Choosing the right laptop battery requires knowledge of your laptop’s needs and
capacity. In order to meet these needs, it is important to know the type of battery
the laptop came with. Consider how long that battery lasts, and consider how long
you would prefer it to last. More than likely, your laptop’s regular battery barely
maintains the amount of programs opened during the day. This can be fixed by
purchasing one or two batteries with over 5000 mAh (milliamp hours). A typical
laptop battery costs over $100, and it is important to know what brand, type, and
ingredients to look for.
When choosing a laptop battery, consider the length of time that the battery lasts as
well as the health of the battery itself. Certain batteries, due to their ingredients and
physical makeup, have been known to catch fire, permanently damaging the laptop,
battery, and everything else associated with it. You want to be able to run multiple
programs and keep your laptop on for a long period of time, you want the price to
be reasonable, and you want the battery to be long lasting. The average amount of
time for a complete drain of laptop batteries usually takes 5000 mAh or milliamp
hours. Generally, 5000 milliamp hours lasts for up to 45 minutes, but it is possible
to get batteries at a much higher capacity (up to 5800 for $160).
If you are wondering if too much mAh is bad for your battery or laptop, the answer
is no; the only downside to a larger number of mAh is a longer period of time for
the actual battery to charge. True damage to your laptop results from the actual
ingredients in the hp pavilion battery as well as what you are using to charge the battery.
The main thing that laptop owners should worry about in terms of damage is
voltage in laptop chargers. Is it possible to damage your Toshiba laptop battery or other laptop manufacturer with incompatible
voltage? The answer depends. If you use the correct charger for the laptop, then it
is less likely to damage or overheat it while charging. This is because laptop
chargers have adaptors which are made to convert the voltage to the correct
amount of charge that the laptop needs. However, if you use an incompatible
charger for your laptop, the adaptor’s voltage may not match the laptop’s.
Incompatible voltage results in little to no charge for your laptop. Even using the
wrong voltage charger for a short amount of time damages your laptop beyond
repair, and it’s very likely that you will need to replace the laptop or the laptop
charger. Other damaging results include overheating and meltdowns, which can
possibly completely ruin your laptop battery and charger.
One of the best ways to choose a better laptop battery than the one currently owned
is comparison of the old and new. Do you remember how long your laptop battery
used to last? Compare that to how long it currently lasts, especially if you damaged
the battery at any point. Is there a big difference? Perhaps it is time for a change in
batteries. Consider the current battery capacity, the capacity in the past (when you
first received the laptop), and the capacity of your new battery. The best choice
would be an investment in a larger amount of milliamps, as you are already
considering paying for a new battery. If the new battery possesses a larger amount
of mAh, perhaps that is the better choice of battery. Also, be sure to have a general
understanding of the types and ingredients of the batteries before purchase, and it is
unwise to avoid brand name laptop batteries for the cheaper choice.
There are many ways to find a good bargain while choosing the appropriate laptop
charger. Certain laptop batteries last and charge better than others, and it all boils
down to what particular brand you trust or initially purchased from. Certain laptop
batteries are lower quality for a bigger expense. Certain batteries, you can acquire
cheaper with much better performance. However, the cheaper price, especially for
off brand batteries, should be avoided. Attempting to take short cuts by finding
deals may result in spending more money than you initially saved. It is almost
never worth the lower price, as certain off brand batteries, have been known to
catch fire during charges or possess less capacity than advertised. Instead, consider
purchasing from official sites, such as the exact place where you received the
laptop. Also, it cannot hurt to purchase a warranty alongside your battery as well.
If you decide to purchase an off brand Dell battery, a warranty may end up
saving you a large amount of money.
The act of catching fire is typically uncommon for wellmade laptop batteries due
to recalls and care. However, certain off brand companies attempt to sell recalled
batteries or batteries with certain harmful ingredients, such as the nolongerused
NickelCadium ingredient. The presence of unused ingredients in batteries sold as
newer and more functional is the exact reason why you should commit to a single,
major brand of laptop batteries. Trusting a single, wellknown brand will save you
time, money, and headaches.
Before its newer and safer ingredient, a component called NickelCadium littered
the shelves in the form of laptop batteries. NickelCadium is a heavy metal that
cannot be disposed in landfills. The presence of NickelCadium in batteries pollute
the environment upon disposal. On top of the pollution, NickelCadium lasts for
not even half the amount of time as the newer and more effective battery. On the
brighter side, it is completely normal for NickelCadium batteries to heat up during
charge, unlike its lithium cousins, but overheating results in a slower charge rate.
Also, it is possible for NickelCadium batteries to “leak” charge, especially after
the battery is finished charging. A leaking battery results in an acidic film,
collecting around the edges of the battery. This occurs especially if you do not let
the battery cool down after charging.
Nowadays, a typical laptop battery’s main ingredient is lithium, which has no
effect on the memory capacity of the laptop. There are few downsides to the
presence of lithium in batteries; with proper disposal, it does not corrupt the
environment. Also, lithium cannot overcharge or leak while charging. Also, if a
good amount of charge is kept, lithium batteries last for much longer than its
NickelCadium cousin.
With a healthy lithium battery, an average charge of up to 4 hours should be
expected. For this reason, it is wisest to keep or purchase a few extra batteries if
you want your laptop to last all day. However, even lithium has downsides, such as
the fact that it needs energy constantly. It is unwise to let your lithium battery go
completely dead, as the life and health of the battery will lessen. Also, lithium
should always be cool and dry while charging; results of overheating or contact
with water lead to lower capacity, slower charging, and the overall termination of
the working battery.
Lithiumion batteries prevent abuse by shutting off automatically or entering “sleep
mode”. Sleep mode is triggered from overcharging, overheating, and leaving the
laptop on while charging. If any of the listed things occur, the battery becomes
unusable by shutting off completely. The battery remains unusable until it is
“boosted” to life again through multiple techniques, meaning that “sleep mode”
does not last forever.
For the listed reasons, lithiumion is preferred over just about all other battery
ingredients; although, each ingredient has its positives and negatives. It is one of
the main things to consider in choosing a laptop battery. The preferred ingredient
lasts longer, is safer for the environment and personal usage, and it malfunctions
less than the NickelCadium ingredient. Also, higher mAh is recommended in
laptop batteries, as it generally has no negative effect on the laptop itself. If you
prefer an even longer amount of time to spend on your laptop when you are on the
move, it is recommended that you purchase and store multiple types of batteries.
However, beware of change in your laptop charger, even for a short amount of
time. The wrong voltage or type of laptop charger endangers the health of the
battery and motherboard of the laptop. Also, beware of “good deals” for cheap
laptop chargers, as it is often not worth it.
Related links:
Laptop battery finder
Asus laptop battery
HP laptop battery
Macbook battery
