Saving laptop battery life

Bigshooter13 · 08-05-2004

Can anyone give me some pointers on how to get more out of my battery? I have a new laptop that I got from ibuypower.com. It's one of those desktop replacements with a P4 3.0 so saving battery isn't easy. I loose an average of 1% every minute. That's just surfing the net with wi-fi on, no precessor heavy tasks. What do you guys do to save battery power? Wardriving isn't much when it's over before you get to your car!

Thanks

digitaldd · 08-05-2004

since you are already in your car why not get a power inverter for the cigarette lighter and you can plug the laptop directly into that. as log as the engine is running it won't tax the battery in your car.

Another option is one of those USB/cigarette lighter chargers which can charge the laptop battery IE do the same thing as the power inverter only is less useful because you can't plug normal AC devices directly to it.

decent power inverter: http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...120-305&depa=0

wrzwaldo · 08-05-2004

Yep, an inverter is the way to go. There are a couple of threads worth reading on this very subject. Here is one of them. Do a search for "inverter" to find more.

sparafina · 08-05-2004

In addition to an inverter or a dc-dc converter, check your power settings for both the screen and the processor speed. There is typically a utility for setting screen brightness and setting it to low reduces power usage. Also you should be able to set processor speed either through the bios or power management software. Many laptops have utilities to create a custom power power profile.

subnetmask · 08-05-2004

You can also remove some memory.

If you're crazy enough to put a gig of it in your laptop

Barry · 08-06-2004

Quote:

Originally Posted by subnetmask

You can also remove some memory.

If you're crazy enough to put a gig of it in your laptop

Wha???

patcat88 · 08-06-2004

ram constantly takes up electricity to keep its state, thats why when u cut the power it looses everythin in it. Decrease the amount, less memeory to keep active. More battery life.

seinman · 08-06-2004

Is the amount of power drawn by a memory stick actually significant enough to make a difference? I mean, how much power can those suckers actually use? I'd think that it would add, maybe, one to two minutes to your total runtime, if that.

After reading through this thread, i'm glad I have an older laptop. Sure it only runs Windows 98, but NS works just fine, and I get 4 to 5 hours on a charge with the display open. Around 6 hours wardriving, since I usually drive solo and therefore have the lid closed and display off.

subnetmask · 08-06-2004

Quote:

Originally Posted by seinman

Is the amount of power drawn by a memory stick actually significant enough to make a difference? I mean, how much power can those suckers actually use? I'd think that it would add, maybe, one to two minutes to your total runtime, if that.

No, it adds much more. I pulled 512 out of mine, and it boosted my battery life by 20 - 25 minutes, and the massive heat you complained about when you used mine is gone.

seinman · 08-06-2004

Quote:

Originally Posted by subnetmask

No, it adds much more. I pulled 512 out of mine, and it boosted my battery life by 20 - 25 minutes, and the massive heat you complained about when you used mine is gone.

Wow, i'm surprsied. I didn't realize memory used that much power.

Thorn · 08-06-2004

Quote:

Originally Posted by patcat88

ram constantly takes up electricity to keep its state, thats why when u cut the power it looses everythin in it. Decrease the amount, less memeory to keep active. More battery life.

This might actually make sense if was in English instead of AOL-I'm-a-preteen-chat-user-speak.

nleahcim · 08-06-2004

I agree about the ram - my ram sometimes will get quite hot - so it definitely uses a good deal of power. Though I'd never remove it. I mean 1GB RAM is definitely necessary for wardriving, right?

olyteddy · 08-06-2004

Have you tried Speedswitch XP or Crystal CPUID or one of those other CPU hot-rodding programs? They can also be used to slow the CPU and lower the core voltage, resulting in extended run times.

fastlanwan · 08-06-2004

Lets not forget the fan and Hard drive. If the laptop is warm w/fan running and hard drive is thrashing caused by not enough RAM your using alot (relative) of DC.

