Why does the T60p get such poor battery life?

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darrenf · #31 Post by **darrenf** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 1:28 am

Those numbers are reasonably close to what I get. My battery (Sanyo) has a higher full charge capacity (86Wh) but I think that's luck of the draw. I would like to have a figure with WWAN and BT turned off it you have time to run the test. What I'm interested in is the current draw in Amps. Sample it a few times in a row to make sure it's steady. It's also a good idea to use the hard drive within the minute before testing to make sure that it hasn't been parked.

Thanks!

-darren

Teerex · #32 Post by **Teerex** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 4:11 am

Has anyone tried the T60p with 6 cell battery?

Isn't the 9 cell big and clumsy on the machine? Just saw it on the video review.

Rex

pundit · #33 Post by **pundit** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 6:54 am

Teerex wrote:Has anyone tried the T60p with 6 cell battery?

Isn't the 9 cell big and clumsy on the machine? Just saw it on the video review.

Rex

I use the T60p only with the 6-cell. The 9-cell is kinda klunky and awkward. I get 5+ hours on the 9 cell and ~3 on the 6 cell with fairly normal (I am not skimping on anything, apart from probably a 75% bright screen) usage.

Ruger · #34 Post by **Ruger** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 9:49 am

Teerex wrote:Has anyone tried the T60p with 6 cell battery?

Isn't the 9 cell big and clumsy on the machine? Just saw it on the video review.

Rex

The bigger battery sticks out a bit, but it's only an issue in really small spaces like coach on a plane...and if I travel a lot, I'd most likely be looking at an X60, rather than a 15" T60. I have an extended battery on my T42p and it creates a nice handle for carrying my thinkpad around the office.

darrenf · #35 Post by **darrenf** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 12:42 pm

pundit wrote:I use the T60p only with the 6-cell. The 9-cell is kinda klunky and awkward. I get 5+ hours on the 9 cell and ~3 on the 6 cell with fairly normal (I am not skimping on anything, apart from probably a 75% bright screen) usage.

-pundit, What's your model number? -d

pundit · #36 Post by **pundit** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 1:10 pm

darrenf wrote:-pundit, What's your model number? -d

2007-C8U

darrenf · #37 Post by **darrenf** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 1:24 pm

That has the same specs as mine (2007-83U) with a 15" screen and you get better battery life! Still not very good battery life but your screen draws a lot more power than mine.

If you have a minute to run a test, please let your machine idle with the screen at minimum brightness and check the Current draw in Power Manager.

Thanks!

-darren

pundit · #38 Post by **pundit** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 1:27 pm

darrenf wrote:If you have a minute to run a test, please let your machine idle with the screen at minimum brightness and check the Current draw in Power Manager.

I would if I could, but I use Linux and I will look at an equivalent. I have seen commands to list current power usage, but don't know them off hand.

(I am pleased with the battery, so didn't really push the details.)

serpico · #39 Post by **serpico** » Sun May 07, 2006 6:48 am

Darren,
Did you ever get to the bottom of this? Is there anything I can do to reduce the voltage draw of x1400 video when I'm not doing anything graphics/video intensive?

darrenf · #40 Post by **darrenf** » Sun May 07, 2006 10:51 am

I've got nothing so far. Underclocking the GPU didn't make a very big difference. I tried some Microsoft patches related to power management but to no avail. I unplugged the fingerprint reader because I was worried that it might be a USB 2.0 device but that didn't make a change (turns out, I think it's USB 1.1).

I still think the problem is the GPU. It runs pretty hot considering what little work it does in 2D mode. Since underclocking wasn't the fix, I don't know what else I can do.

-darren

MaloventEvil · #41 Post by **MaloventEvil** » Sun May 07, 2006 2:50 pm

i dont know what you're talking about. i have a T60p and when running a 3d accelerated game (WoW) at max settings, it has about 2.5 hours of battery life! when not running a 3d accelerated game (ie photoshop, web browsing, etc, i get over 6 hours.

(i have a 2623DDU)

darrenf · #42 Post by **darrenf** » Sun May 07, 2006 5:50 pm

MaloventEvil wrote:i dont know what you're talking about. i have a T60p and when running a 3d accelerated game (WoW) at max settings, it has about 2.5 hours of battery life! when not running a 3d accelerated game (ie photoshop, web browsing, etc, i get over 6 hours.

(i have a 2623DDU)

Wow! This gives me hope! Let's work through this...

Your processor shouldn't draw less power unless it's maxed because it runs at the same voltage and min multiplier.

