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Used and Refurbished Laptop Batteries-Some Points to Know

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No one wants to spend money on a laptop only to find out that they need to spend more money to replace the battery. The good news is there is no need to get too aggravated. As the demand for cheap refurbished laptops and desktops has taken shape the battery market followed.  In this article we will discuss a options and tips you should know.

If you’re considering buying a used laptop computer or already have there’s a good chance the battery is compromised or soon will be. This is a very important point to just be aware of and accept. Just like when purchasing a car you know there are certain things like tires and radiator hoses that will soon need to be replaced if they haven’t been yet. They are just part of normal maintenance of these units. As much as we would like batteries to last forever the simple fact is they don’t.refurbished laptop batteries

Many have bought a used laptop thinking they found a stellar deal but now can only use the computer when it is plugged into the wall. If you have owned a laptop in the past you know this is an inevitable part of a laptops life cycle. However you can’t disregard that it defeats one of the advantages of having a laptop computer and is a frustrating situation.

The first tip is that you’ll want to avoid the Nickel Cadmium (NiCad) batteries because they have extremely low capacities and their heavy metals have a devastating effect on the environment.  You do not see a lot of these anymore for good reason.  Also, when being recharged before it is completely drained they have been known to have a decreased level of longevity and the battery becomes useless.  This is called the “memory effect”.  You will want to avoid these batteries at all cost.

Another consideration that I advise you to stay away from is the Nickel Metal Hybrid (NiMH) as they too are known to have the memory effect.  They are thankfully becoming rare as well.  On a positive note they do have twice the battery capacity of NiCad batteries.

What you will want to consider when purchasing a new battery is to aim to acquire the Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) batteries as they are the top model and define the battery standard at this moment.  They offer zero memory effect and are completely safe for the environment.  Moreover they are nearly half the weight of the competition.

You the purchaser can consider new, used, or refurbished obviously, however used batteries aren’t recommended as they typically only last around an hour if you’re lucky. Refurbished batteries can at times be acquired from the manufacturer or retailer of laptop computers.  They are recharged, thoroughly tested, and renewed.  They are an excellent option though not as good as a new battery of course.  New laptop batteries are going to give you up to 800 charges in general and will last for years if taken care of.  It’s important to use the power source whenever convenient (A/C adaptor).

Use the power save mode if the feature is available.  This slows the laptop considerably and can often double the life of your battery.  Also, turn off the major sources of power in your laptop when not needed.  This includes bright screens, DVD drives, CD drives, and networking devices.  Lastly, it might be wise to have a second battery installed.  If your laptop has a universal bay this can be done.  Just have the CD-ROM removed and put a battery in its place.

Another tip many have become wise to is having a total separate battery handy to swap out. When you swap out a battery every few weeks it can dramatically extend the life of both batteries by giving them a rest period. Many note that after a battery has been rested it often will keep a charge much longer as well. So if you can afford to pick up one of these extra’s it is always a benefit.

One final tip if you have or are looking for a cheap laptop is to also see if you can pick up a base station for it. These are great for hooking into when you are home. Most all newer laptops have a port in the bottom of the unit to clip directly into this base. This allows you to have a full size monitor at home that is ready and waiting. The main benefit however is that most of these base stations have their own power supply and give your battery a rest. This also can extend your battery life tremendously.


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