Should I keep my Alienware plugged in?

I have Alienware 17 R4.
Hey can you tell me if I can put my laptop plugged in at all times or not?
Will it have any affect on battery wear level.
Also can I keep my laptop on for longer period of time? Because I want to download games.
Will these things have any affect on wear level.

 

you should ask here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/officialy-alienwares-stupid-questions.804652/#post-10526596

 

No, you don't need to worry about it

 

Thank you!

 

Leave mine plugged in almost 24/7 with occasional battery usage. Battery wear level is still at 0% after almost two months.

 

My battery wear level is 8% after 5 months use and I used to keep mine always plugged in, is it normal? Or should I contact Dell .

 

I would think if your not using the battery a lot then that much battery wear wouldn't be good but I don't know what Alienware considers normal wear. I am seeing a lot of posts from people who report battery wear right out of the box so I don't know if it is a manufacturing issue or what. I think the battery's are only covered for the first year, even if you have a 3 or 4 year warranty so you might want to look into it in case it continues to get worse.

 

Hi, I have been plugging my laptop 27/4 and I am using the desktop mode battery charge. Enable it so that after a period of time it will discharge your battery to 75% and then will only use your PSU. Hope this helps.

 

You have this on an R4? It was my understanding that was no longer an option. Lots of people don't have that option on their R4's.

 

Battery west happens over time even if you don't unplug it and use battery occasionally. The 17's especially overclocked tend to drain the battery even when plugged in.

 

I have the 17 r3.. Sorry I assumed that the r3 and the r4 have the desktop mode battery charge.. If the r4 doesnt have the desktop mode battery charge, I would suggest just to keep it plugged in as long as you disable express charging in bios. Hope this helps.

 

The battery will wear down even if you aren't using it. The only way to prevent that is to take it off the machine. Of course that means that in the event of a power-out you will be in trouble but to get around that I advise buying an UPS because not only will it save your PC if the power goes out but it will also save your peripherals. They are cheaper than ever now. For example, my Eaton 1200 cost me less than an Alienware battery.

Another thing to consider is that Dell have a nasty habit of ceasing battery production for any model once it is 5 years old. Just ask any M17x R1 or R2 owner! So, while your battery is still available it may be worth considering investing in a 2nd one.

 

This is very true.. But the sad reality is that laptop manufacturers are leading to BGA products which means by the time your laptop is 5 yrs old or made 3 yrs old depending on what games you are playing, by then you will be replacing it..

 

In my opinion you should just use your battery. After 5 years my M18X r2 is at 15% battery wear and I still use that machine every day. What are you going to do? Pull the battery out of storage 5 years later and then start using it? Opportunity cost.

I guess if you have absolutely no intention of ever using your battery ever then maybe removing the battery is something to consider. A UPS keeps the computer on for a shorter duration than the built-in battery because the extra conversion necessary for your AC adapter is very inefficient. UPS is designed for give you enough time to save your stuff and shut down your machine. Your battery was designed to actually run your PC. Why not just use both your battery AND a UPS? That way you get up to 15 minutes of maximum performance until the UPS is drained then it will fall over to battery giving you a few hours of web browsing.

 

omg just checked and my 15 r3 is already at 19.1

 

That's warranty worthy isn't the 15 r3 less than 1 year old to date?

 

yea i got it in december

 

Okay well I know a few incantations that might take a percent or two off battery wear but to be honest its easier to get warranty. In this particular case the spell isn't worth your firstborn's life if you still got warranty.

 

ok i will try next week and see what they will tell me

 

they told me that i wont get a new cos this can happen and depends on usage