Recently we published a post on buying a laptop or desktop computer. The primary reason you would consider buying a laptop is for its portability.
Sure, a laptop could be plugged in all the time… but if that were the case, you really would get more value from buying a desktop computer.
Of course, the downside to portability is that laptops run on a battery with a limited amount of power.
If you are looking to extend laptop battery life, here are nine tips that ought to do the trick.
1. Enable Power Saving Mode
Most laptops are designed with some sort of power saving function. By enabling it, your system will instantaneously trade off some its power in exchange for preserving the life of your battery.
2. Disable Unused Features
You can extend battery life by disabling features you are not currently using. A few examples include:
- Devices connected by USB
- External hard drives
- WiFi and Bluetooth
Any time a hardware component is in use, it kills your battery faster.
3. Decrease Brightness & Volume
Extend laptop battery life by diminishing the brightness of your screen. Most laptops are designed with hot keys to do this. After all, the display on your laptop drains the battery rather quickly at full brightness.
You may also wish to consider muting the volume. Playing sounds through your laptop speakers will also cause your battery life to drain faster.
4. Close Programs
If you are not currently using a program, close it. Be sure to fully shut it down through the Task Manager.
Take a peek at the programs loaded in your System Tray, as well. Those minimized programs may be draining a lot of system resources on the back end. As a result, your laptop battery dies faster.
5. Do One Thing at a Time
Sure, you might like having a dozen browser tabs open, working in Excel, streaming live music, all while uploading a new video to YouTube… but the reality is that multitasking drains your battery exponentially faster than doing one activity at a time.
If you really want to extend your laptop battery life, only use it to complete the most important task you need done now.
6. Clean Your Battery
If you have a laptop with a removable battery, odds are that dust and debris collect in its enclosure. Every so often, take the battery out to wipe it down with a dry cloth. It is a good idea to clean the contacts while you are at it.
7. Store Your Laptop in a Cool Environment
Heat can permanently weaken the charge your battery is able to hold. Clean the laptop fan regularly so that it can keep your machine cool, and be sure to store your laptop somewhere away from excessive heat.
8. Let Your Battery Die
Every so often, let your laptop battery completely die, and then give it a full charge with the power left off. This has been shown to extend laptop battery life.
9. Contact a Professional
After following the strategies list here, do you still find that your laptop battery dies faster than it should?
Are you considering purchasing a second battery for emergencies?
Would you be open to upgrading some of your hardware components to improve the overall efficiency – and battery life – of your laptop?
If so, contact our team at Target PC Repair. We have years of experience solving laptop battery issues in the Cleveland area.