Boosting Laptop Performance and Sustainability
In today's digitally-driven world, laptops have become an indispensable tool, serving as a gateway to work, communication, entertainment, and information. Yet, despite their incredible versatility, the one aspect often overlooked is the laptop battery's lifespan and efficiency. In this fast-paced era, where mobility and productivity go hand in hand, optimizing laptop battery life is not just a matter of convenience but a strategic choice that can significantly impact productivity — whether you're using your laptop for live streaming or to research the latest fashion trends.
This article explores why you should take proactive measures to maximize your laptop's battery life, getting the most out of this vital device while contributing to a greener, more efficient future.
Keep Your Laptop in Perfect Working Order Longer
Unfortunately, as laptop batteries become more efficient, users find a need to be away from a charger for longer. Since rushing to the nearest power outlet in a public place isn't a good look, there are a few methods to increase your laptop's battery life before it needs a charge. Play your cards right, and you might be able to go all day before needing a charge.
1. Use Your Laptop's Battery Management Tool
Windows users have the Windows Performance Management tool, while Apple users get Battery Settings.
Adjust your battery settings in Windows by going to Settings > System > Power & Battery > Power Mode. Users receive three different options: Best Power Efficiency, Balanced, and Best Performance. Naturally, Best Power Efficiency prioritizes your battery power, while Best Performance trades off battery life for more responsiveness.
For you Mac users, open up System Preferences and click on Battery. A menu pops up and provides a bevy of power-saving options for you. Make sure you uncheck the option that enables Power Nap; otherwise, your Macbook wakes up from its sleep periodically to check for system updates. This kills your battery faster than if you let it check for updates whenever you manually wake it from its nap.
Additionally, check the box to "Slightly dim the display while on battery power." Keeping the display's brightness down is an easy way to save battery life.
2. Work in One Program at a Time
While it might be a slower way to get work done and take some getting used to, closing apps you're not working on and working in only one program at a time lets your laptop last longer without plugging it in. This is an especially useful tactic if you frequently work without your computer off the plug.
If you jump between multiple apps, by all means, keep them open. However, if you work for a good amount of time in only one app and won't need another open until later, close everything else. Some experts find that single-task working keeps some people more productive than multitasking. This might work to your advantage.
3. Airplane Mode and Graphics Settings
In addition to not multitasking, enable Airplane mode if you're a Windows user. If you're on a Mac, turn off WiFi and Bluetooth. Obviously, if you need the internet, this isn't a possibility. This is more of a tactic to use when you find yourself working online. Maybe you're editing a video or photo or working in a word processor.
Putting your laptop in Airplane mode shuts down all background apps and processes, saving a considerable amount of energy. Furthermore, it eliminates distractions from push notifications and social media.
If you own a laptop with a dedicated graphics card, there are ways to ensure that only video games and graphics-intensive processes use it while your CPU handles everything else. This helps you better determine when to plug in your charging cable. If you're gaming and editing videos, plug it in.
4. Close Power Hungry Apps
Speaking of background processes, there are a lot of applications in use at any given time while on your computer, most of which you probably aren't aware of. Go into Settings on Windows and find Battery Usage in the Power & Battery menu to discover the apps that use the most energy.
Apps that aren't currently in use function in the background, using as little as one percent of your laptop's battery and as much as 50 percent. Close any processes you don't need running. These are common programs you opened and forgot about, such as Spotify.
It also helps to go into the Task Manager and manage the apps that start running as soon as your computer boots up. Unless you really want Spotify or iTunes to start every time you start your computer, disable those. Any download assistant or "Helper" is also safe to disable.
5. Keep Airflow Clear
Most people don't think of this as a battery killer, but the more often a laptop battery overheats, the more likely it is to die prematurely. Frequently obstructing the air vents on a laptop is the biggest culprit here. If you sit on your bed with your laptop on a pillow or blanket, you put your computer at risk of overheating.
A common culprit is a collection of dust that builds up on the vents. Use a can of compressed air to clean on a regular basis and clean the vents and fans to help. Avoid these kinds of issues by using your laptop on a firm surface such as a desk or table. These don't conform to shapes and block ventilation. Additionally, use a laptop stand to optimize your laptop's airflow.
6. Listen to Conservation Suggestions
Windows 11 provides an Energy Recommendation feature, offering energy-saving advice by showing you a single scorecard that tells you where your system is lacking in conserving energy. Find this feature in Settings>Power & Battery>Energy Recommendations.
This feature displays a list of recommendations for your system, letting you click individual buttons to accept the recommendations. Most of the recommendations relate to your laptop's display and its brightness.
7. External Battery Pack
The worst-kept secret for extending a laptop's battery life is a battery pack. While they're a little pricey, costing no less than $100, they give your laptop extra life if you're away from an outlet for an extended period of time. They're good to have on hand if you travel a lot, and the adaptors sold that work with various laptop models means that once you own one, you don't have to replace it with your laptop.
You also become a life-saver if your friends end up needing a little charge. Moreover, external battery packs work for more than just laptops and connect to phones and tablets as well. They're an excellent gadget to keep on hand.
A writer for PCMag, Dave LeClair, says, "The Anker 737 features 140W output, which means it can charge bigger, more power-hungry devices like a laptop just as effortlessly as it can juice up a phone or tablet."
Keep It Going
The need for men to optimize their laptop battery life is more relevant than ever before. By adopting simple yet effective strategies to extend the lifespan of their laptop batteries, men not only enhance their overall computing experience but also reduce unnecessary expenses and minimize their carbon footprint.
In a world where efficiency, productivity, and environmental consciousness are paramount, taking care of one's laptop battery is a small but significant step toward achieving these goals. So, for a more efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally responsible computing experience, optimizing your laptop battery life is a decision that men, and indeed everyone, should embrace wholeheartedly.
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