How to increase the life of a laptop's battery

Laptop battery longevity is important to users who are constantly on the move. It constantly frustrates us when a newly purchased laptop suffers a huge drop in battery performance after several months. Whilst there have been significant improvement to technologies like lithium ion batteries, we still face problems of rapid deterioration in laptop battery performance. As we wait for better solutions to emerge, here are 7 smart tips we can follow to prolong the battery life of our laptops.

Tip 1: Do not Overcharge

You should remove the power source once it is fully charged. Do not leave the battery charged for long periods of time as it might leave a burn charge' into the battery memory.

Tip 2: Discharge Frequently

Practice deep-discharging the battery every couple of weeks for optimum performance. Deep discharge occurs when your notebook is used on battery power until the charge is at 0% after which the system will automatically go into hibernation. After deep discharging, attach the AC adapter and charge to 100%. Partial charge or discharge causes a lack of uniformity of activated chemicals in the battery cell, and it may cause performance degradation over the long run.

Tip 3: Practice Cooling

Laptops are prone to overheating and hence fans are installed to remove access heat. Purchase laptop stands or place a book under your laptop to tilt it at an angle. This is so that it will cool faster without the need of powering the fan to cool the system.

Tip 4: Reduce Brightness

In a dark room, reduce the brightness of the screen to the minimal readable level where you are comfortable reading on the screen. Notebooks have keyboard buttons that allow you to do this easily.

Tip 5: Rest your Notebook

Put your computer to sleep or standby mode whenever you are not actively using it.

Tip 6: Remove Power-Hungry Peripherals

Remove peripherals when not in use. External hard drives, CD-ROMs, zip drives, modems, and other peripheral devices can draw a lot of power from your battery even when they are not in active use. Disconnect them when you have finished using them.

Tip 7: Reduce Processor Speeds

Reduce the speed of your processor. The faster your computer works, the quicker it uses up the supply of power. By cutting down on processor speed, you can extend the charge of your battery. Methods to reduce processor speed vary from model to model, but your manual should provide instructions for doing so.

By : Paul Immanuel.