The battery is one of the important components in a gaming laptop, as it determines how long you can play games without having to look for power outlets. However, many gaming laptop users are confused about how to take care of their laptop battery to keep it durable and durable. One of the questions that often arises is whether charging a gaming laptop battery constantly can reduce battery capacity or not.
This question does not have a definite answer, because it depends on several factors, such as the type of battery, charging technology, temperature, and laptop usage. However, in general, there are a few things you can know about the effect of constantly charging a gaming laptop battery on battery capacity.
Types of Gaming Laptop Batteries
Today’s gaming laptop batteries generally use lithium-ion or lithium-polymer technology, which has advantages over previous battery technologies, such as nickel-cadmium or nickel-metal hydride. The advantages of lithium battery technology are:
- Does not experience a memory effect, which is a decrease in battery capacity due to recharging before the battery is fully discharged.
- It has a longer lifespan, which is the number of charge and discharge cycles of the battery before its capacity decreases significantly.
- It has a higher energy density, which is the amount of energy that can be stored in units of volume or weight of the battery.
However, lithium battery technology also has some disadvantages, such as:
- Prone to thermal damage, that is, damage caused by too high or too low temperatures.
- Experiencing degradation, which is a gradual decrease in battery capacity due to age, use, and environmental conditions.
- Requires a controlling circuit, which is an electronic circuit that regulates the process of charging and discharging the battery to keep it safe and optimal.
Gaming Laptop Battery Charging Technology
Gaming laptop battery charging technology is also developing along with the development of battery technology. Currently, there are several popular gaming laptop battery charging technologies, such as:
- Fast charging, is a technology that allows gaming laptop batteries to be charged with a larger electric current in less time, thus saving charging time. Examples of fast charging technology are Quick Charge from Qualcomm, SuperCharge from Huawei, and TurboPower from Motorola.
- Wireless charging is a technology that allows gaming laptop batteries to be charged without using cables, but by using electromagnetic fields generated by wireless charging devices. Examples of wireless charging technologies are Qi from the Wireless Power Consortium, AirFuel from the AirFuel Alliance, and MagSafe from Apple.
- Smart charging is a technology that allows gaming laptop batteries to be charged in a way that is tailored to battery conditions, laptop usage, and user preferences, thereby improving battery efficiency and health. Examples of smart charging technologies are Battery Care from Sony, Battery Health Manager from HP, and Battery Saver from Windows.
This gaming laptop battery charging technology has a different influence on battery capacity. In general, fast and wireless charging technology can improve user convenience and comfort, but it can also increase the risk of thermal damage and battery degradation. While smart charging technology can reduce the risk of thermal damage and battery degradation, it can also reduce the speed and availability of battery charging.
Gaming Laptop Battery Temperature
Gaming laptop battery temperature is one of the most influential factors on battery capacity. Temperatures that are too high or too low can cause thermal damage to the battery, which can reduce the capacity and lifespan of the battery. The ideal temperature for a gaming laptop battery is between 15°C to 35°C.
Gaming laptop battery temperature can be affected by several things, such as:
- Environmental temperature, that is, the air temperature around the laptop. Ambient temperatures that are too hot or too cold can affect the temperature of a gaming laptop battery. Therefore, you should avoid placing the laptop in a place exposed to direct sunlight, near a heat source, or in a closed car.
- Laptop use, which is an activity carried out with a laptop. Intensive laptop use, such as playing games, watching videos, or running heavy programs, can increase the temperature of a gaming laptop battery. Therefore, you should use the laptop as needed, and give a rest time for the laptop so that it does not overheat.
- Battery charging is the process of charging a laptop battery. Charging the battery for too long, too often, or with fast or wireless charging technology, can increase the temperature of a gaming laptop battery. Therefore, you should charge the laptop battery as needed, and disconnect the cable or wireless charging device when the battery is full or not in use.
Other Interesting Articles
How Does a Gaming Laptop Battery Work?
Before discussing the impact of charging a gaming laptop battery constantly, we need to understand how a gaming laptop battery works. Gaming laptop batteries, just like laptop batteries in general, are types of lithium-ion or Li-ion batteries. Li-ion batteries have several advantages compared to other types of batteries, such as:
- It has a large capacity and can store more energy
- It is a lightweight and small size
- Does not experience memory effects, which are a decrease in battery capacity due to incomplete recharging
- Does not require special maintenance and can be recharged at any time
Li-ion batteries consist of two electrodes, the cathode, and the anode, separated by an electrolyte. Electrolytes are substances that can conduct electric current. As the battery is charged, an electric current flows from the adapter to the cathode, and then to the anode through the electrolyte. This process causes a chemical reaction that produces lithium ions. These lithium ions then move from the cathode to the anode and are deposited there. When the battery is used, electric current flows from the anode to the cathode, and then to the device that requires power. This process causes a chemical reaction that produces electrons. These electrons then move from the anode to the cathode and produce energy. The lithium ions deposited in the anode again move to the cathode and wait to be recharged.
