IBM T40 batteries - huh?

[thelittleprincess]

What's the difference between the following batteries:

ThinkPad T40/R50 Series 6 Cell Li-Ion Battery
ThinkPad T40/R50 Series 9 Cell Li-Ion Battery
ThinkPad T40/R50 Series High Capacity Li-Ion Battery

I think I currently have the 6 Cell Li-Ion battery - when i bought the laptop, it claimed that the battery life should be 2.5 hours - but it was more like 1.5 hours. It now lasts me like 50 minutes.

I remember that the 9 Cell is suppose give 6-7.5 hours of battery life....but it sticks out a little from the back of the laptop. This one has battery Power of 7.2 Amp/Hr

Then there is the High Capacity - I never knew this existed. The IBM site says that this is also a 9 Cell Li-Ion battery and the only difference I noticed was the Power which is 6.6 Amp/Hr. So how much better is this or is it not? The price for this is $20 more than the 6 Cell; The price is teh same as the 9 Cell.

Thanks!!

 

[fbrdphreak]

There are three different batteries for the Thinkpad T40/R50 series:
6-cell 4.4AHr 48WHr
9-cell 6.6AHr
UltraSlim 22WHr

Sorry those aren't all the same units, but I couldn't find the exact info. The Ultra Slim should be around 2.2AHr or so. Basically, with the 9-cell & UltraSlim, you get 7-8 hours of battery life total; the equivalent to a 12-cell battery IMO.
I wouldn't expect more than 6 hours out of the 9-cell.
Where did you find a 7.2AHr high capacity battery? Link??

 

[thunderroller]

longer life

 

[thelittleprincess]

Originally posted by: fbrdphreak
There are three different batteries for the Thinkpad T40/R50 series:
6-cell 4.4AHr 48WHr
9-cell 6.6AHr
UltraSlim 22WHr

Sorry those aren't all the same units, but I couldn't find the exact info. The Ultra Slim should be around 2.2AHr or so. Basically, with the 9-cell & UltraSlim, you get 7-8 hours of battery life total; the equivalent to a 12-cell battery IMO.
I wouldn't expect more than 6 hours out of the 9-cell.
Where did you find a 7.2AHr high capacity battery? Link??

link to 9 Cell Li-Ion Battery
link to High Capacity Li-Ion Battery

I know that the 9 Cell is suppose to have a longer life than the 6 Cell - But I don't know the difference between the 9 Cell and High Capacity batteries.

 

[Pandaren]

I think they are the same thing. You can call IBM, give them the part numbers, and they will tell you for sure.

 

[fbrdphreak]

I posted on Thinkpds.com, we'll see what people say
But if you're looking for one to buy, definitely get the 7.2AHr one.

 

[thelittleprincess]

thanks everyone for trying to help me figure this out. honestly, i have no clue what the AHr even means - can someone explain that to me? I did check out fbrdphreak's post on thinkpad.com - but I had no clue what people were talking about. Does a higher AHr value means it's better? I need to replace the stinking battery I have now - I think it is a 6 cell battery - but since i keep it charged with the AC while using it at school, i think i've decreased the battery power - it only lasts me under an hour now.....so sad.

Oh, and I did email IBM...but have yet to hear from them. All I got was a confirmation email the other day and that is it.

My brother says he'll get me a new one - i figure for $20 more, the 9 cell or high capacity would be a much better option than the 6 cell. But that's the problem - which is better for me - the 9 cell or the high capacity? so far, it looks like people are pointing at the 9 cell becasue of the 7.2Amp/Hr......is that right? If so, why is this better? Layman's term please - I just am clueless and don't understand.

THANKS AGAIN SO MUCH!!

