Battery Options - Which is the best value?

Hey guys,

I currently own a 6 cell battery for my T60, and I'm not quite satisfied with the battery life I'm getting. Using the Maximum Performance profile, I'm getting a maximum battery life of only 2 hours, and using Maximum Battery Life, I'm getting roughly 3.5 hours.

So, my question is, which of the following batteries would be the give me the best value?

1) ThinkPad 6 Cell Battery - $160 - (This is what I currently have and I do not really intend to buy another.)
2) ThinkPad 9 Cell Battery - $180 - (Originally, I did not like how it added weight and size to the notebook, but I'm open to it now.)
3) ThinkPad 3 Cell Battery [Ultra Bay] - $120 - (This one is very tempting because I would be able to use both batteries simultaneously.)

The prices were taken from Lenovo's website, not a third-party reseller. However, I am open to purchasing a battery from a third-party reseller provided they are trustworthy.

Matt

 

I think you should use only Lenovo's battery. I've heard of a lot of horror stories about third party laptop batteries.

I would go with the 9 cell, even though you will have to swap out the battery.

 

the ultrabay battery requires you swap out your optical drive or extra HD or whatever you have in there.

The 8-cell on the X-series are great because, besides the longer life, it gives you something to grab onto while holding the x in one arm. Same for the 9-cell on T60/4x, but those are twice as heavy to hold up with one arm for long.

 

Thanks for your opinions, guys. I forgot to mention that I wouldn't mind swapping out my optical drive for the ultrabay battery if it means extended battery life. I will simply carry one of the two in my notebook case.

My only concern with the 9 cell battery is the weight. Even with the 6 cell battery, my T60 is far from light-weight. I fear this will get much, much worse with a 9 cell...

Thanks for the advice!

Matt

 

I have both a 6-cell and a 9-cell for my T60. The 9-cell sticks out, which I notice more than the extra weight (it isn't that much) I decided not to get the ultrabay battery because I believe it is only a 3-cell which wouldn't add that much more battery time. Also, other posts have complained that its lifespan is much shorter (losing half its capacity in only 6 months!)

 

Nine-cell on the T60 got, what, 5 hours of battery life?

On a 15.4" machine with dedicated graphics, that's pretty good. It certainly smashes any of its competition (nc8430 gets 3 hours, V1Jp gets 3 hours, all the Dells get around 3 hours, too).

 

Hmm... I have a 14.1" T60 (non-Flewview), so a 9 cell should give me over 5 hours... that'd be great... you guys almost have me convinced.

Thanks for your opinion, Turnerpr.

Matt

 

I got R60 (14.1), which is a bit heavier than T60, and I also have 9 cell. I carry the whole thing to and from my work everyday. No issues wrt weight. I would go with 9 cell.

 

My T60 with 9-cell and ATi X1400 can get up to 6 hours of battery on my "balanced" power plan. Of course that's essentially idle with wifi on, IM open, and listening to music, but browsing the web and stuff I can get around 5 hours...