The dreaded battery life countdown. It haunts us all, that slow descent into darkness as our laptops gasp for their last digital breath. Today, we're cracking the code on squeezing every last drop of juice from your second-hand hero.
Whether you are a seasoned professional, a dedicated student, or a casual user, these strategies will help you conquer battery limitations and use your
refurbished laptop to its full potential.
1. Adjust the brightness of your screen
The screen is one of the biggest battery drains on a laptop, so turning down the brightness can make a big difference. Most laptops have a brightness control key, or you can adjust it from the system settings.
Enabling auto-brightness will also help as it reduces the brightness in darker environments. This prevents unnecessary power consumption and extends your device's battery life.
2. Turn off Bluetooth and Wi-Fi when you're not using them
These features can drain your battery even if you're not actively using them, so turn them off when you're not connected to anything. You can even set your laptop to automatically disable Wi-Fi after a period of inactivity.
When looking for connections or maintaining them, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi require your laptop's processor to work, even slightly. Disabling them reduces the overall workload on the processor, which translates to less power consumption.
If you frequently use Bluetooth or Wi-Fi throughout the day, the savings will be more noticeable. However, power-efficient laptops will see smaller improvements compared to older or less efficient models.
3. Close any apps and programs you're not using
Running too many programs in the background can drain your battery, so close any that you're not actively using.
When apps run in the background, they use your laptop's processing power, RAM, and even network resources. Background apps will regularly sync data and refresh content. Closing them frees up these resources, minimising overall power consumption.
The battery savings will depend on the app time, the background activity and the operating system. For example, closing resource-intensive apps like video editors or games will have a larger impact. Some apps may have low background activity, so you may get smaller savings. Whilst modern operating systems like Windows 11 and macOS are efficient at managing background processes, lowering the impact of unused apps.
For the quickest fix, use your laptop's built-in battery usage monitor to identify apps consuming the most power.
4. Use power-saving mode
Most laptops have a power-saving mode that can help you save battery life by adjusting settings like screen brightness and processor speed. This method should capture lots of activities that drain the battery without you having to go through each culprit manually.
5. Keep your laptop cool
Extreme temperatures can damage your battery, so avoid using your laptop in hot or cold environments. If your laptop gets hot, try using a laptop fan or stand to keep it cool.
Dust buildup acts like a thermal blanket, trapping heat. Regularly blowing out dust vents with compressed air ensures smooth airflow and optimal laptop performance.
6. Don't let your battery drain completely
Lithium-ion batteries, like the one powering your trusty laptop, have a sweet spot. They like to live between 20% and 80% charge. Letting your battery drain to 0% can damage it, so try to keep it charged above 20%.
Over time, deep discharges permanently decrease the battery's ability to hold its maximum charge. Dipping below 20% will put your battery under strain. A stressed battery struggles to deliver consistent power, leading to sluggish performance and unpredictable shutdowns.
7. Calibrate your battery
Over time, your battery's capacity can decrease, so calibrating it can help to improve its accuracy. The specific steps for calibrating your battery will vary depending on your laptop model, but you can usually find instructions in the user manual or online.
8. Update your software
Keeping your operating system and other software up to date can help to improve battery life.
Updates often include bug fixes and resource optimisations that translate to a reduced power drain. New software versions often come with updated power management tools that intelligently adjust settings and background processes based on your usage. This ensures your laptop uses just the right amount of power for the task at hand, minimising waste.
Sometimes, outdated software can lead to miscommunication between your operating system and hardware components, causing unnecessary power consumption. Updates ensure smooth communication, reducing energy drain and improving overall efficiency.
9. Use a battery saver app
There are a number of battery saver apps available that can help you to optimise your battery settings and extend its life.
These apps monitor your power usage, pinpointing energy hogs and identifying areas for improvement. Battery saver apps can also adjust processor speed, display brightness, and background processes to reduce power consumption without impacting your experience.
Many apps offer granular control too, allowing you to tailor power-saving settings to your specific needs and preferences.
10. Turn off your laptop daily
It may be convenient to keep your computer on at all times, but this also weakens your battery over time. To help maintain your battery's ability to hold a charge, turn off your device at the end of each day.
Frequent cycles of powering on and off might add a little wear to components, but the main benefit comes from letting the battery rest. Every charge and discharge cycle counts, and shutting down minimises these cycles, especially if you leave your laptop plugged in most of the time.
Even laptops in sleep mode use some power. Shutting down completely eliminates this drain, especially if you use peripherals like external hard drives that also use power in sleep mode.
Shutting down can occasionally help with installing updates and resolving some software issues that might linger in sleep mode. Think of it as a digital reboot to clear temporary files and refresh its internal processes.
11. Use the charger that came with your laptop
When you plug in your laptop, make sure to use the charger that came with your device. Other chargers may be cheaper, but they don't always work as well and can even damage your battery.
Laptop manufacturers meticulously design their chargers to deliver the exact voltage and amperage your battery needs. Using a different charger, even if it fits, can over- or under-supply power, stressing the battery and reducing its lifespan.
You should also note that original chargers undergo rigorous safety testing and adhere to strict manufacturer standards. Using a cheap, generic charger can be a fire hazard or damage your laptop's delicate circuitry.
12. Consider replacing your battery
If you've tried all of the other tips and your battery life is still bad, it may be time to replace it. You can buy a replacement battery from the manufacturer or a third-party retailer.
At PC Renewed, we supply top-quality
refurbished laptop batteries to make your laptop feel like new.
So, there you have it, fellow tech warriors! A treasure trove of battery-boosting secrets to transform your refurbished laptop. Remember, it's not about obsessing over every milliampere, but about adopting smart habits and using the power of technology to maximise your unplugged freedom.
