You probably wondered whether it is safe to leave the computer connected to the network for a long time. For many of us, connecting a laptop to a charger has become an essential part of a nightly routine. We brush our teeth, close the curtains, insert the charger into the outlet and plunge into the sleep we need so much. In the end, after long work, should our computers also have a rest? However, these devices do not really need the same eight hours that people spend on “recharging at bedtime.”
Long battery life - myth or reality?
Probably, every second person heard that prolonged charging of the battery of any electronic device only worsens its performance. Is this really so? What could be dangerous "night charging" laptop? How long does it take to charge the device in order for its battery to last its maximum life? Here are some basic charging rules that will significantly extend the battery life of your laptop.
There are two types of people, or How not to charge the device
As you might guess, the time required to fully charge the computer depends on what the initial charge level of the device is. So, prudent people can connect the laptop to a power source when the battery shows a figure below 50%. Indeed, because in this way, it takes much less time to recharge to 100% than if the charge level were at zero.
The exact opposite of such people are users who enjoy the adrenaline that plays in the blood at a time when only a few percent share the device from a complete shutdown. They most often look for a charger at the last moment. They most often suffer from lost data: the computer shuts down and does not save the essay written in a text editor or passed an extremely difficult level in the game. And then, it takes ages to fully charge a battery.
So, who is right in this situation? Interestingly, technical experts do not recommend charging computer batteries up to 100% every day - this is one of many computer errors that you should have already stopped making.
How to charge the battery from a laptop?
Most laptops and smartphones use lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. Many people do not know that lithium-ion batteries perform an average of about 500 full cycles over their entire life cycle. The cycle is a complete charge, from 100 to 0 percent. Thus, if the device is discharged to 0% every day, and then charged to 100%, the computer’s battery will last about 500 days (less than two years).
To optimize your computer’s battery life, you should always keep the battery level between 40 and 80 percent. It will also reduce the time taken to charge the device.
Is it possible to "recharge" the battery?
If you decide to fully charge your computer, a logical question may arise: how harmful is the connection to the mains after the battery is fully charged? The fact is that it is impossible to “recharge” a lithium-ion battery, since power management systems are built into each device to regulate the amount of energy supplied. Thus, there is nothing wrong with your PC charging while you sleep. Contrary to all warnings, this practice will not lead to damage to the battery and reduce its performance.
In addition, if your computer is fully charged, connected to a charger, and is actively used, its system simply redirects the charge so that the device works directly from the power cable. In other words, if you leave the computer connected to the network after it is fully charged, this will not have an immediate negative effect on the device.
We make a long-lived battery from our battery
However, this does not mean that the computer should be left connected to the network for a long time on an ongoing basis. Even with the thoughtful design of the power management system, maintaining the battery charge at 100% during the operation of the device leads to the waste of extra batteries on the remaining cycles without any special need. But the sooner you waste battery cycles, the sooner you will have to replace the computer battery! Since such a procedure can not only turn out to be expensive, but also take a lot of time, it is better to simply disconnect the computer from the network when it is fully charged. And also do not forget to ensure that the battery level is from 40 to 80%.
Despite the fact that you cannot technically “recharge” a computer, leaving it connected to the network for too long, you can easily discharge the battery and harm the electronic device in the long term. So, it is better to leave the night charge of the battery on the worst days, but for now - just monitor the battery level while using the computer.