Battery Maintenance

I was just wondering, if my t400 is plugged into the outlet with the battery installed, should I set the threshold to 40% and have the laptop run on AC power? Currently, I have set the battery to charge when below 35% and stop charging at 40%

 

Wait what...you have it charge at 35% and STOP at 40%...? If you are just storing the battery about 40% is fine...but why bother even charging it that little bit? I mean if you NEVER use it okay I suppose. Do you never take it anywhere off the plug ?

 

I just got the laptop and should be getting a sleeve within the next two days So yes, this laptop is staying at home for now. I guess my whole reason to charge til 40% is because I've read that is the best storage level. Am I doing something wrong?

 

i have my thresholds at 60/95. start charging at 60 and stop at 95. i'm thinking about lowering it to 45 or 50 to begin charging.

 

There's a thread somewhere devoted to battery maintenance information. I'll try to find it and post it. If anyone finds it before me, posting it would be very much appreciated by many.

 

Those numbers are fine. I would probably loosen them up a little (30-50%) just to cut down on how frequently your battery is active, but those numbers are perfectly adequate for long term battery health. I use 60-95% on my x200 Tablet, because I use it on battery frequently, and want the option of 4 hours+ without hassle. However, in your situation something at 40% ±10% is probably ideal.

 

i use 55-90.

 

Cant find the option where to change the battery charging threshold, can anyone point me out where to look at. I'm looking for on the Power Manager app.

Edit. Found it, which value is recommended then, start charging at 30% and stop at 50?

 

Where did you find this? I'd like to check this out!

 

So to enhance battery lifespan you should keep it charged at ~40% when plugged with the AC adapter ?
I've have my battery at 99% right now, should I discharge it to 50% then?

 

If you plan on leaving it plugged in for a long time (1 week +), I would recommend that you unplug it an run it down to 60% or less. However, if you will be using it on battery at all in the next week, I would just let it run down naturally as you use it. 40% is really more for long term storage, and if you use it on battery regularly, the main concern is reducing how frequently your machine starts to charge.

 

whoa!

ok so maybe someone can help me with my situation. i usually leave the laptop in my room and use it on ac power.what should my threshold be??? i rarely take it out of the room.

currently i have it set to start at 25% and go to 85%. is that ok??

 

Taking the battery out of the battery compartment when you are plugged in will also help prolong the useful life of the battery. Only do this if there is little to no risk of you being unplugged by accident, of course. The combination of having a high charge and warm temperatures really kills the battery.

 

That should be fine. It will always keep the battery somewhere near the middle, and substantially cut down on the number of cycles. The lower thresholds (30-50%) are for people that almost never use their laptop on battery (which makes me wonder why the even bought a laptop in the first place).

Removing the battery is also an option, but I wouldn't recommend it. There is a risk that you will damage the contacts if you remove it too frequently, plus the battery will serve as a quality UPS in the event of a power failure.

 

THAANSA3, that link would be great to have! Could you find it?

 

Here is the link to the Battery Maintenance guide on NotebookReview.

You may also want to check out Battery University for more information.

 

Thank you sooo much jonlumpkin!! Very much appreciated!

 

What threshold should I set for my new x200. I'm about to complete my initial charge cycle by topping the battery off and running it until the computer shuts down. There's about 16% remaining on the battery as I type this, and I've heard the computer shuts itself off or hybernates at 5%. Right now I have it set at 40/95. Should I go more towards the middle like 85/35? I'm not sure how this threshold works and what range is better for my battery. On average, I just need to battery to last about 4 - 5 hours.

 

How does the power manager keep track of charge cycles when you're using a threshold? If I set the threshold to something like 40/90 which is a difference of 50% and I start charging the battery right when it hits 50%, would 2 recharges equal 1 charge cycle?