How do I extend the battery life of my laptop?

Modern laptops run on lithium ion batteries, which have a low discharge rate and are more energy efficient than their predecessors (nickel-cadmium and nickel-metal hydride batteries).

Most manufacturers declare the average battery life in the range from one to five hours, depending on the activity of using the laptop (5 hours with minimal activity on the computer, without using a screen saver). Therefore, we can assume that the average battery life of a laptop under real conditions is 1 to 3 hours.

Battery life primarily depends on the hardware, software, power settings and the number of active applications used. Each application uses memory and consumes power even when the application window is minimized. The less applications, processes and devices are used, the less energy the laptop uses.

The amount of battery power consumed is also influenced by the type of software and hardware used. Audio and video applications and games tend to use more power and battery power faster, while text editors use significantly less power.

Virus scanning also requires a lot of computer resources. It is worth turning off or postponing the search for viruses to reduce the consumption of battery power. Also, lithium ion batteries can last longer if they are not fully discharged.

Here are some other easy ways to increase laptop battery life:

Decrease display brightness.
Optimize power consumption in settings.
Decrease screen resolution.
Do not leave the laptop turned on for a long time without work.
It is preferable to use hibernation mode instead of sleep mode. In hibernation mode, the use of power completely stops, and all open documents and programs are saved on the hard disk.
Defragmenting hard drives increases the speed of the drive and reduces battery consumption.
Disable external USB devices. Allows to increase the operating time of the laptop up to 20%.
Turn off wireless connections. Wi-fi, even in standby mode, consumes about 10% of the energy, because continue to search for networks and devices.
Do not use a CD / DVD drive. Rotating discs, even if not used, requires a lot of energy. If there is a need to use a DVD drive, it is better to copy all the necessary files to the hard disk and then work with them, without using a DVD drive.
Remove unnecessary programs from startup.
If the program is not in use, disable it. Run only those programs that are necessary for the work at the moment. The less loaded the processor, the more efficiently it works, regardless of the battery charge.
Increase RAM: Allows the laptop to operate without using the virtual memory that the hard disk uses, resulting in increased power consumption.
Clean the laptop from dust (better in the service).
Do not store an unused battery for a long time fully charged. If you plan to work on a laptop from the network for a long time (a month or more), it is better to charge it by 50% and store it at a temperature of about 15-20 degrees.
Get the most out of your battery and extend the life of your laptop with these simple tips for optimal battery use and care.