15 Ways to Increase Laptop Battery Life

Thu Jul 12, 2007 12:32PM EDT

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While laptop chips have become better and better at saving power, other changes, like more powerful laptop graphics cards, faster hard drives, and Windows Vista, have erased many of those gains.

So, you'll need to take it upon yourself to improve your laptop's battery life if you really want to go the extra mile. And while that can be a confusing and tricky process, this blog post offers some helpful advice so you don't have to go it alone. Among the 15 suggestions offered at Friedbeef's Tech (hey, I didn't name it), here are the ones that will really impact your battery the most.

Add more RAM - More RAM means the computer will access the hard drive less frequently, and the hard drive uses much more power than your RAM sticks. 

Dim your screen - Those big, "ultra-bright" displays really suck down the power. Dimming your screen just 20 percent can add a good chunk of time to your battery life.

Unplug external devices - Anything plugged in via USB, FireWire, or PC Card/ExpressCard draws power from your computer. Yes, even your mouse. And of course, turn off your Wi-Fi radio when you don't need it.

Minimize CD/DVD use - Optical drives are probably the worst offender on your notebook when it comes to battery use. Unless you're watching a movie, don't even leave a disc in the optical drive, as Windows loves to occasionally read it, just to check on things...

The post doesn't exactly mention it, but don't forget about the Power Options control panel in Windows, which will let you manage hard drive auto-spin-down, screen brightness, and other settings in one central location. It's a great first place to start... then check out Friedbeef's 11 other tips!

LINK: Top 15 Ways to Extend Your Laptop's Battery Life 

UPDATE: Looks like y'all killed the poor site. Here's a cached version 

Comments on 15 Ways to Increase Laptop Battery Life

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  • 2 Posted by oid_md on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:43PM EDT Report Abuse

    is it true that laptop batteries have only four complete cycles, i.e. if you drain your laptop batteries completely it dies after the fourth complete drain? should i connect my laptop to a charger everytime i use it?

  • 3 Posted by oid_md on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:43PM EDT Report Abuse

    is it true that laptop batteries have only four complete cycles, i.e. if you drain your laptop batteries completely it dies after the fourth complete drain? should i connect my laptop to a charger everytime i use it?

  • 4 Posted by joy_rider182 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:42PM EDT Report Abuse

    i've drained my laptop more than four times and it still works for me. i do keep it plugged in though when i use it.

  • 6 Posted by suzanne_fboswell on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:50PM EDT Report Abuse

    Yeah, I've drained my battery... a couple hundred times, and it just keeps working. I plug in whenever I can, but I'm often in non-plug settings doing work. This is really helpful - especially the CD/DVD tip. I almost always have a CD/DVD in my drive...

  • 7 Posted by e_9088152 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:57PM EDT Report Abuse

    yup, as much as possible, keep your laptop plugged in :)

  • 8 Posted by fernando_bravo@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:59PM EDT Report Abuse

    Most Laptop Computer Battery only last about an hour at most luckly 2. I will start carrying a portable chargablge laptop energy device.

  • 9 Posted by theguyintern on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:04PM EDT Report Abuse

    another good tip is to be sure not to leave your laptop plugged in when the battery is at full capacity. the more you overcharge things the smaller amount of charge they will hold the next time. so you can go from working 4 hours on your computer down to 2 or 1.

  • 10 Posted by k9ghz@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:46PM EDT Report Abuse

    I also run my Laptop battery down too more then four times,NO Problem. I also keep mine pluged in too......

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