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Does leaving your laptop plugged in shorten its battery life?

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Amputechture

Amputechture

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Every time I Google it, I get completely different answers from different sources. Does anybody know for sure?

 
Pretty much anything you do will shorten your laptop's battery life. It's inevitable.

If you've got a newer laptop and it has a lithium ion battery, then it won't make much of an impact. If you have an older laptop, then it probably will.

 
Amp, all batteries have charge cycles and a maximum charge capacity which unfortunately does dwindle over time. A lot of the newer laptops have a charge/discharge capability which means that while being plugged in the battery will discharge and recharge by approximately 1% to keep the battery "fresh" and as close as possible to their max charge capacity.

Most of the lithium ion battery do not need to be discharged down to 0% and back to 100% since they don't have the "memory" issues like the nickel cadmium ones had. However, the battery life will shorten over time just because the maximum charge capacity decreases over time.

So basically keeping your laptop plugged in constantly shouldn't effect the battery life any more so than if you don't, but if you have a lithium ion battery but the battery life will still decrease over time. Some decrease faster than others. The same holds true for smartphones, etc.

Hope this helps.

 
That Boy Brandinho said:
Pretty much anything you do will shorten your laptop's battery life. It's inevitable.

If you've got a newer laptop and it has a lithium ion battery, then it won't make much of an impact. If you have an older laptop, then it probably will.
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Arq said:
Amp, all batteries have charge cycles and a maximum charge capacity which unfortunately does dwindle over time. A lot of the newer laptops have a charge/discharge capability which means that while being plugged in the battery will discharge and recharge by approximately 1% to keep the battery "fresh" and as close as possible to their max charge capacity.

Most of the lithium ion battery do not need to be discharged down to 0% and back to 100% since they don't have the "memory" issues like the nickel cadmium ones had. However, the battery life will shorten over time just because the maximum charge capacity decreases over time.

So basically keeping your laptop plugged in constantly shouldn't effect the battery life any more so than if you don't, but if you have a lithium ion battery but the battery life will still decrease over time. Some decrease faster than others. The same holds true for smartphones, etc.

Hope this helps.
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Thanks for clarifying that for me.

 
My ASUS laptop recently had his 2nd birthday. The battery only lasts for maybe 45 seconds. I never use it unplugged anyway.

 
If your leaving it plugged it for any other reason apart from charging it then its pretty much a pointless exercise.

I would suggest once battery is charged, taking it out and just using your lappy as a normal PC, then once you need to use it on the move, clip the battery back in.

P.S Not ALL Laptops can operate without the battery connected, but id say % wise, around 80-90% of them can.

 
Is this the modern equivalent of "Does your chewing gum lose its flavour..."?

 
That's where we differ, I though condoms - sex - animals you though condoms - toy - kids.

 
In my experience, yes. The battery on my old laptop went to sh*t really quick cause I always had it plugged in when the battery was fully charged. With my new one, I charge it to 100% then unplug the laptop or take the battery out (depending on where I'm sitting etc.) and 9 months since I got it, the battery life is still excellent. Similarly, my dad broke his first battery this way but has been careful with his replacement and that works very well.

 
Samdwich said:
In my experience, yes. The battery on my old laptop went to sh*t really quick cause I always had it plugged in when the battery was fully charged. With my new one, I charge it to 100% then unplug the laptop or take the battery out (depending on where I'm sitting etc.) and 9 months since I got it, the battery life is still excellent. Similarly, my dad broke his first battery this way but has been careful with his replacement and that works very well.
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That's the right way to do it, but I can't be bothered plugging it in and out every now and then, especially with this one that lasts little over half an hour.

 
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