Optimize battery when running the laptop only plugged to power

Community Support
1

Hi there

(I’ve not yet my framework laptop, my order is in batch 7 with ryzen config)

In order to save the battery life by reducing charge cycle, is it possible and desirable to run the laptop without the battery if I if use it only as a desktop setup ?

best.

1 Like
2

Hello there.

Possible, yes.

However, there is no need to go to such length.
The general recommendation across this forum is to set the maximum charge level of the battery around 75% to 80% in the BIOS. Past this threshold, the FW will not charge the battery even if permanently plugged, which should save you a non-negligible amount of charging cycles..
It is also a good idea to use the laptop on battery every once in a while. Keeping it unused for long periods while the laptop is permanently plugged can also lead to deterioration of the battery, albeit in a different way.

You can read more on the topic by searching for “battery” on the forum.

Best of luck for your order (and much patience).

1 Like
3

thanks for the advice !

4

This is a general recommendation made across the internet, but the actual science behind it is inconclusive. I have never used a charge limit on any of my machines and have faced minimal defredation over time. By minimal I mean less than 10% loss of capacity over a 4 year span. I am perfectly willing to live with that. My framework at approximately 10 months of use has lost 0.2wh of capacity over that time…completely worth it when compared to the inconvenience of intentionally crippling my battery life for a questionable end result.

5

Is it? Higher charge means a higher voltage across the battery.
This speeds up degradation. I’m pretty sure this is quite proven.

Of course it’s worth it as you said to choose whether you’d like to maximize you’re day to day battery life, or its lifetime.

6

The counterargument is that charge cycles are the only true way to predict the lifespan of the battery, and my personal experience has lined up with that very well. I have seen the argument go both ways, and over the years read more than I really should have on the matter, in the end I decided to ride it out and see if there really was a difference…and no discenable difference. YMMV.

Edit: What we are missing is raw capacity versus rated capacity. Most manufacturers have a built in buffer, and this is what provides a happy medium where you don’t have to micro-manage your battery for an extra three months of life over a five year span.

1 Like