Ultrabook's Non-Detachable Battery- Constant Charging Is Bad?

Thenarrator on 18/11/2014 - 19:28
Last edited 19/11/2014 - 00:17

Hi Ozbargainers,

So I noticed most ultrabooks does not allow the battery to be detached. I was told that constantly plugging your laptop to charge will lower the battery life so I normally just detach my battery from laptop and just use it straight from power socket. (Source: http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/how_to_prolong_li…)

Anyawy, so does this mean for ultrabooks users, they will have to constantly unplug at max battery then replug back to recharge? they cant really just use laptop straight for 24 hrs without worrying about battery dead? what are the options?

I leave my laptop at home (taking it out probably once every month) and so I will probably be plugging in socket 24 hrs a day, 30 days a month. Is this bad for ultra book battery? If yes, should this be the reason for me to consider laptops with removable battery (and not ultrabook)?

Computing

Comments

  • MasterScythe on 18/11/2014 - 20:04

    Leave it plugged in; it wont be a "discussion about whether constant charging will lower battery life", because it'll just be fact. Undeniable fact.

    A modern lithium based battery has a charge controller; when its full, it stops charging. Simple as that. Unless the charge circuit is faulty, it can't overcharge.

    In fact, on a slow charge rate with correct voltage, nothing can (because resistance raises once its full and stops a low charge rate without IC trickery).

    Lithium batteries often do have a counter, allowing a maximum of a million power cycles, and every 'plug' in counts as one, so try not to unplug it unless you're going out.

    That said, I've never hit the million limit before about 5 years, and even then I just replaced the controller board after testing the lithium cells.

    • Thenarrator on 18/11/2014 - 22:02

      so which ones would be 'modern lithium'? Would I be correct to say ALL ultrabooks sold now are 'modern lithium'?

      • MasterScythe on 18/11/2014 - 22:20

        literally anything from about 1999 onward.

        Since the term 'ultrabook' was defined by Intel only a couple of years ago, yes, its after '99, so its Lithium.

        You will find them before that date mind you, they were commercially available in 1996.

        You simply can't have a lithium battery without a charge circuit of some sort, they go kaboom in a scary way.
        Remember early 2000 macbook pro's? the ones with batteries provided by sony? the ones that took out peoples legs? those were lithiums with BAD charging circuits, lol (or good ones and bad cells, you cant be sure).

        • Thenarrator on 18/11/2014 - 22:27

          i plugged in my battery 24 hrs a day , and it reduced its lifespan so much. :/ confused

        • MasterScythe on 19/11/2014 - 09:58
          +1

          @z3289598:

          Do you have some battery stats to prove that the mah of the battery dropped the longer it was charged?

          Correlation does not equal causation. Especially when its completely illogical considering the technology type.

          As per my reply down lower, it's likely that the battery was weak to begin with, and no matter HOW you charged it was going to fail.

  • gryphn on 18/11/2014 - 21:12

    rMBP here
    19 months old
    Current stats
    date capacity loadcycles
    18/11/14 6305mAh 282

    Brand new capacity is 6600mAh

    My laptop is plugged in all day, and used at night after work. Still holds 6+ hrs without issues.

    Personally use it how ever you wish , charging or not the battery smarts take care of its health.

    • MasterScythe on 18/11/2014 - 22:24

      almost 300 cycles, and almost 300mah lost; thats actually pretty impressive.

      I guess they got scared after the 2005 exploding debarkle and used GOOD batteries, lol.

  • matabuntu on 18/11/2014 - 22:37

    According to this article keeping it 100% charged will shorten its life or discharge cycles. Sony has the Battery Care utility to limit charging to a certain level - link, but not sure with other laptop.

    • Thenarrator on 18/11/2014 - 23:44

      ironically, my vaio is the one which has its battery reduced to zilch from constantly being plugged in..

      • MasterScythe on 19/11/2014 - 09:56

        A battery 'not charging' (zilch) isn't a degradation, its a failure.

        That's not what did it.

        most Laptop batteries are made up of lots of 'AA' looking lithium cells. It only takes ONE to be bad to ruin the entire battery pack.

        I've had a couple in my lifetime go a bit dodgy, and upon cracking them open its only been a single cell that my smart charger doesn't want to touch.

        Lithium (besides the volatile PHYSICAL risks) is a very predictable battery type.

        Yes, they do like to be stored long term at about 75%, but long term is years. If you're talking a week at 100%, you're not going to do any harm.

        Most controllers are smart anyway, full will be 99% capacity, and empty will be 5% capacity (at the very most).

        I dont doubt your laptop battery lost life, and while 'constant charge' may have been what broke the camels back; it wasnt the weak camel in the herd. One of the Cells in the pack would have been.

        Would I be lying to say 'it wont shorten it at all?' yes. Because it's considered 'in use' and that will slightly modify it.

        Is it likely that it will be more than 5-10% over the entire life of the laptop? No.

        If you're REALLY concerned, it wouldnt take more than 5 minutes to unscrew the bottom laptop cover and unplug the battery cable.

  • tonyjzx on 19/11/2014 - 13:16

    you have to look at is as an industry wide thing…

    they worked out that people on the whole, never buy a 2nd battery

    people on the whole, dont care about their 3yr old plus laptops… ie. for most people they just get a new laptop

    moreso, as if manufacturers care about laptops once they go over the warranty period

    so with that, why would they make a laptop with a detachable battery?

    • MasterScythe on 19/11/2014 - 17:34

      For road warriors with no access to adequate charging.

      But, you're right for the average consumer.

      Besides, as I said, I'm yet to see one become 'bad' before 5 years.

      we have a 1.5yr example up above still with roughly 95.2% original capacity.

      • tonyjzx on 19/11/2014 - 20:52

        look, i agree with you

        as of now i wont buy an ultrabook but then i hate that one piece touchpad too

        i've worked for and with a few vendors and yeah, dead batteries in ultrabooks do happen and yeah, its expensive to fix since labour in australia is so expensive

        • MasterScythe on 20/11/2014 - 09:32

          It'd be an hour at most from an IT shop ($50) plus battery cost ($53)
          http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Genuine-Battery-Acer-Aspire-S5-S5…
          Just one example.

          Obviously halve that price if you are blessed with two working arms and hands; so you can undo 10 screws, or run an 'ipod tool' around the edge of the case.

          Labour is only expensive is you need it; replacing a battery is no more tricky than any other device; opening it can be, but thats fairly idiot proof and mistake friendly.

          are there any that are truly 'glued shut' and would require the dremel to be brought out?

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