New MBP Battery at 95% while fully charged ?
I have a new 13" MBP (1 week old), and the battery is supposed to be fully charged, according to the battery menu and some hardware monitor app. Well, the same menu says the battery is 95% charged, while the MBP is hooked to the home's sector. What the heck is that ? Last week, the information was consistent (100% recharged).
What is happening here ? Is the battery defective or is this normal ? I'm new to the laptop world, so I need to understand what is happening with the battery.
What is happening here ? Is the battery defective or is this normal ? I'm new to the laptop world, so I need to understand what is happening with the battery.
Comments
I have a new 13" MBP (1 week old), and the battery is supposed to be fully charged, according to the battery menu and some hardware monitor app. Well, the same menu says the battery is 95% charged, while the MBP is hooked to the home's sector. What the heck is that ? Last week, the information was consistent (100% recharged).
What is happening here ? Is the battery defective or is this normal ? I'm new to the laptop world, so I need to understand what is happening with the battery.
Hi, sometimes this happens when you use the laptop on battery from say 100% to 98% or so. Then you plug in the charger. The battery stays at 98% and not charging. It doesn't force it to 100% all the time.
If you are concerned, do this. Unplug the charger, drain the battery from 95% all the way to 5%, then start charging it, it should go all the way to 100%. If it doesn't, try this "battery cycle" again. If after twice or three times trying this "battery cycle" thing doesn't work, then you may have an issue with the battery. But I think your battery should be alright.
Here's a tip: Use this website, set number of balls to maximum and watch your CPU work close to 100% to drain the battery quickly
Apparently, we're supposed to recalibrate the battery about once a month, to optimize its charge capacity.
I'm learning ....
Okay, the "issue" is solved. After a battery "recalibration", the charge is now back to 100%
Apparently, we're supposed to recalibrate the battery about once a month, to optimize its charge capacity.
I'm learning ....
Learning fast. That's exactly what you should be doing. Told ya it'll be alright.
Also, this "recalibration" should be done every time you use the battery. That is, once you start using the battery, drain it until 5% or so before charging it fully. Don't use it to 60% then charge full, or charge halfway, then use to 30%, charge halfway, etc. Use full battery discharge-charge cycles.
Learning fast. That's exactly what you should be doing. Told ya it'll be alright.
Also, this "recalibration" should be done every time you use the battery. That is, once you start using the battery, drain it until 5% or so before charging it fully. Don't use it to 60% then charge full, or charge halfway, then use to 30%, charge halfway, etc. Use full battery discharge-charge cycles.
You're probably thinking of older Ni-Cad based batteries. The opposite is preferred with lithium based batteries. Full discharge/charge cycles are worse on the battery than more frequent partial discharge/charge cycles.
Edit:
In other words DON'T run that battery down all the way every time you use it. Apple advises to do a full charge/discharge around once a month (if you leave it plugged in all the time).
You're probably thinking of older Ni-Cad based batteries. The opposite is preferred with lithium based batteries. Full discharge/charge cycles are worse on the battery than more frequent partial discharge/charge cycles.
Edit:
In other words DON'T run that battery down all the way every time you use it. Apple advises to do a full charge/discharge around once a month.
Hey... Any links you can provide on this? Would be very helpful if I have been doing it wrong!
Hey... Any links you can provide on this? Would be very helpful if I have been doing it wrong!
I'm certainly no expert, but I am under the impression that preferred battery handling is different depending on the type of battery. With lithium ion, my impression was that partial discharge was best accept for occasional full cycles.
What that full cycle does precisely is unclear to me. One thing it does do is allow the battery indicator to recalibrate, providing a more accurate % of full charge remaining.
Here's an apple page on batteries but it doesn't give much reasoning...
http://www.apple.com/batteries/notebooks.html
A batteryuniversity.com page on lithium ion...
http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/a...ased_batteries
You're probably thinking of older Ni-Cad based batteries. The opposite is preferred with lithium based batteries. Full discharge/charge cycles are worse on the battery than more frequent partial discharge/charge cycles.
Edit:
In other words DON'T run that battery down all the way every time you use it. Apple advises to do a full charge/discharge around once a month.
Edit:
Damn you are right! I've been thinking the wrong thing for a long time.
Any good links would still be helpful nonetheless for more reassurance...
Edit2:
OK just saw your reply.
I'm certainly no expert, but I am under the impression that preferred battery handling is different depending on the type of battery. With lithium ion, my impression was that partial discharge was best accept for occasional full cycles.
What that full cycle does precisely is unclear to me. One thing it does do is allow the battery indicator to recalibrate, providing a more accurate % of full charge remaining.
Here's an apple page on batteries but it doesn't give much reasoning...
http://www.apple.com/batteries/notebooks.html
A batteryuniversity.com page on lithium ion...
http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/a...ased_batteries
Full charge and discharge puts a greater wear on the lithium ion battery because I think it puts the chemistry in extremes and causes temperature increases as well? Recalibration is needed because of the way the battery charge is measured.
Anyways those links are all I need to know for now without getting a PhD.
"The battery has an internal microprocessor that provides an estimate of the amount of energy in the battery as it charges and discharges. The battery needs to be recalibrated from time to time to keep the onscreen battery time and percent display accurate and to keep the battery operating at maximum efficiency. You should perform this procedure when you first use your computer and then every few months after that. If you normally leave your Apple portable computer connected to AC power and very rarely use it on battery power you may want to perform this process once a month."
This is what I go by now that I found this site awhile back. Makes since I guess.
Full charge and discharge puts a greater wear on the lithium ion battery because I think it puts the chemistry in extremes and causes temperature increases as well? Recalibration is needed because of the way the battery charge is measured.
Anyways those links are all I need to know for now without getting a PhD.
The battery isn't really being pushed to extremes so much as you are just using it's cycle counts. All Apple batteries before the non-removable type were rated at 300 cycle counts (a complete discharge and re-charge, for example, one day you use your computer 80%, down to 20% left, then charge it up to 100%; the next day you use only 20%, down to 80% left, then charge it up to 100%, this is a full-cycle count). 300 cycle counts can last you anywhere from 1-3 years. Apple claims that once you hit 300 cycle counts, your battery should only retain 60-80% capacity of its original.
Since the new built-in batteries, not only do they allow more power storage (because of removed components) but because of advance lithium research, they have 1000 cycle counts. They should theoretically be able to retain near their 100% capacity for 3 times longer (6-9 years). Apple tested this by discharging and recharging 100% of the battery 1000 times. This is not ideal testing because it was likely tested in a lab and not real world results. I guess we'll see in 2018-2019 if our batteries are doing alright.
Finally, I use my laptop on the AC adapter as much as possible so that I don't plow through the cycle counts of my battery (the battery is basically untouched when AC adapter is plugged in and you get better performance from processors and graphic cards, etc.). Don't let this discourage you from being mobile, as when I'm out the house, I hardly plug in my laptop. Only at the office or at home do I plug it in. But keep in mind that Apple says to don't be constantly plugged in you have to "keep... the battery juices flowing." They may be right, but it also could be a ploy to make you have to replace the battery...ha ha.
Cycle count information can be obtained from the Apple icon > About This Mac > More Info... > Hardware > Power > Battery Information > Health Information > Cycle count. Mine is 62 after 6 months. Full charge capacity of 6465 mAh. I haven't done a recalibration in a while, I'm sitting at 95% percent and it's done charging at 6172 mAh. I clearly have to recalibrate asap. 2010 15" MacBook Pro.