how to maximize laptop battery overall lifespan?
 

hey all, i just got a new battery for my laptop. i mostly use my laptop at home (plugged in) now. will it extend my battery's overall life if i leave it out of my computer when i'm not using it? or will its charge capacity decrease just as much over time even if i don't routinely discharge and recharge it?

Leaving the battery out will reduce the number of charge cycles, and could increase your battery life. But I haven't run across a laptop that could function without the battery in it, even when on AC power.

What I do is leave mine in, but I have it set to only start charging when the battery level is below 70%. This stops it from charging when it's at 99%, and it doesn't really need it.

Well, my laptop won't work if the battery is not in it, even if it is plugged in to the wall.

my dell d400 works no problems without a battery plugged in. as does gf's samsung, and my old crap Advent lappy...
but to answer your question, i do believe leaving your battery out whenever possible is best, but also try and make sure before charging your battery that it is completely flat. this advice may be stupid wives tales, but i try follow it when ever possible and i still get 3hrs on my dell.

apples will run with no battery...i often do when i'm at a desk. not cycling the battery is about the only way to extend the life.

but frankly, i see battery death as part and parcel of having a laptop. just tells me when it's time to get a new model...

Batteries these days don't care about charge cycles or discharge depth, but they DO like to stay topped up. Everything I've read says, best just to leave the battery in there while plugged in. It won't overcharge or anything.

To maximize the battery, when you get the battery initally charge it to full and keep it plugged in for ~8 hours after it says it's been charged to full. This will ensure that you reach the max capacity of the battery. This isn't much use to people who aleardy have laptops in use.

As for prolonging the battery life, if you pull the battery out when it's plugged into the wall it will stop the charge cycles and help reduce stress on the battery. Also, when running on battery power, try to keep the battery life between 20% and 80% of the max. If you charge the battery to full and discharge it completely on a regular basis it will also put stress on the battery which will eventually decrease the max capacity of the battery.

Lot's of FUD here. I'll try to englightnen with some facts.

Since all batteries today are LiIon, so I'm writing only about them.

1. LiIon batteries should be stored at around 40-50% charge. Notice when you get a new device which has LiIon, it is charged in factory to this amount.

2. LiIon has no memory effect so you don't have to discharge it ever.

3. LiIon has limited amount of charge cycles, which reduces the amount of charge it can hold. I don't remember the value but it's in the low 1000's.

4. Keeping the battery unused at 100% or 0% charge will ruin it over time. Eg. keeping it in the laptop which is always plugged in or keeping it out of computer over 6 months.

So, to maximize your battery life for your office computer is by keeping it 40-50% charged, out of the laptop. Personally, I carry my laptop to home only on weekends, so the battery stays out of machine during the week. 95% of cases I know beforehand if I need the battery so I charge it accordingly. After the gig where I needed the battery I let it charge or discharge while using it in the office to the 40-50% point.

I've used laptops exclusively on my work for the past 5 years and I've never lost more than 15 minutes of usable time on any battery, one of them being in use more than 2 years.

I also ruined my first one when I kept it in office over 6 months plugged in straight 24/7. When I needed it on emergency run to routers, the battery failed after 30 mins. The same happened to all other laptop batteries in the company which were used in this way. Since the batteries are damn expensive, we just had a little talk with all employees and the need for replacement batteries was reduced around 85%.

just my 2 yen.

I've heard alot of arguments on both sides of the great battery debate and have come to the conclusion I no longer care. :P

Most rechargable batteries these days are Lithium Ion and don't have the "memory" problem like the ones used in some of the first laptops, cordless phones, etc. But still, you do wanna be careful when charging. I recommend just doing whatever you feel comfortable with.

thanks for the replies everyone. i left my last battery in all the time, and it died after about two years. maybe this time i'll leave it out unless i'm on the move. i'll update in two years with the results of this (miserably-designed) study ;)

This is a bit after the fact, but I have a laptop at work that runs completely without the battery. The LCD was cracked and made it useless as a laptop, but it now has a happy place as a desktop replacement (without the battery as the battery was put in a functioning laptop with a bad battery).
Hopefully when the battery on my work laptop dies I will be able to get a shiny new laptop and let my trusty laptop live out it's days as a desktop replacement with a monitor, keyboard and mouse attached.

My thinkpad runs fine without a battery... I'm doing it right now... :)