 

[fbrdphreak]

AHr = Amps*Hours
This gives a measure of how much of a current draw the battery will sustain over time, basically. All you really need to know is that the higher the number, the larger the capacity of the battery. 6-cell, 8-cell, 9-cell, and 12-cell are also measures of battery capacity, but they don't give you an exact idea. For example, if a battery has an 8.8AHr capacity, is it a 9-cell? Or maybe a 12-cell? In the case of the HP dv1000 laptop, its a 12-cell. There is also a WHr rating, which is a measure of how much of a power draw the battery can sustain over time. The lower capacity 6-cell has a WHr rating of ~47 when brand new. What you'll notice with the IBM Battery Information program is that over time the WHr rating will decrease over time, showing the wear and tear on the battery.
If you're getting a new battery, don't waste your money on the 6-cell. The 9-cell is the only way to go if you're spending money on it
Hope this helps!

 

[thelittleprincess]

Thanks, fbrdphreak.

I just emailed my brother on the 6 cell and 9 cell - since he's paying, he gets to make the choice. I bet since it's only $20 more, he'll go for the 9 cell. I just wanted to make sure I got the better choice for $179 - which in this case sounds like the 9 cell instead of the High Capacity. Strange - they make the "High Capacity" sound so much better that the 9 Cell.

 

[qaa541]

Newegg has the hi cap 9 cell for $100, wayyy cheaper than IBM direct.

 

[fbrdphreak]

Link for the lazy
Note that this is the "old" 9-cell with 6.6AHr capacity. It will probably take a while for the 7.2AHr's to hit retail outlets

 

[thelittleprincess]

sarcastic **darn**

hahaha - as i jump up and down - my brother decided to order the 9 cell battery with the 7.2 AHr. Yippee!!

Question - I was reading somewhere that you can set up the laptop so that it uses the battery until you hit a specified power level then it charges the battery for you - or something about allowing your battery to drain then charging. Something called "maximiser." Is this true? If so, how do I do it?

Plus, I figure I shouldn't keep the AC plugged in while the battery is in place, am i right? I want to prevent what just happened to my current 6 cell battery from happening to my new 9 cell battery.

Thanks in advance!!

 

[fbrdphreak]

Check out Battery University for all of your battery questions, but here are the important parts for a laptop Li-On battery:

Simple Guidelines


Avoid frequent full discharges because this puts additional strain on the battery. Several partial discharges with frequent recharges are better for lithium-ion than one deep one. Recharging a partially charged lithium-ion does not cause harm because there is no memory. (In this respect, lithium-ion differs from nickel-based batteries.) Short battery life in a laptop is mainly cause by heat rather than charge / discharge patterns.


Batteries with fuel gauge (laptops) should be calibrated by applying a deliberate full discharge once every 30 charges. Running the pack down in the equipment does this. If ignored, the fuel gauge will become increasingly less accurate and in some cases cut off the device prematurely.


Keep the lithium-ion battery cool. Avoid a hot car. For prolonged storage, keep the battery at a 40% charge level.


Consider removing the battery from a laptop when running on fixed power. (Some laptop manufacturers are concerned about dust and moisture accumulating inside the battery casing.)


Avoid purchasing spare lithium-ion batteries for later use. Observe manufacturing date. Do not buy old stock, even if sold at clearance prices.


If you have a spare lithium-ion battery, use one to the fullest and keep the other cool by placing it in the refrigerator. Do not freeze the battery. For best results, store the battery at 40% state-of-charge.

The biggest killer of Li-On batteries is heat and full discharge. You do not want to full discharge the battery often, no more than every few months. Under the "Improve Battery Health" option, I would suggest "Start Charging Below" to be about 95-96% and "Stop Charging" about 100%. This will help prevent the battery from being "overcharged" or whatever you want to call it.
In regards to having the battery installed when plugged in, I wouldn't have it in for when your laptop is plugged in for long periods of time. The big reason for this is actually heat; your battery slows down charging at a certain level and stops when it is charged; so I wouldn't worry about the charging issue.
Hope this helps

 

[thelittleprincess]

where do i find the "Improve Battery Health" option? I tried looking for these options under Power Options Properties but can't seem to locate it. I also did a search for the word maximiser (I saw this word before) but came up with nothing.