The laptop computer is one of the game-changers in technology in the last three decades due in large part to how portable it is. That’s why there are plenty of people who own laptops in today’s era as they can bring their laptops wherever they can so that they can work or play on the go. Of course, the laptop’s battery is what makes it as portable as it is. So, in that regard, how long does a laptop battery last on one charge?
On average, a laptop’s battery can last somewhere between 1 to 10 hours depending on the capacity of the battery, how heavy the laptop usage is, and how old the laptop is, among other factors. Over time, the battery will begin to deteriorate and will not have the same life as it once did.
Ideally, a good laptop battery should last somewhere for more than a handful of hours. However, because of how some people tend to use their laptops quite heavily, it might be difficult to expect the battery to last for as long as it should. Thankfully, there are ways for you to make sure that you can extend your laptop’s battery life and get the most out of one single charge.
How many hours should a laptop battery last?
The laptop is one of the most useful devices of the modern age because of how important it has become to the daily course of the lives of most people today. In relation to that, the reason why laptops have become so popular to the point that about two-thirds of the population owns a laptop is that it is portable. You can basically carry it wherever you want to go so that you can work or play remotely, which is something that is so difficult to do with the conventional desktop computer.
While desktop computers are still better in terms of overall performance, the laptop has gone a long way in terms of how well it performs due to the advancements in modern technology today. That’s why more and more people prefer owning laptops to desktops.
Of course, the reason why laptops are so popular is due to how portable they are. And the reason why laptops are portable is the built-in battery that powers them without the need for you to connect your laptop to a power source.
So, because the laptop battery is what allows it to function without the need for you to connect it to an external power source, you can basically carry the laptop wherever you want to go so that you can work or play remotely.
However, you should also know for a fact that the laptop’s battery needs to be charged by connecting it to a power source. Still, laptop batteries may take a while before they get fully drained right after every charge. In that case, how many hours do laptop batteries last?
The truth of the matter is that there is no exact number when it comes to how long a laptop battery can last because it really varies and depends on a lot of different factors. There are some batteries that are so weak in relation to the power requirements of the laptops that they may even last for only an hour. Meanwhile, some of the more modern laptops that you see in flagship models can last for more than 10 hours. So, basically, the conservative estimate is that most laptop batteries can last for about 1 to 10 hours depending on certain factors.
But what are the factors that determine laptop battery longevity?
Size
The size of the laptop plays an important factor in how long the battery can last because of how bigger components naturally require more power to work. For example, a bigger screen would need more power from the battery. Of course, the same could be said about the bigger components found inside the laptop.
Basically, bigger laptops usually require more power but the good news is that these bigger laptops usually come with batteries that are equally big and powerful. Still, there are some laptops that may be big but have batteries that don’t stack up well to how large the laptops are. This is when such laptops may only last for a few hours before the battery goes empty.
Usage
Your usage plays an important role in how long your laptop’s battery will last because the more you use your laptop and the more processes you are using, the more power the laptop needs to function. This will ultimately drain your battery faster.
For example, gaming tends to be the heaviest among all of the processes in a laptop because it basically uses a lot of memory and also pushes most of the laptop’s components to the max. That’s why gaming tends to eat up the battery a lot faster than other processes. However, keeping plenty of browser tabs and applications open can also be just as draining as gaming.
Specs
Laptops with larger specs tend to also eat up battery life faster. The reason is that better laptop specs mean that its components would have to use more power so that the laptop can work as well as it is advertised to work. This can be seen in a lot of gaming laptops that don’t have the best battery life due in large part to how powerful their specs are.
Age
Like any device’s battery, the laptop’s battery life will also deteriorate due to age. The older the laptop and its battery are, the weaker the battery becomes because of how the different components inside the battery will naturally deteriorate after every charge.
This is why newer laptops tend to have batteries that last longer. Meanwhile, it is easily understood that older laptops will probably only have a few hours of battery life. It’s not even rare to see older laptops that have batteries that will only last for an hour.
Battery capacity
Probably the best indicator of how long the battery will last is its battery capacity. The unit used to measure battery life is milliamp-hour or mAh. Most batteries found in laptops today can have somewhere between 2,000 to 10,000 mAh. For example, the 2020 Apple MacBook Air comes with a 5,100 mAh battery that is supposed to last for 12 hours.
