days and easily purchased online from electronics sites. Have at least one fully charged at all times for a quick battery change. Some laptops can run with two batteries. Some laptops are also compatible with external batteries that can be easily added when necessary.

[marina]

Share a great site providing all knowlege about battery.

Here is the site: batteryuniversity.com

[yoko]

So, I should leave my battery in my laptop while plugged into wall and it wont shorten the life of my battery? I have been taking it out while plugged into the wall. My manual states that it will quit charging the battery while it is at 95% or more, so once it drops below that , it charges back up. In that case, what would be the best, to take it out while plugged into the wall or leave it in while plugged into the wall? then, should I allow it to drain completely down before recharging the battery (ie. using battery and not plugged into wall) or recharge it every time I use it? I couldnt find the answers I was looking for from Lenovo (perhaps was looking in the wrong places).

thanks

[smax013]

marina said:

5. Battery Charging: Another tip to remember is that when you are working on the battery as opposed to AC power, let the battery discharge completely before starting to charge it again. The battery can only withstand a certain thousand number of charge/discharge cycles. It is better to let it charge fully before attempting to use it again using battery power. Charge the laptop as soon as you see the battery getting too low.

This is not quite a necessary for current laptop batteries. Older NiCad batteries could develop "memory" (i.e. you drain it 10% and then recharge and repeat a bunch of times and the battery would only "think" it had the total charge time of 10%), but current laptop batteries do not generally suffer from such issues. As such, using it for a little bit and then re-charging is generally not an issue.

Now, some manufacturer's do suggest that you make sure to full discharge and recharge it every once in a while (like once a month).

[gamemaniac]

Hi,

Usually we do not follow instruction to use laptop battery as a result our laptop battery backup becomes less over time.

I would suggest you to use the battery to the fullest till it shows 10 % power remaining with out dc power. In this way your laptop battery can be used properly and can have long life and backup.

Regards

[RonSWinTeam]

I think you've got a lot of good info here, but the thing to keep in mind is that you need to watch your battery life (both useful life and actual life when you use it off AC) and be sure to take advantage of the warranty from your manufacturer.

Cheers,

[cornmint]

I just do these things below, my laptop-battery have been used about 2 year. It's OK now.


1 The life of lithium battery is related to the times of charging cycles instead of the times of charge. The lithium battery don't have memory effect, thus you can charge it any time.


2 Adjust your LCD screen dim


3 Remove peripherals


4 Make laptop stay a state of cold.


5 Use AC power.


6 Buy a new one~ It's the best way.

[fjlkd]

yoko, on 09 May 2009 - 06:08 PM, said:

What is the best way to give my Lenovo laptop the longest life? I have set it to power saver settings but when it comes to recharging laptop batteries, is it best to keep it plugged it all the time (when I have ac access), access the battery without ac power until battery is almost completely depleted, or occasionally recharge the battery at random intervals (not allowing it to completely drain). I hear so many conflicting solutions, of which I tend to believe that it would be best to keep it plugged in (if ac is accessible) because it runs off ac when plugged in if battery is complelely charged.

I just purchased this computer and after my other three laptops' batteries no longer charge, I just want my new laptop's battery to last.

you can search in google,i think you can get the answer.