Should I do anything when i first get my m14x to maximise battery life (power drain etc.)?

Hi

I've heard that you should "power cycle" the battery of a new laptop before using it i.e. drain it and charge it to full then repeat.

I usually don't bother with it too much as i figure its of little importance in modern laptops. However, when i was setting up my sisters brand new Acer a couple of weeks ago, i noticed it came with a separate sheet on the keyboard sheet highly recommending that I drain the laptop fully (turn off hibernation) then recharge it fully and repeat this 3 times to maximise battery life.

Would doing this before i start using my m14x help extend the battery life? And should i start by draining it right away or charging it up before the first drain?

Thanks in advance!

 

Hello Laz! It's a great idea to power cycle your battery from the beginning. To start, fully charge it. Then let it drain all the way down to where it is shutting off. Then all the way back up to full. Do this at least 3 times and you will get the most out of the batter life. Also try not to put it to charge after taking it off for only a few minutes. That can cause the battery to have a shorter life overall.

Here's an article for the Alienware computer Battery FAQ's; it will also give you some extra info about battery life. Hope you find it usefull.

 

Thanks Alex that was exactly the answer I was looking for and more. Just one question what did u mean u mean by this part?

Thanks again

 

I meant do not disconnect your system only for a few minutes and then plug it back in; that can decrease the battery life.
I'm glad you found all this information useful if you have any other questions about your M14X just let me know

 

Awesome. Thanks mate! +rep

 

I have a question.

I'm not much of a computer wizard, so sorry if this may be basic knowledge, BUT, if I'm using my computer for playing games or studying, should I then have the power plugged in at all time, or should I leave it out, and only plug it in whenever the battery is getting low?

And how about having the power plugged in at night, while the computer is fully charged, yet shut off, or in sleep mode?

 

So just for clarification, about how long after i disconnect it should i wait before reconnecting it again? 10 mins, 30 mins, an hour/s?

If you go to the site Alex gave a link to before ( Alienware computer Battery FAQ's), it explains it. Basically if your laptop is plugged in and fully charged then you should press [FN] + [F2] to turn off charging (if your laptop is compatible) so that it runs directly from the plug. Not sure about at night or in sleep mode though...

 

Ahh, yeah. How could I forget, I just read it 5 minutes before I posted - I suppose my brain weren't plugged in

But yeah, what should be done when the computer is fully charged and turned off, or in sleep mode?

 

somehow FN+F2 does not turn off charging for me. It just opens up alien command center?

anyone have any idea why?

 

Same here, m14x r2, ACC version 2.7.28.0

 

Same here, as well. I tried this yesterday and it just pulls up the Alienware Command Center.

 

If the system is off, or in sleep mode there’s no problem to leave it plugged in overnight since the battery will stop charging as soon as it reaches the 100%

It's recomendable to plug it back in at the moment the battery goes down to about 60%.

I'm sorry the article is a little out dated in regards to the <Fn><F2> functionality. I am going to have our team update that. In the older system the <Fn><F2> enabled/disabled the battery; but on this new systems it automatically stops charging at the moment the 100% charge is reached. You can check your manual in the interim if you have any questions.


I hope this answers all your questions; just let me know.

 

So for the new releases, in other words Alex, we don't have to do anything? It will power drain and run from the power cable itself?

Or am I misunderstanding, and it'll run from the power cable itself with a fully charged battery but for instance when I get my M14 I'll still have to drain it to say 1%, charge it, pull the plug out, charge it, pull the plug out, drain it, charge, and then leave the charger in and it'll automatically run from the powerpoint as opposed to dancing with the battery?

 

Cleared up everything - thanks again mate

U still have to power drain it when u get it but it's not neccessary to manually turn off charging when it's at 100% and plugged in because it will automatically do so. Same goes with when it's off or sleeping - it will automatically switch off charging when it's full.

So all u have to do is power drain x3 when u get it then just make sure that when u disconnect the charger u avoid reconnecting it again until the battery is down to 60%. Hope this clears it up for you and everyone else that stumbles upon this thread with similar questions

 

Thnkz for the info