Tips on Increasing Laptop Battery Life  

Battery life is one of the most important aspects people look at when buying laptop computers. The longer the battery lasts, the more work you can get done away from a power source. Therefore, it is important to take steps to reduce power consumption, and increase the overall life span of the battery.

1. Switch-off Wi-Fi and/or Bluetooth when you don't use it.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth drain your battery power fast. When you are not connecting to a wireless network and any bluetooth device, try to switch off both to save your battery power.

2. Draw less power when using your laptop.

The more applications you run on your laptop, and the higher your power settings, the more the battery will drain during use. Running fewer programs at one time, and changing power settings, such as reducing the brightness of the display, will extend battery life. Running graphically intensive programs like games is especially hard on batteries, since graphics cards draw large amounts of power, and generate a lot of heat.

3. Do Away with unused peripherals.

Computer peripherals such as mice, external hard disk drives and external optical drives need electricity to run. When you are done using these equipments, unplug them from the system so they will no longer drain battery power. Laptops have a touchpad so you can actually work without a mouse.

4. Avoid extreme temperatures.

Laptop batteries are designed to function properly within a set range of temperature. Avoid using or charging your laptop in hot or cold conditions. Likewise, laptops normally run more efficiently when it is cooler. Try to keep the internal temperature down by keeping the fan free and clear for proper ventilation