The trick is balance between getting enought RAM so your hard drive doesn't thrash alot yet not so much RAM as to cause the condition previously mentioned. Same goes for CD's. CD's used to play music is where it would be constantly spinning the CD. Yes it can play CD music but it's not intended to be a boom box either.

sparafina · 08-06-2004

This is a truly retarded thread.

08-05-2004	#1 (permalink)
Bigshooter13 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 1	Saving laptop battery life Can anyone give me some pointers on how to get more out of my battery? I have a new laptop that I got from ibuypower.com. It's one of those desktop replacements with a P4 3.0 so saving battery isn't easy. I loose an average of 1% every minute. That's just surfing the net with wi-fi on, no precessor heavy tasks. What do you guys do to save battery power? Wardriving isn't much when it's over before you get to your car! Thanks

08-05-2004	#5 (permalink)
subnetmask The Local Hero Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: South Suburbs, Chicago, IL Posts: 16	You can also remove some memory. If you're crazy enough to put a gig of it in your laptop __________________ Thatcher: What would you like to have been? Charles Foster Kane: Everything you hate.

08-06-2004	#8 (permalink)
seinman Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 73	Is the amount of power drawn by a memory stick actually significant enough to make a difference? I mean, how much power can those suckers actually use? I'd think that it would add, maybe, one to two minutes to your total runtime, if that. After reading through this thread, i'm glad I have an older laptop. Sure it only runs Windows 98, but NS works just fine, and I get 4 to 5 hours on a charge with the display open. Around 6 hours wardriving, since I usually drive solo and therefore have the lid closed and display off. __________________ http://www.seinman.net

08-06-2004	#13 (permalink)
olyteddy Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 6	Have you tried Speedswitch XP or Crystal CPUID or one of those other CPU hot-rodding programs? They can also be used to slow the CPU and lower the core voltage, resulting in extended run times. __________________ First PC = Vic-20, 8" 128KB Home-Brew Floppy Drive ... Current Rig = eMachines m6805 ... Quantum Leap?

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08-05-2004	#2 (permalink)
digitaldd Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: New York Posts: 29	since you are already in your car why not get a power inverter for the cigarette lighter and you can plug the laptop directly into that. as log as the engine is running it won't tax the battery in your car. Another option is one of those USB/cigarette lighter chargers which can charge the laptop battery IE do the same thing as the power inverter only is less useful because you can't plug normal AC devices directly to it. decent power inverter: http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...120-305&depa=0

08-05-2004	#3 (permalink)
wrzwaldo I amuse you? Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 9,147	Yep, an inverter is the way to go. There are a couple of threads worth reading on this very subject. Here is one of them. Do a search for "inverter" to find more.

08-05-2004	#4 (permalink)
sparafina Registered Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: TX,MD,NY Posts: 1,430	In addition to an inverter or a dc-dc converter, check your power settings for both the screen and the processor speed. There is typically a utility for setting screen brightness and setting it to low reduces power usage. Also you should be able to set processor speed either through the bios or power management software. Many laptops have utilities to create a custom power power profile.

08-06-2004	#7 (permalink)
patcat88 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 17	ram constantly takes up electricity to keep its state, thats why when u cut the power it looses everythin in it. Decrease the amount, less memeory to keep active. More battery life.

08-06-2004	#12 (permalink)
nleahcim Unregistered User Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 133	I agree about the ram - my ram sometimes will get quite hot - so it definitely uses a good deal of power. Though I'd never remove it. I mean 1GB RAM is definitely necessary for wardriving, right?

08-06-2004	#14 (permalink)
fastlanwan Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Midwest Posts: 53	Lets not forget the fan and Hard drive. If the laptop is warm w/fan running and hard drive is thrashing caused by not enough RAM your using alot (relative) of DC. The trick is balance between getting enought RAM so your hard drive doesn't thrash alot yet not so much RAM as to cause the condition previously mentioned. Same goes for CD's. CD's used to play music is where it would be constantly spinning the CD. Yes it can play CD music but it's not intended to be a boom box either.

08-06-2004	#15 (permalink)
sparafina Registered Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: TX,MD,NY Posts: 1,430	This is a truly retarded thread.