What Happens When Charging a Gaming Laptop Battery Constantly?
When you’re charging a gaming laptop constantly, you’re not charging the battery, but rather using power from the adapter directly. The battery only serves as a backup in case of a power cut or you disconnect the charging cable. When the battery charge reaches 100%, charging will stop automatically and the battery will enter trickle charging mode. Trickle charging mode is a charging mode with a very small current to keep the battery fully charged. This mode is not harmful to the battery, but it also does not provide any benefits.
However, charging a gaming laptop battery constantly can also cause several problems, namely:
- Overheating. Gaming laptops tend to generate high heat when operating, especially when running heavy games. This heat can spread to the battery and increase the temperature of the battery. Too high a temperature can damage the battery and reduce its capacity. In addition, heat can also affect other components inside a laptop, such as processors, graphics cards, and motherboards, and reduce their performance and lifespan.
- Battery stress. Li-ion batteries have a limited charge cycle, i.e. the number of times a battery can be recharged before its capacity decreases significantly. These charge cycles typically range from 300 to 500 times, depending on the quality and maintenance of the battery. When you charge a gaming laptop battery constantly, you are forcing the battery to work continuously, even with a small current. This can cause stress on the battery and reduce its charge cycle. In addition, battery stress can also cause battery degradation, which is a decrease in battery quality due to changes in its chemical and physical structure. Battery degradation can lead to decreased battery capacity, durability, and reliability.
How to Prevent or Reduce the Impact of Charging a Gaming Laptop Battery Constantly?
Charging a gaming laptop constantly is not recommended, but it is also not something to be avoided at all. There are several ways you can do to prevent or reduce the negative effects of this habit, namely:
- Use a laptop cooler. A laptop cooler is a tool that can help lower the temperature of your laptop while operating. Laptop coolers are usually fans, pads, or vacuums placed under or next to the laptop. Laptop coolers can reduce the heat generated by the laptop and prevent it from spreading to the battery. Thus, you can reduce the risk of battery damage due to overheating.
- Remove the battery when not in use. If you use your gaming laptop in a place that has a stable and safe power source, you can remove your laptop battery while charging or gaming. This can reduce battery stress and prevent it from being exposed to heat from the laptop. However, you should be careful when removing the battery, as this may cause your laptop to shut down suddenly in the event of a power cut or you accidentally disconnect the charging cable. You should also store your battery in a dry, cool, and safe place from sharp objects or chemicals that can damage it.
- Keep battery power in the optimal range. Li-ion batteries have an optimal power range, which is between 20% to 80%. If the battery charge is too low or too high, the battery may experience stress and degradation. Therefore, you should charge your laptop battery according to that optimal range. You can use apps or features that can set up automatic battery charging, such as BatteryCare or Lenovo Vantage. You can also charge your laptop battery manually by keeping an eye on the battery charge indicator and stopping charging when it reaches 80% or starting charging when it reaches 20%.
- Calibrate the battery periodically. Battery calibration is a process that can help restore the balance between actual battery power and battery power displayed by the operating system.
Conclusion
From the above, it can be concluded that charging a gaming laptop battery constantly can reduce battery capacity, but not directly. The effect of constantly charging a gaming laptop battery on battery capacity depends on several factors, such as battery type, charging technology, temperature, and battery usage. By knowing these factors, you can take care of your gaming laptop battery to keep it durable and durable.
Here are some tips you can do to take care of your gaming laptop battery:
- Use smart charging technology if available, or use a charging device that matches your gaming laptop’s battery specifications.
- Remove cables or wireless charging devices when the battery is full or not in use, and avoid charging the battery when the laptop is in intensive use.
- Keep your gaming laptop’s battery temperature within the ideal range, which is between 15°C to 35°C, and avoid placing the laptop in direct sunlight, near heat sources, or in a closed car.
- Charge your gaming laptop as needed, and don’t leave the battery too full or too discharged. Try to keep the battery charge level between 40% to 80%.
- Use the laptop as needed, and give rest time for the laptop so that it doesn’t overheat. Avoid running heavy programs or playing games for too long with your gaming laptop’s battery.
Hope you find this article useful. Thanks for reading.