Stay Powered: Choosing a Battery for Your Laptop
When the battery sign on your screen has a red X marked across it, that is your cue to replace it. Laptops that use Windows 7, for instance, will warn you with a "Consider replacing your battery" alert. By the time this happens, you will notice your battery does not hold its charge substantially when disconnected from the power source.
Choosing a replacement laptop battery is simple, but only when you are well informed on what to look out for. With so many on the market, not to mention the availability of counterfeit batteries, you could end up with one that gives you a worse experience than your old battery.
How can I check the life on my laptop battery?
It is possible to check the life of your IBM battery. To do so, follow these steps:
- Step one - Click the start button, go to the "Search programs and files box" and type "cmd"
- Step two - Listed at the top of your start box you will see "cmd.exe". Right-click on it.
- Step three - Click on "Run as administrator".
- Step four - Type "cd%useprofile%/Desktop" in the command prompt and press "Enter".
- Step five - Another command prompt will appear. In it, type "powercfg-energy" and press "Enter".
This will avail the details in about 60 seconds.
How can I ensure I purchase the right battery
It is very easy to get duped into buying a fake battery or one with dead cells. What is worse is it is difficult to know whether the battery you have is genuine or not. Here are a number of factors to consider when choosing your ideal replacement battery:
- Part number - This is an essential part of your purchase. By definition, a part number is a unique identifier used by manufacturers to simplify the identification of manufactured parts.
- Make and model - The make of batteries is their manufacturer. An example is IBM laptop battery, where IBM is the make. A model is also an identification number used by manufacturers. An example is the IBM Thinkpad T42p, where, T is the series and the 42p is the model number.
- Chemistry - Ensure your battery is lithium based. A good example of this is the Li-ion battery.
- Capacity - This is the amount of energy a battery holds. It is also called the runtime battery capacity. Knowing how much your IBM laptop battery holds in relation to how much you need will help you to choose the most suitable one for you.
- The number of cells - The more cells your battery has, the more its capacity. In this regard, it is important to understand the type of cells your batteries use. The most common is the 18650. This is a 3.6 V cylindrical Li-on cell battery.
- Voltage - It is impossible to choose the desired voltage for your laptop. To choose well, go for the voltage that is similar or closest to what your old battery offered.
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