Acer Aspire 5 A515-56G battery slowly discharging while AC adapter plug in

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denah
denah Member Posts: 3 New User
edited 10:17AM in Aspire Laptops

During intensive tasks that activate the discrete MX450 GPU (e.g., gaming), the laptop battery slowly discharges, even while connected to the AC adapter.

Observations:

  1. This issue occurs regardless of whether the 80% charge limit feature is enabled or if the battery is fully charged to 100%.
  2. I purchased a new, 90W AC adapter (instead of 65W), but this did not solve the problem. The battery continues to discharge under load.
  3. Using a watt meter, I have confirmed that the laptop's maximum power draw from the mains does not exceed 66W, despite the 90W capacity of the new adapter.
  4. Component temperatures (especially the GPU) remain well within normal operating ranges (around 74°C)

Questions:

  1. Is this power consumption limit from the AC adapter (around 65W) a design feature of this specific laptop model?
  2. Is there any way (e.g., through a BIOS update or a specific setting) to remove or increase this power limit, allowing the laptop to utilize the full capacity of a more powerful adapter without discharging the battery?
  3. For diagnostic purposes, would it be safe and advisable to conduct a test by physically disconnecting the internal battery from the motherboard and attempting to run the laptop under load directly from the 90W AC adapter? Would this risk damage or an emergency shutdown?

Thank you for your expert assistance.

Answers

  • pearl44snow
    pearl44snow Member Posts: 1 New User

    The laptop's behavior, where the battery discharges under heavy load even with a powerful AC adapter, is a deliberate design feature. The system is likely configured to limit the power draw from the adapter to around 65W to protect internal components and maintain thermal stability. This means the laptop's power management system will supplement the adapter's power with battery power during peak usage. It's highly improbable that a BIOS update or a software setting could alter this hardware-enforced power limit. Disconnecting the battery to test the 90W adapter is not recommended and could lead to system instability, potential damage to the motherboard's power regulation components, or a complete shutdown. The safest and intended operation is to allow the system to function as designed, drawing power from both the adapter and the battery as needed during intensive tasks.