That said, the larger the mAh of a battery is, the longer it is supposed to last. However, there are some batteries that may have mid-level mAh but are capable of lasting longer because of how the laptop is designed to be energy-efficient. One case in point is, again, the 2020 Apple MacBook Air, which doesn’t have the most powerful battery but is much more energy-efficient.
At the same time, some laptop batteries may be a lot more powerful than others in terms of their capacity but, because the laptops themselves aren’t made to be energy-efficient, they don’t last as long as some laptops with lower battery capacities.
HP laptop battery life hours
So, if you own an HP laptop, which is actually one of the most popular laptops in the world today, you might be wondering how long your HP laptop’s battery can last on one single charge in comparison to some other laptops.
According to HP’s website, most HP laptops will have a battery life of about 7 to 8 hours on one single charge alone. However, the length of time is measured on a regular workday that involves simple processes such as word processing or internet surfing. If you are a heavier user such as when you watch movies or play games, except that the battery won’t last as long. Meanwhile, if you are a more conservative user, then the battery will actually last longer than 8 hours.
How to make a laptop battery last longer?
Speaking of making your battery last longer, there are different ways that you can use to allow your laptop’s battery to last longer on one single charge. And these are tips that can be applied to any kind of laptop brand.
Use power saver
Most laptops are built with this function or this setting. The power saver option is usually seen in the power options, which you can access by clicking on the battery icon found on the laptop’s control panel or something similar to that. By using the power saver option, the laptop will be placed in a default power saver mode that optimizes the battery power in certain ways such as decreasing monitor brightness and limiting the laptop’s performance. Of course, you can also edit the power saver option to your own specifications and preferences.
Use apps that analyze battery health
Downloading an app that analyzes battery health can be great for you to know how to maximize your laptop’s battery life. These apps will keep an eye on the different things that actually drain your battery faster so that you can modify the way you use your laptop to make sure that you can maximize the number of hours it can last.
Reduce monitor brightness
Something as simple as reducing the laptop’s monitor brightness can actually make a world of difference in making the laptop last longer. That’s because the LED bulbs found in the screen actually eat up plenty of power from the battery itself especially when you consider that the laptop’s screen is always on while you are using it. As such, reducing the brightness to a level that is manageable can instantly improve your battery’s life.
Close processes and apps that you are not using
Processes and apps are battery drainers that might not be apparent to most laptop users. The more processes and apps you are using, the faster your battery will get drained because these processes and apps use up the laptop’s RAM, which will require more power the more it is used. As such, closing processes and apps such as browser taps you are using or apps you weren’t able to close properly can instantly improve battery life.
Disable devices that aren’t in use
If there are devices that are connected to the laptop such as a mouse or an external keyboard, disabling or removing them can improve battery life because these devices tend to use your laptop’s battery to power up. Also, other built-in devices such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi can also drain battery life. Keep them off or disabled when you are not using them.
What is the usual lifespan of a laptop battery?
Now that we know how long laptop batteries last on a single charge, you should also know that your battery also has a lifespan in terms of how many years it can last. That’s because, again, laptop batteries will deteriorate through use and after every charge.
That said, most laptop batteries will last for about 2 to 4 years depending on how heavily they are used. In most cases, batteries that have lasted for more than 4 years are already so weak that they may need to be replaced already.
How do I know when my laptop battery needs replacing?
So, how do you know when a laptop battery needs replacing? Here are some tell-tale signs that you should look out for:
Overheating
When your battery tends to overheat rather quickly even though you are not even using your laptop heavily, this could mean that it should already be replaced. The battery is now on its last legs and is actually needing more power just so it can function normally. That’s the main cause of overheating. A battery that is overheating can be dangerous to you and your laptop, and that is why you need to replace it as soon as possible.
Failed to charge
A battery that has failed to charge means that it is now so weak that it struggles to even gain any power when plugged in. Of course, you also need to make sure that the charger is actually working. If the charger is fine, then the battery should be the main culprit here. Get it replaced as soon as possible if you don’t want your productivity derailed by a battery that won’t even charge properly.
Very short runtime
This is probably the most annoying part of a battery that needs to be replaced as soon as possible. There are some laptop batteries that have become so weak that they may not even last for more than an hour on one single charge. As such, this defeats the purpose of using a laptop because the portability of the laptop no longer becomes an advantage when the battery can’t even last for more than an hour.
