Tuesday, October 18, 2011

5 ways to save your Laptop Battery




Maximize Per-Usage Life in Laptop Batteries:

All laptop users face the challenge of maximizing per-usage battery life. Our goal is to get all we need out of a single charge. Nobody wants to carry additional laptop batteries or stop what they’re doing just to recharge. If we knew what to do, most of us would do it. The problem, however, is that there’s a great deal of misinformation out there. So in this article, we’ll help by examining the five most important ways to extend life in your laptop batteries.

Screen Brightness:

Screen brightness is a top juice draw, and most users have their brightness turned too high. The reason for that is that the manufacturers and retailers jack up the brightness to make them more attractive on display. But you don’t need it that high, and chances are it’s contributing to your eyestrain. By turning brightness down to the minimum usable level, you can make yourself more comfortable and extend the per-usage life of your laptop batteries.

Use It Or Lose It:

A big mistake that many laptop users make is that they leave their laptop plugged in while the battery is connected. This causes a constant drain-charge cycle that slowly decreases the capacity of laptop batteries. Instead, remove the battery from the laptop when connecting it to a wall outlet, or only connect it to the wall outlet when it requires a charge; the latter is an excellent way to maintain long-term battery health.

Beat The Heat:

Heat diminishes available power in two ways: It causes power to drain less efficiently, and it forces the fans to run more and at higher speeds. Manage this by keeping vents clear and clean. Watch for obstructions, such as laps and seating, and consider a laptop cooler, which can often cool your laptop more efficiently than the fans alone.

Beware Of Accessories:

Attaching, including charging, accessories via USB is a great and inefficient draw of power on laptop batteries. Never charge your cell phone via your laptop unless it is an emergency. Likewise, avoid using external drives and similar accessories whenever possible. Instead, wait to use them until you have an electric outlet available.

Keep It Dry:

Using our laptops on the go, accidents are bound to happen. At some point, you will spill coffee or some other liquid. When a spill happens, go the extra mile to dry it. If it’s a substantial spill, even if there’s no apparent effect, take it for repair. Spills often cause corrosion on contacts, and although that corrosion may not prevent the laptop from operating, it will cause power usage to be inefficient, and over time, that inefficiency can be significant.




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