| Windows 7: What is the best way to extend battery life? |
03 Dec 2009
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| | Windows 8 Pro (32-bit) 1,638 posts Lethbridge, AB |
What is the best way to extend battery life? Do any of you have any tricks or tips to extend battery life as long as possible?
I use my computer to brows the internet when i have a chance for on average 15-minutes then i put it to sleep for about an hour or long interval. My current power plan is a slightly modified turbo battery plan that extends the length until the computer hibernates. I have aero enabled (it looks like crap without) but I have "show contents while dragging" disabled (hard on the gma500).
I'm looking at using CrystalCPUID to "undervolt" my computer (RMClock is incompatible with Atom processors).
any tips will be helpful. | My System Specs |
| Computer type PC/Desktop System Manufacturer/Model Number Apple 17" iMac MA199LL (Early 2006) OS Windows 8 Pro (32-bit) CPU 1.83GHz Intel Core Duo Memory 2GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-5300) (upgrade) Graphics Card ATI Radeon X1600 with 128MB GDDR3 memory Monitor(s) Displays 17-inch TFT active-matrix LCD, millions of colors Screen Resolution 1440 x 900 Keyboard Microsoft Wired Keyboard 600 Mouse Microsoft Basic Optical Mouse v2.0 Hard Drives Hitachi 320GB HDT721032SLA360 7200RPM SATA II (upgrade) Internet Speed 4 Mbps Antivirus Microsoft Security Essentials Browser Google Chrome Other Info WEI:
Base Score: 3.9 Processor: 4.4 Memory 4.7
Graphics: 3.9 Gaming Graphics: 4.1 Primary HD: 5.9 |
03 Dec 2009
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| | Windows 7 Professional x64 13,991 posts Rednecksville |
You could under-clock the processor and dim the screen. | My System Specs | | System Manufacturer/Model Number Custom OS Windows 7 Professional x64 CPU Intel i7 2600K OC'd @ 4620 MHz Motherboard Asus P8Z68-V Pro Memory 16GB GSkill Sniper 2133 Mhz (4x4GB) Graphics Card EVGA GeForce GTX 480 SuperClocked+ Sound Card Realtek High Definition Audio Monitor(s) Displays 2x Acer S273HLbmii 27" Screen Resolution 2 x 1920x1080 Keyboard Logitech MK320 (wireless) Mouse Logitech MK320 (wireless) PSU Corsair HW Series 750w (modular) Case Cooler Master HAF 932 Advanced Blue Edition Cooling CM Hyper 212+ CPU cooler, 3x 230mm + 1x 140mm case fans Hard Drives 64GB Crucial M4 SSD
Storage: Hitachi 1TB 5400RPM, Samsung 1.5TB 5400RPM Internet Speed 30 Mb/s : 2 Mb/s |
03 Dec 2009
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| | 64-bit Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 & Windows 8 Enterprise 47,728 posts Texas |
Hello IceFire,
Replacing your laptop's standard SATA 2.5" HDD with a SSD instead can extend the battery life quite a bit. | My System Specs | | Computer type PC/Desktop System Manufacturer/Model Number Self built custom OS 64-bit Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 & Windows 8 Enterprise CPU Intel i7-3930K 3.2 Ghz (O/C 4 Ghz) Motherboard ASRock X79 Extreme11 Memory 32 GB (8GBx4) G.SKILL DDR3 Quad PC3-19200 2400MHz Graphics Card Sapphire HD5870 Eyefinity 6 2GB Sound Card SB Recon 3Di Integrated Chip Monitor(s) Displays 3x 27" Asus VE278Q Screen Resolution 1920x1080 Keyboard Logitech Cordless Desktop MX 5500 Revolution Mouse Logitech Cordless Desktop MX 5500 Revolution PSU OCZ Series Gold OCZZ1000M 1000W Case Thermaltake Level 10 GT Snow Edition Cooling Corsair Hydro H100 Hard Drives 256GB OCZ Vector
160GB OCZ RevoDrive X2
2 x 1TB Samsung HDD HD154UI SATA Internet Speed 50 Mb/s Download and 2 Mb/s Upload Other Info Microsoft LifeCam Cinema
Lite-On iHBS212 12x BD Writer
Samsung CLX-3175FW Printer
Netgear WNDR3800 Router
Motorola SBG6580 Cable Modem
2x APC Back-UPS XS 1500 |
03 Dec 2009
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| | Windows 8 Pro (32-bit) 1,638 posts Lethbridge, AB |
How about this one?
