To mains on laptop, or not?

Aura

I use my laptop whilst connected to the mains, and unplug it when finished. Can you tell me if it is a good idea to run it on the mains when in use, or should I just run it off battery until it needs charging?

J_B

I'm sure you will get many conflicting answers.

What I do ....
Bed time = laptop off and unplug charger

Awakening time = laptop on, then after the battery is nearly flat, I plug the charger in and leave it in all day (unless I need to be mobile with it)

I'm sure I'm wrong!!!

tonyh66

if you want to keep the battery in good order, run it on the battery til it needs charging. The battery needs to go through the discharge/charge cycle to remain healthy. Running on the mains all the time kills batteries.

Aura

Bed time = laptop off and unplug charger

That's what I'll do. From now on I'll unplug and charge it up when it only has an hour left. Is it normal for the charger plug to get hot?

cookie365

http://blogs.which.co.uk/technology/laptops-2/top-5-laptop-battery-myths-which-did-you-believe/

tonyh66

charger block gets quite warm, plug should not get hot or even warm.

hans_2

Aura wrote: »

That's what I'll do. From now on I'll unplug and charge it up when it only has an hour left. Is it normal for the charger plug to get hot?

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/70012973#Comment_70012973

fwor

tonyh66 wrote: »

if you want to keep the battery in good order, run it on the battery til it needs charging. The battery needs to go through the discharge/charge cycle to remain healthy. Running on the mains all the time kills batteries.

It's surprising how many people believe this to be true, even though in actual fact, with modern Lithium ion based batteries, all it does is wear the battery out prematurely. The last battery type to need that sort of treatment was NiCad, and they have not been widely used for more than a decade.

Run it on the mains unless you ~need~ portability, as every discharge/recharge cycle causes the battery to deteriorate slightly. The laptop will probably (depending on your power saving settings) run faster on mains than on battery, so you will get better performance too.

londonTiger

whether you baby the laptop or abuse it, it doesn't matter it will probably need to be replaced after 3 years. Most genuine batteries will have safety protection and management chips in place so they preserve the battery life.

Just use it how it pleases you,.

J_B

J_B wrote: »

I'm sure you will get many conflicting answers.

Told you so ....

I've had my Acer 5741Z for 4½years now - still has original battery, which still lasts about an hour off the charger.

londonTiger

J_B wrote: »

Told you so ....

I've had my Acer 5741Z for 4½years now - still has original battery, which still lasts about an hour off the charger.

An entire hour!! OMG