Is it OK to leave notebooks running constantly?

[doodler85]

Hey guys (and girls),

I received an ABS ZFORCE-F2 a few months ago, and I've been using it for just about everything, but I'm still paranoid about the concept of leaving the system plugged into an AC outlet for several days straight, with the computer running in a normal fashion (not in Standby, Hibernate, etc).

So, basically, is it OK to keep a Dothan Centrino system going as if it was a desktop, or will the components suffer? More specifically, is there a good chance of damage to my battery?

Thanks,

-David

 

[operaman1]

The battery thing is a myth. It is fine. With temps not being an issue I would say you are good to go.

 

[Tiamat]

http://www.batteryuniversity.com/parttwo-34.htm

Here is a link that may interest you.

 

[wisdomtooth]

Batteries are indeed "consumable" items and can degrade over time, faster if used improperly.

The newer laptops with "smart" batteries will have status numbers you can access through the laptop's power management software. I've been leaving my Thinkpad T41's Li-ion battery in ever since I got it this past May, and it was fully charged most of the time. Recently, I checked its status and its capacity has diminished alarmingly from its designed 47 watts-hour down to just 41 w/h.

Yesterday I deep-cycled it by letting it discharge completely then recharge fully, and it got back a bit of its capacity up to 42w/h.

In the space of 7 months, my Li-ion battery capacity decreased 15% because I was keeping it fully charged most the time. NOT GOOD.

Moral of the story: If you are going to leave your laptop on AC power, take out the battery.

 

[jaykleg]

A 15% decrease in capacity over 7 months is about what I would expect to see from a Li Ion battery under most normal circumstances -- whether the system is cycled on the battery or not. Most such batteries are good for about 400 discharge-recharge cycles, I think. You might reduce the rate of deterrioration of the battery by removing it when using the system on a wall outlet, but you also lose the benefits of having the battery in place, too. After all, one of the nicest things about notebook computers is that they have their own built-in "UPS".