It's the cheapest 64gb one that I can find, and the enclosure will be handy. | My System Specs | | Computer type PC/Desktop System Manufacturer/Model Number Apple 17" iMac MA199LL (Early 2006) OS Windows 8 Pro (32-bit) CPU 1.83GHz Intel Core Duo Memory 2GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-5300) (upgrade) Graphics Card ATI Radeon X1600 with 128MB GDDR3 memory Monitor(s) Displays 17-inch TFT active-matrix LCD, millions of colors Screen Resolution 1440 x 900 Keyboard Microsoft Wired Keyboard 600 Mouse Microsoft Basic Optical Mouse v2.0 Hard Drives Hitachi 320GB HDT721032SLA360 7200RPM SATA II (upgrade) Internet Speed 4 Mbps Antivirus Microsoft Security Essentials Browser Google Chrome Other Info WEI:
Base Score: 3.9 Processor: 4.4 Memory 4.7
Graphics: 3.9 Gaming Graphics: 4.1 Primary HD: 5.9 |
03 Dec 2009
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Quote: Originally Posted by IceFire Do any of you have any tricks or tips to extend battery life as long as possible?
I use my computer to brows the internet when i have a chance for on average 15-minutes then i put it to sleep for about an hour or long interval. My current power plan is a slightly modified turbo battery plan that extends the length until the computer hibernates. I have aero enabled (it looks like crap without) but I have "show contents while dragging" disabled (hard on the gma500).
I'm looking at using CrystalCPUID to "undervolt" my computer (RMClock is incompatible with Atom processors).
any tips will be helpful.
Reduce any non-essential services, dimmer screen, set HDD to spin down sooner, change settings for wifi to use less power. If you want a portable computer that lasts all day long, buy an Acer netbook or other brand that touts an 8+ hours battery life. We have a couple of Acer AO-150's with the 6 cell batteries and they do last at least 8 hours. Amazing little netbooks. Just don't expect much in the way of video performance. oh, and I put Win 7 on my Acer. Works like charm, including Aero functions despite the Windows Upgrade Advisor claiming it wouldn't. | My System Specs | | |
03 Dec 2009
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To be honest I think it's fairly tricky to significantly extend battery life without buying a different laptop, but the tips mentioned should certainly help (though buying an SSD might be a bit of an expensive solution). Hibernation is more energy efficient than sleep, as obviously it turns your computer off, wheras sleep I think just suspends your RAM.
Also bear in mind general battery care tips, i.e. don't leave the computer charging for excessive periods of time, try to use it regularly and fully flatten/fully charge it, and if you aren't going to use it for a while keep it flat. | My System Specs | | |
03 Dec 2009
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| | 64-bit Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 & Windows 8 Enterprise 47,728 posts Texas |

Quote: Originally Posted by IceFire How about this one?
It's the cheapest 64gb one that I can find, and the enclosure will be handy. If you can hold off for about a 3 months or more, prices on the latest SSD models (Ex: Intel X25-M G2 or Patriot Torqx M28) should start dropping in prices to where you may be able to get a faster, newer model, and more energy efficient for closer to the same price.
I would recommend doing everything else for now though to see hoy much that can help until prices drop. | My System Specs | | Computer type PC/Desktop System Manufacturer/Model Number Self built custom OS 64-bit Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 & Windows 8 Enterprise CPU Intel i7-3930K 3.2 Ghz (O/C 4 Ghz) Motherboard ASRock X79 Extreme11 Memory 32 GB (8GBx4) G.SKILL DDR3 Quad PC3-19200 2400MHz Graphics Card Sapphire HD5870 Eyefinity 6 2GB Sound Card SB Recon 3Di Integrated Chip Monitor(s) Displays 3x 27" Asus VE278Q Screen Resolution 1920x1080 Keyboard Logitech Cordless Desktop MX 5500 Revolution Mouse Logitech Cordless Desktop MX 5500 Revolution PSU OCZ Series Gold OCZZ1000M 1000W Case Thermaltake Level 10 GT Snow Edition Cooling Corsair Hydro H100 Hard Drives 256GB OCZ Vector
160GB OCZ RevoDrive X2
2 x 1TB Samsung HDD HD154UI SATA Internet Speed 50 Mb/s Download and 2 Mb/s Upload Other Info Microsoft LifeCam Cinema
Lite-On iHBS212 12x BD Writer
Samsung CLX-3175FW Printer
Netgear WNDR3800 Router
Motorola SBG6580 Cable Modem
2x APC Back-UPS XS 1500 |
03 Dec 2009
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| | Windows 8 Pro (32-bit) 1,638 posts Lethbridge, AB |
ok. I should have my loans cleared up by then.
