Laptop Battery

[Deleted User]

Hi guys! I've just purchased a new HP laptop, so how should I use it in order to maximise its battery life? Should I always leave it plugged in when I'm at home to a power point? How often should I let the battery run low? Thanks!

[Greatness]

I normally just use the laptop with the battery when im just browsing the net, doing work etc and almost always let the battery drain to critical then recharge. If i'm doing something that requires higher performance ill plug in the power and remove the battery so it runs like a pc, bad thing about this is if the power goes out or you walk through the charger or something and it cuts off the power. But usually works fine for me.
If you're plugging the power into your laptop with the battery in all the time i.e. the battery is at 100% with the power in then the battery life will decrease over time.

[lexitu]

If you're plugging the power into your laptop with the battery in all the time i.e. the battery is at 100% with the power in then the battery life will decrease over time.

If your laptop is good it should automatically release charge and recharge while it's plugged in; not sure of HPs do this.

[rife168]

If your laptop is relatively new then I would assume it has a Lithium-Ion battery as opposed to the older Nickel-Cadmium batteries.
The NiCd batteries have what is known as the 'memory effect' which is where the notion of fully charging and discharging batteries comes from.
This is actually one of the worst things you can do to a Li-Ion battery. Full discharges put a lot of strain on the battery, and it's much better to do shallow discharges to no lower than 20 percent.

Have a look at this website for more info.

[inc0gnito]

I've also recently bought a HP, HP mini beats edition to be exact. Those things can run out of life really quickly.

[Deleted User]

Wait, so should I always leave my laptop plugged in when I'm at home, or should I use the battery and let it run down to 20%, then charge it?

[rife168]

Well ideally for a Li-Ion battery you keep it within the range from about 20%-80%, avoid heat, don't keep your laptop plugged in for too long and keep the discharges shallow.

But in the real world that's a bit hard...
I'd say the best thing you can do is to avoid full discharges (100%-0%) and take your battery out at about 80% if you know your laptop is going to be plugged in for more than say 2-3 days straight.

Also,  I recommend you do a bit of research specific to your own laptop, there are plenty of websites and IT-specific forums that would know more than I do about this..

[iamtom]

When you first get it, charge it fully.

Unplug it when it hits 100%.
Use it down to 10-15%. Plug it back in.

Rinse and repeat.

[inc0gnito]

If I'm not happy with my netbook's battery life, can I buy another battery for it that may last longer ?

[rife168]

If I'm not happy with my netbook's battery life, can I buy another battery for it that may last longer ?

Yeah sure, you could try the website for the manufacturer of your netbook or even eBay or some other discount online retail site for a better price.

[iamtom]

If I'm not happy with my netbook's battery life, can I buy another battery for it that may last longer ?

If you can find one, yes.

[Deleted User]

When you first get it, charge it fully.

Unplug it when it hits 100%.
Use it down to 10-15%. Plug it back in.

Rinse and repeat.

When I plug it back in, do I charge it to 100%? Also, when my laptop is not plugged in and I'm watching movies, the battery drains really quickly, so should I avoid playing games and watching movies when my laptop isn't plugged in?

[rife168]

When you first get it, charge it fully.

Unplug it when it hits 100%.
Use it down to 10-15%. Plug it back in.

Rinse and repeat.

When I plug it back in, do I charge it to 100%? Also, when my laptop is not plugged in and I'm watching movies, the battery drains really quickly, so should I avoid playing games and watching movies when my laptop isn't plugged in?

Charging up to 100% is fine, but preferably if you aren't going to use your battery for a while then you should keep it at like ~80%. (By a while I mean like a week)

Yeah plug it in if you have a choice. Also if you are playing games or watching movies make sure there is some airflow so the laptop doesn't overheat because that's bad for Li-Ion batteries and also not that great for your laptop in general.

[inc0gnito]

If I'm not happy with my netbook's battery life, can I buy another battery for it that may last longer ?

Yeah sure, you could try the website for the manufacturer of your netbook or even eBay or some other discount online retail site for a better price.

Sounds good. Bit of a stupid question, but how can I check what battery type I have ?

Also, could I buy the battery of another netbook either than the model of mine ?

Edit: I've got the hp pavilion dm1 beats edition.

[rife168]

If I'm not happy with my netbook's battery life, can I buy another battery for it that may last longer ?

Yeah sure, you could try the website for the manufacturer of your netbook or even eBay or some other discount online retail site for a better price.

Sounds good. Bit of a stupid question, but how can I check what battery type I have ?

Also, could I buy the battery of another netbook either than the model of mine ?

Edit: I've got the hp pavilion dm1 beats edition.

If you can give me the exact model number then I should be able to direct you to the appropriate battery. The model number may be on a sticker on the base of your laptop or I think you may be able to find it in System Information (Just open start menu and search 'system information')

I just found this link which can help you determine which replacement battery you need. Once you know that, just locate it on the HP online store or have a look at some other retailer. Look around for the best price.