Your display draws 60% more power than a non-FlexView comparable 15" *and* it's a larger, brighter display than mine which should require more power to backlight.

Taking that into account along with the fact that you are getting 6 hours, I should be able to get 7-8 if I can figure out what's different about our setups.

Questions:

1.) What screen brightness are you running at? Can you give me the runtime or power usage at minimum brightness?

2.) I'll assume that Bluetooth is off, PowerPlay is on and the processor is on adaptive or low speed when on battery. Correct this if incorrect.

3.) Please check your battery capacity in the Power Manager and let me know what the full charge capacity is.

4.) With your laptop settled down to idle with the screen on minimum brightness but the hard drive spinning, check your current draw in Power Manager. You might want to check it several times over a few minutes to get the lowest reading. Alternatively, if you use Mobile Meter, see what the lowest reported Wattage is.

Thanks!

Is anyone else getting this kind of battery life? I wonder if the yellow buswire patch is related to the difference? (as I get out my soldering iron

).

-darren

christopher_wolf · #43 Post by **christopher_wolf** » Sun May 07, 2006 6:35 pm

darrenf wrote: I wonder if the yellow buswire patch is related to the difference? (as I get out my soldering iron ).

-darren

I seriously doubt that has much of anything to do with the power consumption. You should always know what something does in any complex circuit before getting out the soldering iron.

darrenf · #44 Post by **darrenf** » Sun May 07, 2006 7:25 pm

christopher_wolf wrote:I seriously doubt that has much of anything to do with the power consumption. You should always know what something does in any complex circuit before getting out the soldering iron.

I'm going to stop using imoticons altogether.

-darren

astro · #45 Post by **astro** » Sun May 07, 2006 7:36 pm

darrenf wrote:
christopher_wolf wrote:I seriously doubt that has much of anything to do with the power consumption. You should always know what something does in any complex circuit before getting out the soldering iron.
I'm going to stop using imoticons altogether.

-darren

christopher_wolf · #46 Post by **christopher_wolf** » Sun May 07, 2006 8:10 pm

Hmmm, I think I have a solution for your problems Darren...

First, shut off the system and take out the memory, you have to first "zero" it by rubbing it with a wool cloth; this has been known to clear problematic power schemes residing in the memory...Next, you have to reset the power system, just to make sure, by removing the battery and plugging the AC adapter into a strip, turning on the computer (with the newly zeroed memory), then toggling the switch, rapidly, on the AC strip 35 times in a row; this is like the "hold the button down for 30 seconds" technique that a service tech qould have you try, but this is alot faster.

Post back after that and tell us what happened to your system

*note complete lack of emoticons or imoticons anywhere*

#47 Post by **GomJabbar** » Sun May 07, 2006 8:42 pm

Post back after that and tell us what happened to your system

After all that, I wonder if he will have a system to post back with!

I'll have to admit, I've never seen this solution posted before.

I'm feeling a little verklempt right now.

darrenf · #48 Post by **darrenf** » Sun May 07, 2006 8:52 pm

OK - you convinced me to mend my ways. Emoticons are back.

BTW: Thanks for catching my spelling error. I've become so reliant on a spell checker that I'm in the habit now of just typing something close and waiting for the spell checker to proof my work. Which raises the question - would a UBB-specific spell check dictionary include the word "emotions?"

GomJabbar, for reference:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/10/08 ... pisode_34/

-darren

christopher_wolf · #49 Post by **christopher_wolf** » Sun May 07, 2006 9:44 pm

darrenf wrote: GomJabbar, for reference:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/10/08 ... pisode_34/

-darren

Good job on finding that; oh sooo cloooose, but no DIMM...

You forgot one with the power supply, BOFH Episode #7 if I am not mistaken, and is a pure classic. Appeared on various Usenet postings and such way back when.

After all, nobody ever made a clear distinction between solving the problem *and* getting user feedback...Usually, I just assume that whatever they were told to do worked if I don't hear from them again; besides, why worry about such small details anyway?

darrenf · #50 Post by **darrenf** » Sun May 07, 2006 9:49 pm

And feedback is accepted by e-mail only, right?

-darren

christopher_wolf · #51 Post by **christopher_wolf** » Sun May 07, 2006 10:19 pm

darrenf wrote:And feedback is accepted by e-mail only, right?

-darren

Oh, naturally; as soon as apporiate filtering applications, for organizational purposes you understand...one must be organized to be efficient, are developed for other communications services such as all the various IMs, though...sure.

#52 Post by **GomJabbar** » Sun May 07, 2006 10:26 pm

You guys are over my head.

Why does the T60p get such poor battery life?

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