Must you change your laptop computer battery?

Say you have had your laptop for a couple of years, and you’ve got observed that it will not activate except it is plugged into the charger. Or, possibly your laptop computer dies rapidly if it isn’t consistently plugged in. Both method, you might need begun to contemplate shopping for a brand new laptop computer. However why not change the battery as a substitute of spending as much as $1000 on a brand new laptop computer?

For many laptops, you’ll be able to change the battery your self, or you’ll be able to ship it again to the producer and get the battery changed for a payment. As we speak I will be exploring whether or not or not it is price it to switch your laptop computer’s battery, or in the event you ought to simply save your self the difficulty and get a brand new laptop computer. Learn on to search out out.

Why do laptop computer batteries degrade over time?

Lithium batteries discharge and lose high quality over time

• Lithium batteries degrade with use and time.
• Components embrace temperature extremes, overcharging.
• Correct care can extend battery well being and efficiency.

Should you’ve used the identical laptop computer — whether or not it is a Chromebook or a MacBook — for a while, there is not any doubt you have observed that it simply would not maintain its cost the best way it did if you first purchased it. It is as a result of the lithium batteries which might be utilized in laptops, in addition to most different electronics, decay over time. There are a number of components as to why a lithium battery degrades, from temperature extremes to overcharging. However, on common, a laptop computer battery ought to final round two years of ordinary use, or roughly 500+ battery cycles, earlier than you start to note its efficiency is lowering.

As soon as a laptop computer battery hits its most cycle depend, its efficiency will degrade quicker over-time. For a lot of, this ends with having to maintain your laptop computer plugged right into a charger always, which practically eliminates its portability issue. You’ll be able to, nevertheless, decrease how rapidly your laptop computer’s battery degrades over time by taking correct care of its battery well being.

Once you create habits like minimizing brightness and keyboard lighting, not leaving your laptop computer plugged in on a regular basis, and ensuring you retain your laptop computer saved in temperature-controlled environments, all of them play an element in prolonging your battery’s viability. You must also monitor it, which you are able to do within the battery settings on each Home windows laptops and MacBooks.

The price of shopping for a brand new battery towards shopping for a brand new laptop computer

You’ll be able to set up an OEM battery in (most) laptops your self, or you’ll be able to ship it in to the producer

It is all the time cheaper to switch your battery than it’s to purchase a brand new laptop computer. However, how a lot it could possibly value to switch your battery will depend upon a number of components: what sort of laptop computer you may have, whether or not OEM batteries in your laptop computer can be found, and the way a lot your native restore store or producer will cost for a substitute battery. Nevertheless, not all laptops have replaceable batteries — lots of the hottest laptops from larger manufacturers similar to Dell or HP function replaceable batteries, however it’s not all the time a assure. Be certain that to seek for your particular laptop computer on-line to see if its battery is replaceable.

You must also all the time attempt to purchase a substitute immediately from the producer. There is a substantial quantity of counterfeit batteries floating round on webstores similar to Amazon, which will be harmful to put in in your laptop computer. HP, Lenovo, and Dell all promote substitute batteries on their web sites for his or her laptops, and practically all manufacturers promote substitute batteries at shops and on-line at locations similar to Microcenter and Newegg. OEM batteries are sometimes very inexpensive, starting from $25 to $150, relying on the laptop computer itself.

Sending your laptop computer to the producer to have the battery changed will sometimes run wherever from $50 to $200, relying on the producer and the laptop computer. Once you examine this to how a lot a brand new laptop computer will value you, it is all the time less expensive to switch the battery both your self, or by sending it in to the producer, than it will be to purchase a model new one.

What ought to I do with an previous laptop computer battery?

Please do not throw a laptop computer battery within the trash

You must by no means throw a lithium battery within the trash. Not solely is it environmentally dangerous, however it may be downright harmful in your rubbish collectors. Simply final week in my neighborhood, a rubbish truck caught hearth throughout its assortment route, and the offender? A number of improperly discarded lithium batteries. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says you must by no means discard a lithium battery within the trash, however ought to as a substitute discover your local e-waste recycling center or a hazardous waste center. Lithium batteries disposed of incorrectly can result in wildfires and might trigger pollution to leach into the soil or waterways extra simply.

This is without doubt one of the main advantages of sending a laptop computer to a restore store or to the producer to have its battery changed. Once you ship a battery in, the restore technician will sometimes recycle the previous battery for you, which means one much less journey to a recycling middle in your finish. Whereas you’ll lower your expenses by changing an previous battery at dwelling, you will must take the additional step in disposing of the battery the right method.

Total, whether or not you might be sending in a battery in to get replaced or shopping for a substitute on-line and doing it at dwelling, it is nonetheless price it to switch an previous laptop computer battery over shopping for a brand new laptop computer altogether, particularly if the laptop computer is not that previous. In some circumstances, in case your laptop computer was greater than 5 years previous, it may be time to spend money on a brand new laptop computer, however when you have a more moderen laptop computer with a battery that is hit its peak, it is price saving some cash by changing the battery your self.