First Laptop, Have Questions.

First of all I apologize if this is in the wrong section. So I just bought my first laptop today. Here is a link to it Micro Center - ASUS K53SV-XR1 Laptop Computer - Mocha K53SV-XR1.. The manufacture page ASUSTeK Computer Inc. - Notebooks- ASUS K53SV
Now I have some questions about laptops in general since this is my first one.

a) What things do I need to do to take care of the battery? Like is is okay to leave it in while the laptop is plugged into the wall? Do I need to do a full discharge and charge every 30 cycles? Is there any software/program that helps me with the care of my battery(tells me degredation, etc.)

b) What is a normal temperature for cpu's and gpu's in a laptop? I havn't checked the temp of the gpu in mine at all yet, but on the desktop the cpu in mine sits at around 47-50C per core. Is this too hot? Or is this normal? What is a recommended maximum temp for the i7-2630m?

c) Is there anything else I need to know about taking care of my laptop and making sure it lasts?

 

a) The way to take care of batteries is kind of a controversial subject. If you are going to leave it plugged in 24/7 for months, then keep it at 40-60% charge and store it sealed in bag in a cool place. Personally, i tend to remove the battery on my G73 when i plug it in but it's not something needed, the ACPI should prevent it from overcharging. HWiNFO and HWmonitor cna give you an indication of battery wear.

b) Ideally, your 2630qm won't go over 75C under full load for extended periods, lower is better of course. The temperature at which is starts to throttle is 100C so anything under that is technically fine, but i'd consider hitting 90C a warning sign that the laptop is running hot.

c) Don't put the laptop on the bedsheets/couch or anything else that will prevent proper airflow. Make sure to dust it every couple of months too.

 

I agree with pretty much everything that tijo said.

For me, every time I am permanently connected to a wall socket, battery is out, but due to the nature of my laptop my battery is more of a ups than a battery in the conventional sense.

However, CPUID hardware monitor, is, a nice little tool.

If said motherboard in laptop supports all sensors, then it will/should display cpu, gpu, hdd and battery degradation.

How accurate this is, is down to interpretation and a pinch of salt. But in my opinion, it is pretty good.

As far as cycles of charging for batteries, there are people who lurk these forums with a more expert opinion based on trial and error.

Ooh and dust is a bugger for getting in fans, no matter how clean your location is.

Hope this helps a little.

 

Leave the battery IN. No reason to remove it, at all. You will gain little by removing it because it will lose charge over time whether plugged in or removed. The biggest killer of batteries is ironically, discharging and recharging, which is what they're there for. Plus that machine with an i7-2630QM and GT 540m won't (or shouldn't) run very hot so no need for concern for heat. You can discharge / recharge every couple months if it's plugged in a lot just to recalibrate it. But not necessary, because it only calibrates the power remaining, won't help the laptop get more power or anything.

Just clean out your vents periodically (once a month?) with blasts of compressed air to get all the dust out of there.

Otherwise, just enjoy the laptop and use it.

 

Thanks for all the suggestions guys! Guess I will keep the battery in then. Have any of you had experience with this program or would you recommend it? BatteryCare
It seems useful due to the fact that it alerts you when a good time for a full discharge and recharge is(every 30 cycles) and also states temps along with battery degredation.

 

BatteryCare is a good program. There is also BatteryBar which is very similar, except you have to pay to get all the features activated. The author usually runs a sale to name your own price. I bought one license for normal $20, then four licenses for $2 each. Figured I'd buy one at normal price then "volume" license the rest.

The one thing I like about BatteryBar is the big icon it puts on your taskbar to show you time remaining.

 

is the 'time remaining' accurate?

 

Yes it is after you've discharged at least 50% once. A full discharge will give you the best reading, but not necessary.

With the registered version of BatteryBar or BatteryCare you can have it change power plans for you and also display time remaining based on each power plan. The longer you run it and more discharges you have, the better it is as estimating.

 

Alright, sounds good. Guess I'll give the program a try. I know so much about desktop computers, but I feel like a mom or grandmother with laptops now lol.

 

They are really not that different really. Less upgradeable, more complicated to disassemble ad they have a battery. That's about as far as the differences go. Of course laptop components like CPUs and RAM can't clock as high as their desktop counterparts due to the small form factor and lower TDP.