If you have every used a laptop for prolonged periods, you will often grapple with the question; should I leave the laptop plugged in all the time?
Well, the answer is not as simple as you think as there are different laptop battery types. But let’s begin with general ways to care for the battery.
Care for charge-discharge cycles
A battery has a finite number of times it can be charged and discharged before it gives in. Fully discharging and then charging a battery ruins in because it increases in charge cycle and thus, decreasing the number of times the battery works. Instead, charge your battery often as soon as it hits 50% or thereabout. From 50% to 100% counts as ½ a cycle. Thus, this increases the number of cycles the battery can take.
Heat
High temperatures of over 30 degrees Celsius, shortens a battery’s life cycle regardless of the other factors. Thus, leaving your laptop in your car, for example, during the hot months, is a bad idea and will ruin it.
But it doesn’t have to be environmental. High-intensive activities such as gaming or video-editing increases the laptops heat levels and ruins your battery. In this instance, you can invest in a laptop fan to decrease the temperature and help the battery last longer. Don’t place the laptop on a pillow as this only traps the heat and increases the heat further.
So, back to the question at the start, should you keep the laptop plugged in at all times?
Well, it depends. Some brands such as Asus, call for you to drain the laptop to at least 50% every two weeks. Dell, on their part, have no problem with you keeping the laptop plugged in at all times.
However, only using the laptop when plugged in, you will find that it drains much quicker when unplugged. Therefore, find a compromise between the two. Keep it plugged in on some days, and use it on battery power on others. And as you do that, ensure it is cool at all times, as heat can render your other actions moot.
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