Battery life, what gives?

[Ruptga]

I've got a year-old Dell E1505 with integrated graphics, and its battery only lasts me about two hours of basic classwork, simple web surfing and Word documents. Is this average for a 15"er? I'm going to replace this thing some time between Christmas and a year from now and need to get a feel for what's an average battery life, and which brands generally do better. I'm looking for something with at least three hours of runtime in a 15" with good build quality, this thing isn't doing well in that department either.

I know tech changes really quickly and you can't give me recommendations for anything two months in advance. I'm not asking for that, I'm asking for general trends and what to look for, what lines do well, etc.

Also, I'd like to have a basic dedicated card, something like a mobility 2300 or so, how much will this screw up my battery life goal?

 

[Oil]

If you don't mind the battery sticking out 1" from the back, get a 9cell for extra battery life. You probably have a 6cell battery right now and they will most likely never get 3 hours (on a 15").

My 15.4" T61 with 9cell and NVS 140M (equivalent to 8400m GS) gets ~4:15

 

[corkyg]

That's about average for a 6 cell battery after a year of use.

For long battery life, think 12-in display and power saving options.

I have a T60, 14.1-in, with two batteries - 6 cell and a 9 cell. But, I only use battery power for essentials - I can just about always find an a/c outlet somewhere.

You can also carry a spare battery all charged up.

 

[Rottie]

yeah give your Dell E1505 another chance and get either 9 or 12 cell battery!! E1505 with high capacity battery will take you another 2 or 3 years to use.

 

[Ruptga]

Originally posted by: Rottie
yeah give your Dell E1505 another chance and get either 9 or 12 cell battery!! E1505 with high capacity battery will take you another 2 or 3 years to use.

I'll get a 9 cell, but it won't be for this thing. Like I said, I'm having issues with the build quality ( / key falling off, screen sometimes refuses to wake up after opening the lid, obvious wear on the handrests and mouse buttons, screen seems to be getting darker, crack in the back right corner of the lid), I'm looking forward to playing something newer than CnC Generals (boo GMA 950), and there's no warranty on this thing so I'm out of luck if something happens.

So anyway, it seems all I need is a 9 cell battery? I said 15" because that's what fits in my backpack's notebook sleeve. A 1" battery sticking out the end would make that pretty difficult, and I'm not sure how I feel about leaving the battery unconnected and rattling around in my bag, won't the connector get dusty etc? I could get a 9 and a 6 cell and use the 6 cell as a spare and a port cover for when it's in the bag, but this sounds like unnecessary complication, and that wouldn't protect the 9 cell battery's connector at all.

Yeah, I can find AC plugs pretty easily, but I'd rather not have to bother with it at all. Any other thoughts?

 

[Oil]

Originally posted by: ADDAvenger
So anyway, it seems all I need is a 9 cell battery? I said 15" because that's what fits in my backpack's notebook sleeve. A 1" battery sticking out the end would make that pretty difficult, and I'm not sure how I feel about leaving the battery unconnected and rattling around in my bag, won't the connector get dusty etc? I could get a 9 and a 6 cell and use the 6 cell as a spare and a port cover for when it's in the bag, but this sounds like unnecessary complication, and that wouldn't protect the 9 cell battery's connector at all.

Yeah, I can find AC plugs pretty easily, but I'd rather not have to bother with it at all. Any other thoughts?

Unless the backpack is VERY tight right now with your laptop, then the battery sticking out the back won't make a difference. Also, I just measured the the battery on my 15.4" T61 and it sticks out 3/4"

 

[zig3695]

i dont think the 9 cell even sticks out on the 1505. my 1501 doesnt and its supposedly the same chassis...