One last question; i'm looking to get an 8-cell battery to replace the 4-hour 4-cell battery, however i can only find them on eBay but they are New in Box. slim but expensive OEM Cheap but bulky third-party Slightly cheaper third-party that does not show side profile or safety logos clearly
I'm deciding on if the second option would bee too bulky or not, and I'm wondering id the third option is narrower because I cannot tell from that pic. | My System Specs | | Computer type PC/Desktop System Manufacturer/Model Number Apple 17" iMac MA199LL (Early 2006) OS Windows 8 Pro (32-bit) CPU 1.83GHz Intel Core Duo Memory 2GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-5300) (upgrade) Graphics Card ATI Radeon X1600 with 128MB GDDR3 memory Monitor(s) Displays 17-inch TFT active-matrix LCD, millions of colors Screen Resolution 1440 x 900 Keyboard Microsoft Wired Keyboard 600 Mouse Microsoft Basic Optical Mouse v2.0 Hard Drives Hitachi 320GB HDT721032SLA360 7200RPM SATA II (upgrade) Internet Speed 4 Mbps Antivirus Microsoft Security Essentials Browser Google Chrome Other Info WEI:
Base Score: 3.9 Processor: 4.4 Memory 4.7
Graphics: 3.9 Gaming Graphics: 4.1 Primary HD: 5.9 |
09 Dec 2009
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| | Windows 8 Pro (32-bit) 1,638 posts Lethbridge, AB |
'allo?
and one last question: do I only need 32gb or should I get 64gb?
as of now i'm looking at the Imation 32gb $99 and the Imation 64gb
you can fit a lot more onto a 64gb drive, but I checked and without my dvd collection I only use 21gb for OS7 and a bunch of cache crap. also I've heard that ssd's power efficiency is reduced when you are doing large file reads, so I probably would just plug in the old drive into a usb port via enclosure to watch movies.
so, should I consider a 32gb drive as a possibility? | My System Specs | | Computer type PC/Desktop System Manufacturer/Model Number Apple 17" iMac MA199LL (Early 2006) OS Windows 8 Pro (32-bit) CPU 1.83GHz Intel Core Duo Memory 2GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-5300) (upgrade) Graphics Card ATI Radeon X1600 with 128MB GDDR3 memory Monitor(s) Displays 17-inch TFT active-matrix LCD, millions of colors Screen Resolution 1440 x 900 Keyboard Microsoft Wired Keyboard 600 Mouse Microsoft Basic Optical Mouse v2.0 Hard Drives Hitachi 320GB HDT721032SLA360 7200RPM SATA II (upgrade) Internet Speed 4 Mbps Antivirus Microsoft Security Essentials Browser Google Chrome Other Info WEI:
Base Score: 3.9 Processor: 4.4 Memory 4.7
Graphics: 3.9 Gaming Graphics: 4.1 Primary HD: 5.9 |
09 Dec 2009
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| | 64-bit Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 & Windows 8 Enterprise 47,728 posts Texas |
Hello IceFire,
32GB would be plenty for Windows 7 by itself, since it only needs a minimum of 16GB for a 32-bit Windows 7 or 20GB for a 64-bit Windows 7. However, it really depends on how many other programs and files that you plan on installing. While you can save files (ex: music and pictures) to another hard drive, most programs will only install on the C: drive. | My System Specs | | Computer type PC/Desktop System Manufacturer/Model Number Self built custom OS 64-bit Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 & Windows 8 Enterprise CPU Intel i7-3930K 3.2 Ghz (O/C 4 Ghz) Motherboard ASRock X79 Extreme11 Memory 32 GB (8GBx4) G.SKILL DDR3 Quad PC3-19200 2400MHz Graphics Card Sapphire HD5870 Eyefinity 6 2GB Sound Card SB Recon 3Di Integrated Chip Monitor(s) Displays 3x 27" Asus VE278Q Screen Resolution 1920x1080 Keyboard Logitech Cordless Desktop MX 5500 Revolution Mouse Logitech Cordless Desktop MX 5500 Revolution PSU OCZ Series Gold OCZZ1000M 1000W Case Thermaltake Level 10 GT Snow Edition Cooling Corsair Hydro H100 Hard Drives 256GB OCZ Vector
160GB OCZ RevoDrive X2
2 x 1TB Samsung HDD HD154UI SATA Internet Speed 50 Mb/s Download and 2 Mb/s Upload Other Info Microsoft LifeCam Cinema
Lite-On iHBS212 12x BD Writer
Samsung CLX-3175FW Printer
Netgear WNDR3800 Router
Motorola SBG6580 Cable Modem
2x APC Back-UPS XS 1500 What is the best way to extend battery life? problems? All times are GMT -5. The time now is 02:57 PM. | |