Leaving a Laptop Plugged In

P3RS0NN
P3RS0NN Member Posts: 32 Enthusiast WiFi Icon
edited November 2023 in 2018 Archives
Is it harmful to always leave a laptop plugged in? Are there any ways to stop it from charging even if it is plugged in at a certain percentage of battery? (Something similar to Conservation Mode in Lenovo Vantage on Lenovo laptops)

Best Answer

  • Sharanji
    Sharanji ACE Posts: 4,328 Pathfinder
    Answer ✓
    P3RS0NN 

    Every battery can only sustain a finite number of charge and discharge cycles, after which it starts wearing off quickly.  

    There’s no way to “overcharge” these batteries. When you get to 100% charge and leave your laptop plugged in, the charger will stop charging the battery. The laptop will just run directly off the power cable. After the battery discharges a bit, the charger will kick into gear again and top the battery off. There’s no risk of damaging the battery by charging it over its capacity.  

    Having a battery fully discharged for an extended period can put it into a deep discharge state, from which it might never recover.  

    Leaving your laptop plugged in will not cause short term damage, but if you only ever use it on AC power you’ll almost certainly find that after a year the battery’s capacity has been significantly reduced. Similarly, if you only ever use it on battery power you’ll get through the battery’s discharge cycles quicker.  

    So, the best solution is something of a compromise between the two: use it on battery power some days, and keep it plugged in on others. And in all cases, you’ll want to ensure it doesn’t get too hot.  

    Here's the weblink from Acer on how to charge and care for your battery 

    Hit 'Like' if you find the answer helpful!   
    Click on 'Yes' if the comment answers your question!

Answers

  • Sharanji
    Sharanji ACE Posts: 4,328 Pathfinder
    Answer ✓
    P3RS0NN 

    Every battery can only sustain a finite number of charge and discharge cycles, after which it starts wearing off quickly.  

    There’s no way to “overcharge” these batteries. When you get to 100% charge and leave your laptop plugged in, the charger will stop charging the battery. The laptop will just run directly off the power cable. After the battery discharges a bit, the charger will kick into gear again and top the battery off. There’s no risk of damaging the battery by charging it over its capacity.  

    Having a battery fully discharged for an extended period can put it into a deep discharge state, from which it might never recover.  

    Leaving your laptop plugged in will not cause short term damage, but if you only ever use it on AC power you’ll almost certainly find that after a year the battery’s capacity has been significantly reduced. Similarly, if you only ever use it on battery power you’ll get through the battery’s discharge cycles quicker.  

    So, the best solution is something of a compromise between the two: use it on battery power some days, and keep it plugged in on others. And in all cases, you’ll want to ensure it doesn’t get too hot.  

    Here's the weblink from Acer on how to charge and care for your battery 

    Hit 'Like' if you find the answer helpful!   
    Click on 'Yes' if the comment answers your question!

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