Laptops and mains power

Spyhop · 5 Apr 2006 at 07:24

Hey

A quick question regarding running laptops with a mains cable plugged in. Is the battery being constantly topped up by the mains supply whilst being drained as normal? Or is the battery bypassed completely?

Thanks

semi-pro waster · 5 Apr 2006 at 10:59

As far as I am aware the battery will be constantly topped up although this probably will only kick in once it has dropped to say 99% full. If you are going to leave your laptop permanantly connected to the mains and your power supply is relatively stable then I'd disconnect the battery.

DB_SamX · 6 Apr 2006 at 02:20

Btw, just in case you are not aware, it is recommended to drain the battery every so often to keep ot in good shape. I should have learnt that 3 years ago; my laptop was always on mains. Now my battery has got a lifetime of 0 minutes.

Raymond Lin · 6 Apr 2006 at 03:08

I've knew about the battery top up thinig before i got my laptop 2 years ago. Due to all the people i know who has laptop and all have battery life of zero minutes. At day 1 since i got it whenever I use the mains (like now) the battery is taken out.

Energize · 6 Apr 2006 at 03:24

On some devices the battery is bypassed. For example a ups has power running through it all the time but it isnt being charged otherwise the battery would get ruined. Most portable things are usually like this, so you dont have to keep taking the battery out when you use the mains.

hittman · 6 Apr 2006 at 03:32

Energize said:
On some devices the battery is bypassed. For example a ups has power running through it all the time but it isnt being charged otherwise the battery would get ruined. Most portable things are usually like this, so you dont have to keep taking the battery out when you use the mains.

how do you find out if your laptop is capable of this?

Raymond Lin · 6 Apr 2006 at 15:56

hittman said:
how do you find out if your laptop is capable of this?

take the battery out and press the power button.

hittman · 6 Apr 2006 at 17:53

Raymond Lin said:
take the battery out and press the power button.

erm.. what would this prove?

Sparky191 · 6 Apr 2006 at 17:59

Energize said:
On some devices the battery is bypassed. For example a ups has power running through it all the time but it isnt being charged otherwise the battery would get ruined. Most portable things are usually like this, so you dont have to keep taking the battery out when you use the mains.

I've never seem a laptop do this. Which I can't understand unless they are fleecing everyone for batteries.