Battery Question - Always plugged in... what to do?

[rxblitzrx]

Hi Everyone,

I've heard that if you constantly leave your laptop plugged in and your battery is at 100% all the time, it can actually kill it faster than if you were to drain it periodically.

If I leave my laptop on 24/7 at home, should I leave the battery connected to the laptop??


I have a T61.

[ryengineer]

This forum is full of many discussions of all sorts and battery can be one of the most talked about:

Leaving the laptop battery when using the battery charger.

[joester]

There are several things you can do...
You could unplug the battery and only charge it when you intend to use it. If you select this option, you should discharge it to around 40% from what I've read. I also read that sealing it in a ziplock bag and keeping it in the fridge helps, but no battery currently resides in mine.
You could change the charging settings to a lower "complete" charge. I read somewhere that a max of 90% is OK, but a T6x owner would better be able to answer that.
You could do what i do, and that's to use the battery and WIFI for a while, relaxing in the Lazyboy recliner, lounging by the pool, while having a cup in the morning, whenever you have about an hour to use the laptop on battery. Then let it charge.

I remove the battery when I know I'm leaving it plugged in, but that's not too often, since mine shuts down or is suspended every night. Even at idle, those bricks use power, and I'm in the green mode.

Joe

[rxblitzrx]

Thanks to both. Sorry for not taking initiative and doing a search on this issue.

[mixz1]

On my T 61p, and I assume others, if you double-click on the green "power meter" you'll bring up the Power Manager panel. Click on the Battery Information tab and then select Battery Maintenance. You'll see a choice for optimizing battery life. This is designed for users who leave their machines plugged in most of the time. Read the explanation at the top of that panel.

After you've selected this scheme you'll note that your battery's charge level will fluctuate between 95% and 100%. According to Lenovo, keeping the battery slightly below full maximizes the battery's life. They also recommend a periodic "reset" of the battery guage, using the tool on that panel.

[rxblitzrx]

I think I need to reinstall the "Power Management" app because I'm not seeing any options for battery maintenance.

Thanks for the info!

[mixz1]

I think I need to reinstall the "Power Management" app because I'm not seeing any options for battery maintenance.

Thanks for the info!

You're welcome. If you use Thinkvantage System Update, a new version of Power Management was delivered today.