Talk to me about laptop batteries.........

[slim_boy_fat]

I have an Acer Aspire 7736-663g25Mn [to give it its full title ] which needs a new battery. I've checked back and I bought the thing new in 2011 so it's been about for a while , and I suspect the current battery is an aftermarket replacement sourced and fitted by me in the interim.

Looking online there'a a bewildering choice of varying specs to fit it, ranging in price from c. £20 > c. £50+ Are the cheaper end of the range safe to use as that seems a huge disparity. It doesn't get used a lot now that I have a tablet, but I like it for the 17.3" screen.

So, plump for a mid-price-range one and hope for the best? I don't want one that takes ages to arrive from China [if at all] or will burst into flames. Are batteries with a greater number of cells and/or higher aH capacity better?

Over to the Collective [100% sure someone'll have the info at their fingertips] to recommend, in terms an electronics simpleton can understand, please.

 

[Kayos]

In my old thinkpad (externall battery, not enclosed like a modern laptop) I opted for Duracell, half the price of Lenovo and a well known brand

Still like new a year later, my daughter has claimed it (for now)

 

[Rkweld]

More Ah will give you charge for longer in basic terms. As you have not modified it it will not use any more than it was designed to do with the older lower Ah battery.

I have used greencell batteries, made in Poland, The ones I have had lasted well.

 

[rikrobson]

you managed to get 10 years out of a laptop, let alone a single battery pack. Well done.

There are UK based battery suppliers. I suspect these will be re-celled packs

This is the first form google

Obviously the higher the kWh rating the longer it should last

 

[mike os]

Go mid range if all else looks the same

 

[dan.taylor.1]

Just watch, in my dell for instance, if you have a 2.5" hdd fitted as well as the m2 drive it has a smaller battery, a 3cell rather than a 4cell. Just check what yours is. It most likely has the amp hour rating written on it along with a part no. So just go off that. I'd go midrange, cheap lithium worries me. I got a genuine dell one for not much more than the duracell offering so worth checking.

 

[mr haynes]

My Greencell purchase still working fine too.
I went with a larger ah and feels like doubled lappy's weight oops!
Gives a nice little riser though

 

[Barking Mat]

Just leave it plugged in ?

 

[angellonewolf]

as above a higher ah will make it last longer off charge depending on what you require

i only ever take mine off to attach to printer so only ever buy the cheapest £10 to 15 off ebay they do ok and i buy them for work as well so we retail them

 

[fizzy]

The cheaper ones often have the same cells anyway. Not much to choose from. Amp/h is king if they aren't lying about it of course.
Just a mention for my lovely new LG gramme laptop. Same size as a 15" laptop but screen 17.3". So light it feels like the battery is missing. And the battery lasts me all day. Flipping amazing. Not cheap at £1000 though but we had a grant

 

[slim_boy_fat]

you managed to get 10 years out of a laptop, let alone a single battery pack. Well done.

Of the laptop yes, I'm pretty sure this is the second battery. I do look after my stuff though, it still has that sheet of foam which came with it to protect the screen, in it.
No link showing?

Just leave it plugged in ?

Not really an option because a) I hate being ' tethered' and b) the power points mostly have stuff plugged into them already (yes, even extensions) and getting to them to swap over can be a pain (literally sometimes).

 

[Migmac]

Try and make sure you get a battery with quality cells in it. The Chinese made cells never get close to their claims of how powerful they are

 

[fizzy]

Try and make sure you get a battery with quality cells in it. The Chinese made cells never get close to their claims of how powerful they are

Where are the cells made for mainstream laptops then?

 

[Migmac]

Where are the cells made for mainstream laptops then?

I don’t know, the ones I’ve opened up so far have either been Samsung or Sony cells inside. Chinese made 18650 batteries are rubbish.

 

[dan.taylor.1]

Are a lot of ultrabook type laptops not LiPo batteries now?

 

[fizzy]

I don’t know, the ones I’ve opened up so far have either been Samsung or Sony cells inside. Chinese made 18650 batteries are rubbish.

This video is a good test.
Although in fairness he only tested 1 Chinese brand.
Samsung has several battery factories in China but I doubt they sell cheap rubbish.

 

[Migmac]

This video is a good test.
Although in fairness he only tested 1 Chinese brand.
Samsung has several battery factories in China but I doubt they sell cheap rubbish.

I’ve just started to watch his channel. The tests I’ve seen so far have been pretty good

 

[slim_boy_fat]

My Greencell purchase still working fine too.
I went with a larger ah and feels like doubled lappy's weight oops!
Gives a nice little riser though

I did look at those but wondered with them being based in Poland. What do mean by 'riser'?

 

[dan.taylor.1]

I did look at those but wondered with them being based in Poland. What do mean by 'riser'?

Lifts the back of the laptop up a bit so the keyboard is at a more comfortable angle.

 

[tom2207]

i run toughbooks , Ive about half a dozen of them , left over from a previous job. I still get great battery life and I put it down to not leaving the batteries in them when they are running off the mains ,, you get used to it , but I have batteries that are six or seven years old and still doing a full days work when needed.
Something to think about if your lap top spends a lot of time plugged into a wall wart.