Life is grand with a new laptop…
Everything runs smoothly and the battery seems to last forever. Then overtime, you notice you need to keep your charger plugged in more and more just to make sure you don’t run out of juice. Or even worse, one day it doesn’t even turn on! WTH?!??
What happened? Is there something I did to cause the battery to die? Is there something I could have done to prevent this [issue]? Many times, these are the types of questions we get when people bring their laptop in because of a battery issue.
If you search the internet you will find lots of articles with various responses. Even the laptop manufactures have put out their own articles about best practices. After reading several different articles, we found a few tips that popped up most often and to save you a lot of time, here is a summation of what we found.
Unplug once you reach 100% charge
It’s not that keeping your laptop plugged in will ruin or damage your battery, but studies have shown that keeping your battery 100% charged all the time will actually shorten the battery life. Interestingly, some laptop manufactures actually have a built-in feature to prevent a battery from being charged to 100%. The studies go so far as to say batteries which are kept at 60% – 80% charge, have the best projected longest life. One myth to bust: A battery cannot be overcharged. Once it reaches 100%, it stops charging and won’t charge again until the voltage falls below a certain level.
Keep it cool
Besides liquids that don’t mix well with electronics, excessive heat is no friend to your computer or its battery either. Operating a laptop in conditions that exceed 86° F for extended periods of time has shown to have significantly shortened the life of a battery. “Extended periods of time” – what does that mean? Think of it like smoking – one cigarette is unlikely to have a prolonged impact on your health. But the more you do it, the greater the probability of shortening your life-span. They even say that leaving your computer in a hot car can negatively impact your laptop battery. But seriously, who would leave their laptop in their car so it can be stolen?
What about the heat generated by the laptop itself? Great question. Yes the laptop itself generates a lot of heat – well over 100°F – but that heat is quickly dissipated with the CPU and GPU fans. You may feel the heat, and so long as those fans are working and the vents are not blocked, it keeps the heat away from the battery as designed.
Operate On a hard Surface
Did you catch that last tip? Make sure you operate your laptop on a solid surface and make sure the vents are free and clear. Do not operate your laptop on a pillow, on your lap in bed, or on a carpeted floor. Hard [non-porous-like] surface only, please.
So there you have it. Those are our basic tips for good laptop battery helath. If you have additional questions or comment please contact us and we will be happy to address them.
Sincerely your friends at,