Long Live the Battery

How to keep your computer going.

STAYING ALIVE

Extending the life of your computer battery may be easier than you think.

There you are, in the middle of making some last-minute additions to a big presentation, when your laptop dies on you. As mobile computers play an increasingly important role in our everyday lives, we need to know that they’re ready to rock when we’re ready to work. Try these tips to get more life out of your battery.

Let There Be Less Light

Intel says that LCD screens account for a third of power usage in laptops, and decreasing the brightness can be a boon to getting more mileage out of a charge. Look for the power management settings in your laptop’s control panel; many computers have preset schemes for different situations, such as when you’re disconnected and on the go. Also, be aware that graphics-heavy tasks like gaming and watching videos will use more energy than word processing.

Disconnect When You’re Not Connected

It sounds obvious, but if you’re running devices from your computer, you’re losing energy. When the power cord isn’t in use, look at the other inputs on your machine: Are you using USB ports to connect speakers or an external hard drive? Also, if you’re not using your Wi-ficonnection, turn off the receiver.

Reduce the Load

The more you do with your computer, the harder it works, so be sure to close programs you’re not using.

Decreasing how much work your computer is doing will decrease its need to cool itself off with the internal fan, and using the fan less means that you will save more battery power. In addition, you can increase your computer’s RAM, which takes some of the strain off operating the energy-intensive hard drive. Try checking or sending email and then closing your mail program.

Keep it Healthy

A lithium-ion battery is standard in laptops and generally lasts for two to three years. You can extend the life of the battery by taking it out of the laptop when it’s plugged in. However, battery expert Isidor Buchmann, president of Cadex Electronics, says that for most people the hassle of removing the battery (and not having it charged when you really need it) isn’t worth the extra time they’ll get from using it less. He recommends not running the battery down all the way (if you have a choice). Running it down to 20% might give you 300 to 500 charge cycles, while running it down to only 70% might give you 1,000 charge cycles. Also, try removing the battery and cleaning the metal contacts with alcohol (just make sure to let it dry before snapping it back in). —Lee Gimpel

Illustration by Tray Butler