Types of Laptop Batteries

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battery, charging, device

Li-ion batteries for mobile phones.

There are many amazing gadgets in the market, but despite that, laptops remained to be the much preferred gadget by people who constantly on the move. Students and sales persons require the freedom and flexibility to accomplish their work anywhere they are. The main concern here is the laptop batteries. They lose its charge capacity and a replacement will be needed. The life span of a battery is from one to three years depending on how it is charged or discharged.

Here are the different types of batteries:

  • Nickel cadmium (NiCad)
    • is made of nickel  and is used by many electronic gadgets. The Cadmium affects the “memory effect” of this battery. This causes the battery to think it is fully charged when it is not. This will result to shorter gadget usage. Aside from this, this heavy metal battery is not environmental friendly. When buying for a new battery, check if it is not NiCad. Because if not, then, you won’t have a problem.
  • Nickel Metal Hydride Batteries (NiMH)
    • made an appearance in the 80’s to replace the toxic NiCad. It uses hydrogen as its active element instead of cadmium. It has no toxic metals, therefore it is environmental friendly. The capacity of this battery is approximately two times the capacity of NiCad. NiMH is likewise receptive to “memory effect” but in a smaller degree. It is more expensive than NiCad, but it is a better option and good for the environment.
  • Lithium Ion (Li-ion)
    • is the most frequently used rechargeable batteries of more current laptops. Li-ion is not as heavy as NiMH batteries and provides a bigger total charge capacity. This is most helpful during crunch time. In comparison to NiMH that has a 30% discharge power in a month’s non-usage, Li-on loses only 10%–15% of its overall power, making it a much better battery. This is the kind you would prefer for your mobile devices. It is environmental friendly too.

All laptop batteries degrade, but you can help them last longer.

Just follow some simple steps:

  • Laptop batteries need the right temperature. Never leave your laptop near a window when it is too cold or leave it at the back of your trunk when it is too hot. When you are in a certain place you may feel uncomfortable, it is the same with your laptop batteries.
  • Make sure you drain your laptop batteries from 40-60%. Discharge and recharged it once or twice every year. Experts advise the removal of the battery before plugging-in your laptop so it will not overheat.
  • When you go on a long vacation, store your battery for a long time, with a 40-50% of juice left. There could be a damage if you fully discharge your battery.
  • A little twitch at the power-saving settings could go a long way.

The secret to a longer battery life is to lessen the work it does. To learn more helpful tips, you can check out: how to care for your laptop battery, and read the guide on extending your laptop battery life.