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    Laptop noob - battery question if you please

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by rumblesushi, Dec 24, 2006.

  1. rumblesushi

    rumblesushi Notebook Enthusiast

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    Hello, I recently got my first laptop for work purposes, very happy with it, an Asus Core Duo, 1 gig of RAM, and an 8 cell battery. I've taken it out a couple of times and get a good 4 hours out of it, with about 10% left.

    I've been going through some old threads and reading conflicting opinions on battery use/calibration - could someone give me a concrete answer? :)

    Some people state the battery needs to be "broken in" - charged and fully discharged 3 times before using it. Is this necessary with a Li Ion battery?

    I have not done this, I simply plugged in the AC and have used it plugged in the whole time, and the times I have taken it out, I've got good battery life out of it.

    Is this a necessary step or not, to discharge/charge 3 times?

    Thanks,
    Joe
     
    rumblesushi, Dec 24, 2006
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  2. Zero

    Zero The Random Guy

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    The best way to calibrate the battery, is to charge it up, and then let is discharge. Do not let it charge down to zero, otherwise it may stop working forever. Instead, let it discharge to a point where the notebook goes into standby, be that 4 %, or a little less/more. From what I have heard, this only needs to be done once for the battery to be calibrated.

    Please refer to the Battery Guide, for more information.
     
    Zero, Dec 24, 2006
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  3. chrisyano

    chrisyano Hall Monitor NBR Reviewer

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    What you have been told applies more to older rechargeable battery technologies. You just want to make sure to calibrate your battery every 2-4 weeks to keep its fuel gauge as accurate as possible.

    There is a much more detailed explanation and discussion of battery care in the battery guide as Zero linked to above.
     
    chrisyano, Dec 26, 2006
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