Laptops are a necessity for many people. They allow for work to be done on the go and provide a level of convenience that is unmatched by other devices.
As laptops have become more affordable, more people have invested in them to help with studies, work, or even gaming. And with the emphasis in the media and in retail on selling repurposed or second-hand machines, many people have found that a key drawback is that these devices have shorter battery life. So, rather than spend a small fortune on a new battery or even a new device, more people want to know how they can increase the battery life of their laptops.
To make your laptop last as long as possible, there are a few things you can do. And in this article, some of these will be explored. Please note that if your laptop becomes excessively warm when it is in use, it may need servicing, or you may need to dig deep and buy a new battery for it to prevent the machine from becoming damaged.
Dim the Screen
When it comes to laptop battery life, one of the simplest things you can do to extend its lifespan is to dim the screen brightness. The brighter the screen, the more power it consumes, so turning it down a notch or two can make a big difference.
This can also benefit your eyesight, too, as many people who use fully lit screens develop issues such as headaches and migraines.
There are even accessories that you can buy to help you manage the brightness of your screen, such as blue filtering display covers and glasses. To get a better idea of which of these options may benefit you, head to lenovo.com.
Disable Unused Features
You would be surprised to discover how many unused features can drain the battery life of a laptop or even a PC. When it comes to ensuring that the battery of your laptop stays healthy and that it is not losing power unnecessarily, you should go through the features on your computer and ensure that they are all turned off if you are not using them. One example could be your webcam, and another could be an app that is running in the background.
If you regularly find there are features on your computer that you do not use, it may even be worth disabling them or deleting them permanently to help conserve your battery life.
Power Management
Adjusting the power management settings of your laptop is not a new idea, but it is one that can save you a great deal of stress if your laptop keeps shutting off due to a lack of power. Simply put, if you frequently get up and leave your laptop on, it can be worth enabling a system that ensures it will power down and go to sleep after a set number of minutes. This will help to maintain the power and will prevent the battery from becoming overheated and thus prevent lagging.
Keep It Charged
It may sound obvious, but one way to make sure that your battery stays healthy is to ensure that it is kept on charge as much as possible. This may be difficult if you travel a great deal with your laptop but still, charging an empty laptop battery frequently can cause the battery itself to overheat and therefore shorten its life.
Aim to carry your laptop charger with you and charge it as and when possible.
No Unnecessary Upgrades
Have you ever looked at a targeted laptop, such as a gaming one, and wondered why it is so expensive? This is because it has the ability to run multiple programs or games at once and has long battery life. But this is only based on a set number of features being installed on the laptop, and even when it comes to general laptops, you do not want to be putting unnecessary upgrades or strain onto the battery. For example, if you are looking to upgrade a simple laptop to become a gaming laptop, it may be hard on the battery to run all of the required upgrades, such as a graphics processing unit.
So, be sure that the laptop you have can handle the upgrade you are making. If you have made an upgrade and notice that the battery life is draining faster, it may be worth uninstalling it.
Keep It Cool
Speaking of gaming laptops, one way you can help your regular laptop to maintain its charge for longer and to preserve the health of the battery is to keep the battery cool. Many gaming laptops have built-in features to help with the heating of the battery in the device overall, which would prevent any games from lagging or stalling. But the same can be true for a basic laptop, as especially in warmer months, or if they are placed near radiators in the winter, they can become overheated. If there is not enough air circulation, this can cause the battery to cut out sooner. Try to keep your laptop as cool as possible, and, oddly, do not balance it on your lap!
Minimize Special Features
Many people are ecstatic to begin using additional features when it comes to their laptops, such as dictation or voice control for the AI that is built into the machine. But if you want to save your battery life and prevent the battery from becoming overheated, do not use these features too often, if possible, as they require additional power to run, which can make them more expensive relating to battery power and life.
Close the Tabs!
You will likely have seen at one time or another an individual running a laptop with multiple tabs open as well as multiple programs. This is not only bad for the memory of the computer, but it is also going to slow down the battery and potentially cause damage. If you’re operating with a second-hand machine, try to keep the number of tabs open to a minimum and do not run multiple complex programs at the same time.
