should i leave my laptop plugged in or should i let the battery drain daily?

Question

i wonder if one of these strategies is better for extending the life of my battery.

Answer 1

Laptop batteries aren't NiCad, so don't retain a "memory" of partial charges.

I leave all laptops plugged in all the time!!! The battery is for short periods of time when away from power sources.

ALSO, Warranty can be VOID, if you don't plug the AC adapter into the WALL first, and then into the unit! This prevents AC surge from hitting the Laptop, which destroys the delicate components... I service laptops, and this is the major killer of them!

And, plugging into a Un-Interruptable Power Supply or UPS
can save a laptop or desktop from the many brownouts each day.

Surge suppression is usually built in. Comes with an Insurance policy! Starts at $24.00 when on sale! A 350VA UPS unit will work for most laptops.

Prefer a 500VA or larger unit on my desktops..

Answer 2

Most laptop batteries are lithium ion or a similar technology, and they do not have a memory effect. This means that there is no need to discharge them and it will not prolong their life one tiny bit.

However, Li Ion batteries have a lifetime that is fixed from manufacture and not dependent on charge/discharge cycles - that is, they simply get old and die. This lifetime is shortened if the battery is operated or stored hot. So you can prolong the life of your battery by removing it from the laptop if it is being used connected to the mains for a long period. There is also some evidence to suggest battery life is shortened by being stored unused fully charged.

Answer 3

plug your laptop in daily however do a complete battery drain every month this should prolong the life of the batery

Answer 4

its ok to leave it plugged in but around once a month make sure you fully dicharge and then charge your battery and it should maintain an optimum charge