Laptop battery life can be annoying for some people, or it can be frustrating. Your laptop battery life is inherently limited by default. Most people wouldn’t consider trying to extend their laptop’s battery life until some big event happened.
Maybe the battery is old and doesn’t hold as much power as it used to, or maybe you realize you can’t afford to buy a new battery for your laptop every year. Batteries deplete over time, so you will inevitably need to replace them. Instead of spending a fortune on a new battery every time you run out of power, keep reading from this article for tips on making your laptop last longer.
1. Activate power saving mode
Battery Saver automatically reduces screen brightness, puts your computer to sleep when you’re not using it, and limits background activity so you can focus on what you’re doing.
It’s on by default, but if you turn it off, here’s how to turn it back on: Go to Settings > System > Battery, and turn Battery Saver on until it turns on.
2. Unplug unused peripherals
Once plugged in, your laptop will attempt to charge any device connected via USB, which may drain the battery when you try to use it. If you don’t need them during a particular session, unplug any external devices (like mouse and keyboard dongles) from the ports until you need them again.
3. There is enough memory.
If you want your laptop’s battery to last longer, don’t skimp on RAM (random access memory). RAM keeps the programs you’re currently working on where the central processing unit (CPU) can quickly access them, so the hard drive doesn’t have to do as much work and is slower. The more resources you give your computer, the less stress you put on its components, and the longer your battery life.
4. Keep your laptop away from hot and cold
Heat is one of the biggest factors in reducing battery life. According to Battery University, lithium-ion batteries degrade faster when exposed to temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit).
While a laptop should be able to be used for short periods of time in warmer conditions, continuous operation in warmer conditions can shorten battery life. In summer, you should also avoid placing your laptop in direct sunlight or in a car, even if it is powered off.
5. Turn down the screen brightness
Most laptop screens are brighter than they need to be. When you dim your screen, you can save a lot of power by reducing the amount of power your monitor uses.
You can usually add an hour of usage by turning off the battery. If you don’t know how to change your computer’s brightness, consult your user manual or look for “Change screen brightness” in an online search engine, followed by the make and model of the laptop.
6. Buy an SSD
Solid-state drives (SSDs) use less energy than traditional hard drives, which means your laptop won’t have to work as hard and won’t drain the battery as quickly. Upgrading an old laptop’s hard drive to an SSD is one of the most effective ways to improve its performance. In addition to getting a longer-lasting battery, you’ll also notice faster startup times and more responsive programs.
7. Kill battery draining apps and processes
The most common cause of a slow computer is that it has too many programs open. Therefore, if you find that your laptop’s battery is draining faster, it should check the task manager for programs that use too much CPU, RAM, or GPU resources. If you use high-end apps like video editors a lot, try closing them when you’re not using them to save battery life.
8. Close the tab or try a different browser.
An easy way to improve your laptop’s battery life is to stop having so many tabs open in your browser. Chrome uses more features than any other browser, and every extra tab adds to the load. One study found that opening 10 tabs in Chrome increases battery consumption by 10%. So if you have 20 tabs open, you can add an extra hour of runtime by switching browsers or simply closing some tabs.
9. Extend the battery life of the laptop by removing the battery.
Some laptops and netbooks can extend the battery life of the device by removing the battery completely and using the power adapter. Most batteries can withstand many cycles before becoming useless. If you constantly charge your battery to full and then discharge it to zero, your battery will discharge much faster than if you never let it get too low.
By removing the battery, you can keep it fully charged, extending its lifespan. This may sound like an odd solution, but if you have a laptop that supports it, it’s best to take advantage of this option.
10. Use a dark background.
The brighter the image, the more energy is required to display it. Dark screens use less power than bright screens, so choosing a darker background can improve battery life. If your laptop allows you to customize the background, try changing it to something darker or lower contrast; however, be careful not to sacrifice clarity for darkness. The easier it is to read what’s on your screen, the better your life will be in the long run.
11. Change your built-in power saving options
Every operating system has its built-in power saving options. Check your computer’s settings menu to see which settings will save you the most power (for example, some settings automatically reduce screen brightness when using battery power) and change them to work best for you. This can help you save up to 20% of your battery life without any inconvenience.
bottom line
Laptops are an expensive luxury, especially in an era of declining budgets. One problem with these precious machines is short battery life. All laptop users experience occasional frustration when the battery dies suddenly in the middle of something important. Fortunately, you can use the methods above to improve battery life to ensure this doesn’t happen to you.