Tips to take care of the laptop battery and last as long as possible

So you should take care of the laptop battery to last as long as possible. From how and when to load it up to what temperature to keep it.

The battery is the component we know least about our computers. But if there is something, we know well it is that it wears a lot with use. Over time, a laptop’s battery lasts less and less until it ends up becoming unusable

Fortunately, we also know some practices that can stop this deterioration process quite a bit. Around this subject, there are many myths, so it is not a good idea to believe the first thing they tell you. These are the best ways to take care of your laptop’s battery.

How and when to charge the battery

In this regard, there are tips of all kinds. From leaving it always charging to charging it only when it reaches 0%. The truth is that neither is a good idea. The lack of use of the battery that leads to leaving it always charging accelerates the wear process because electrons need to move freely.

On the other hand, continuously imposing complete cycles is an even worse idea. Most batteries have a lifespan of at most 600 complete cycles, and discharging and charging it completely you probably do a daily cycle

It is best to let it download up to 40% once or twice a week. If you use the laptop at home frequently, apply that download when appropriate and the rest of the time, if you can, remove the battery and power the computer directly from the power.

Finally, if you are going to be a long period (of a month or more), without using the laptop, leave the battery charged at 50%. A load that is too high or too low for a long period without activity can be a problem.

Take care of the battery: maintenance to avoid degradation

The most important thing when considering good maintenance for your battery is the temperature. Anything extreme is dangerous, but especially the heat. Temperatures above 40º should be avoided at all costs and, if possible, also those below 0º. Normally, the environment of a house does not involve any risk.

However, keep in mind that the battery may get too hot even if the ambient temperature is not too high. Obstructing the operation of the fans by using the computer on your legs or leaving it on the sofa is an obstacle to the operation of the fans, and this, in turn, implies fatal heating for the battery.

If your laptop’s battery can be removed, be sure to remove it three or four times a year and clean the magnetic connector that connects the battery to the computer with some liquid with some alcohol. This way, you will make sure you have the most efficient power transmission possible.

Reduce consumption

In the end, this is the most important advice. Although giving it some periodical use is important, everything that exceeds that, in the end, is wearing down the battery. So, while giving your small weekly download up to 40%, try to reduce consumption as much as possible.

Reducing consumption will help you increase battery life on a specific day, but you will also be extending battery life over the long term. The best ways to reduce consumption are to deactivate the connections that you do not use, not to raise the brightness above what is necessary and to activate the energy-saving mode that includes both Windows and Mac.

In Windows, you can activate the mode directly from the notification panel. On Mac, you should go to System Preferences> Energy Saver and there choose which computer activity you want to disable to reduce power consumption

If you have a Mac, Apple itself has a section on its website with tips, general recommendations, and good practices to take care of the batteries of its different devices.

If you carry out these practices, your battery will take much longer to lose its capacity, but nothing lasts forever. This helps a lot, but sooner or later the batteries end up worn out by pure use, and we can’t help it.

Sebastian

Sebastian was born and raised in the busy city of Abbottabad. As a journalist, Saad Mushtaq has contributed to many online publications including the PAK Today and the Huffing Post. In regards to academics, Saad Mushtaq earned a degree in business from the Abbottabad UST, Havelian. Saad Mushtaq follows the money and covers all aspects of emerging tech here at The Hear Up.Thanks