What Causes Laptop Battery to Die Quickly? Solutions Provided

A common concern amongst laptop users is how to keep their batteries healthy for as long as possible. Here we discuss the factors that cause a laptop’s battery to die and what you can do to maximize your battery life.

External Devices:

All mobile devices such as laptops, smartphones, and tablets rely on rechargeable batteries that get drained quicker if you use them while they are connected to mains power. Battery life is relatively short, especially in the case of laptop batteries. Once your battery starts getting depleted at a faster rate than before, it is an indication of degradation, and you need to take measures to increase its life.

Battery Degradation:

Batteries are made up of Lithium-ion cells, which consist of two electrodes – cathode and anode. These batteries have a lifespan that can be enhanced if charged correctly. However, the main thing is the material used in these cells, which determines their quality and endurance. For instance, lithium-ion batteries offer a higher capacity and last longer, but nickel-based batteries are more durable.

Batteries installed in laptops have a lifespan of one to three years, depending on their usage. In some cases, you might need to replace your battery after 18 months of purchase, especially if you use it on mains power most of the time.

Amandla eBhettery:

When you charge a battery to 100% and then use it until it is fully drained, the charge cycle decreases slightly. This shows that batteries lose capacity even when they are not in use. A battery will start deteriorating rapidly if your laptop batteries are charged to full capacity most of the time, and this reduces its life.

Laptop CPUs are built to supply peak power for short durations, so it’s ideal to have your CPU sleep when idle. A CPU working at full capacity reduces battery life because it generates heat that requires the fan to work harder. Hard disk activity is another factor that affects laptop battery life since most HDD contain moving parts that drain more power.

If you use your laptop extensively, then leave it plugged in when it is not being used. Investing in a larger battery will also help increase its lifespan since many laptop manufacturers sell models that have an integrated battery that cannot be replaced.

Full Brightness:

LCD screens are one of the biggest battery draining components in laptops, so it is best to keep them at optimal brightness levels. A brighter screen reduces laptop battery life because the backlight requires more power than any other component in your laptop.

Many Programs Running on Your Laptop:

Using your laptop when it has multiple applications running reduces its battery life since all these applications consume power. If you are surfing the Web, then close all other browser windows to conserve power. If you are watching a YouTube video in another tab, then maximize the current window to avoid playing both videos at the same time.

How to Increase Your Laptop’s Battery Life?

1. Decrease Screen Brightness

2. Turn off WiFi when not in use

3. Disable Unused Connections (Bluetooth, Modem)

4. Use the laptop on mains power whenever possible

5. Avoid using DVD/CD-ROMs

6. Don’t leave the laptop in sleep or standby mode

7. Shut down your laptop instead of putting it to sleep or hibernation

8. Kuphephe ukwenza izinto ezininzi

9. Use the laptop’s power management options instead of changing Windows power settings

10. Stop programs from running in the background by closing them through Task Manager

11. Delete any device drivers that are not essential for your laptop

12. Update your BIOS and drivers regularly

13. Turn off the modem when you are not using it; this reduces power usage by around 15-25%

14. Use compressed air to clean dust out of the cooling vents on the back of your laptop

15. Change settings in Power Option > Hibernate after: Never

16. Change settings in Power Option > Sleep after: Never

17. Remove the battery when plugged into the mains power for an extended period of time

Isiphelo:

The aim is to prolong your battery life by draining its capacity less frequently. When you’re not using your laptop, switch it off instead of just putting it in sleep mode since this consumes more power than when the system is fully shut down. It’s also important that you charge and discharge your battery properly to make sure that it will serve you for as long as possible. Replacing your battery or upgrading its capacity is an option, but this will depend on the laptop model you’re using and whether it contains a user-accessible battery that can easily be replaced.