Is your notebook starting to feel more like a desktop, constantly needing to be plugged in and recharged? This is a classic symptom of battery degradation capacity loss, where batteries become less effective at carrying a charge. Unfortunately, you cannot completely stop capacity loss, and for this reason Lithium-Ion batteries normally last just 2-4 years. However, there are several steps you can take to slow the degradation process, making it more likely that your battery will last four years instead of two.

1. Keep Your Battery Away from High Temperatures

This is quite possibly THE most important factor that will influence how long your battery lasts. All manufacturers agree that it's extremely essential to avoid excessive heat, which destroys the battery's effectiveness. Apple recommends keeping your battery between 50F-95F when in use, with room temperature 70 F being ideal.

To keep your laptop--and its battery--within the recommended temperature range, use it on a flat surface that allows air to flow from the vents underneath. A cooling station is a great way to keep air circulating. You can get one for as little as $10 on Amazon. It's best to keep your laptop off of bedding comforters, pillows, and clothing, these materials not only collect heat, but also prevent your computer from ventilating.

2. "When using wall current, is it OK to keep the battery in the laptop?" It depends.

Shoppers frequently wonder if it's a good idea leave the battery in your computer if it is frequently plugged-in. This is a highly contested issue and there is a lot of inconsistent information on the web, even amongst manufacturers! Apple advises against the practice while Dell says it doesn't matter. After researching this issue for some time, I've concluded that it depends on your computer usage habits.

If your computer is always connected to an external power source, runs a lot programs that require a lot of computing power, and has several peripherals connected to it, you should definitely remove the battery. In situations like this, the laptop itself is producing considerable amounts of heat, and with your battery always inside of it, your charge capacity may deteriorate quickly.

According to BatteryUniversity.com, 40% capacity loss occurs in as little as 3 months if lithium-ion batteries are kept in extremely hot environments--above 140 F--while being fully charged.

If your computer typically doesn't get this hot, and runs on battery power often, the battery can stay inside. Ideally, try to alternate between using wall current and battery power to "keep the electrons moving."*

3. Your Battery Should Calibrated Every Month

Over time, your battery's charge meter becomes less accurate. You might have experienced this first hand--I certainly have.

One minute, your computer tells you that your battery has an hour of charge left, but then just a little while later, it's down to 20 minutes. Sometimes the battery may actually have a lot less charge than the battery meter indicates. This can force your laptop to shut down unexpectedly.

Occasional calibrations help to keep the charge meter accurate.

To calibrate your battery, Apple says to follow these steps*:

1--Fully charge your laptop. 2--Keep it fully charged for at least two hours. You may use it during this time. 3--Unplug the power adapter and run the laptop on battery power alone. Use the computer until the battery is completely depleted. The system should automatically shuts off or go to sleep. 4--Keep it off or sleep for at least 5 hours. 5--Plug in the laptop until the battery is fully charged.

4. Don't Frequently Discharge the Battery 100%

Unlike last decade's NiCd batteries, lithium-ion batteries should not be fully depleted--except during calibrations. Your discharges should go no lower than 50%.

According to BatteryUniversity.com, if you usually deplete your battery 100% you can expect an average lifetime of 500 charge/discharge cycles. Compare that to batteries that are only 25% discharged, which have an average lifespan of 2500 cycles. Shallow discharges exert far less stress on the battery than full discharges do.

5. Exercise efficient use battery power

Bluetooth, wireless adapters, USB peripherals, etc. all put additional stress on the battery. When not in use, it's best do disable these components.

This goes hand-in-hand with tip 4. Conservative energy use both prevents the battery from becoming fully depleted and lowers your laptop's operating temperature.

6. When Storing Batteries, Make Sure They Are 40-60% Charged

Most manufacturers recommend moderately charging your battery before storing it. Apple says to store batteries with 50% charge, HP says 30-50%, and Dell 40-60%.

Storing your battery fully charged can actually cause capacity loss. On the other hand, since lithium-ion batteries self-discharge over time, a fully discharged battery runs the risk of being rendered useless if it falls below a critical voltage after a full discharge. The fact that lithium-ion batteries self-discharge over time increases the likelihood of this occurring. Storing the battery at close to half of its fully capacity protects against both scenarios.

Overall, lithium-ion batteries prefer everything in moderation. Keep them from getting too hot or too cold, and don't let them remain fully charged or fully discharged for long periods of time. Although all batteries eventually need to be replaced, you can extend the life of your battery by using it efficiently.

*Reference list can be accessed at the ShopGuides blog. View our in-depth review of the ASUS G73JW gaming laptop. With a NVIDIA GTX 460M graphics card and Intel i7 Quad-Core processor, the ASUS G73JW delivers the computing power you need to dominate today's cutting-edge games.. This article, Enhancing Lithium-Ion Battery Performance has free reprint rights.

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