Why Does My Laptop Battery Drain So Fast?
Are you wondering, “Why does my laptop battery drain so fast?” As a trusted computer repair company in Tucson, AZ, Quik Fix Repair can help you understand why your battery doesn’t last long. They’ll also help you understand your options for extending the battery life.
Reasons for a Rapidly Draining Laptop Battery
If you’ve seen your battery life drop, you likely have one of the following issues.
Too Many Programs
If you’re running too many programs, even if they don’t individually use a lot of power, you’ll see your battery life drop quickly. Sometimes, something as simple as having an excessive number of tabs open in your browser can increase your computer’s resource usage and rapidly sap its battery.
Heavy Applications
Whether you’re working from home or enjoy playing games, if you run even a single program that requires a lot of Random Access Memory and other resources on your computer, it quickly drains your battery. Resource-heavy applications include things like modern video games, video and photo editing software, and conferencing programs like Zoom.
System Settings
Various system settings can cause your battery to drain more quickly than normal. Screen brightness remains a common cause of low battery life, but your keyboard’s backlight or running the computer in high-performance mode can also lead to rapid battery drain.
Excessive Connections
If you have a lot of devices connected to your computer, they’ll add to the burden of your computer’s battery. For example, if you use your laptop to charge your phone, connect your laptop to a printer, or connect a webcam to it, the only way to power these connections is your laptop battery. If you have an excessive amount of network connections, such as interfacing with other computers on the same WiFi network, this can also drain your battery.
Corrupted Firmware
Firmware essentially helps your computer’s hardware communicate with the software. For example, when you plug in a mouse, the firmware tells the computer how to interact with it. If you have corrupted firmware, it can cause power issues and your battery may wear out faster or even fail to provide any power.
Outdated Components
If you’re asking, “Why does my laptop battery drain so fast?” you may have an outdated operating system or battery. If you haven’t updated your Windows or iOS, it can force your computer to draw more resources and lower the battery life.
Your battery should last between two and four years. When your battery age approaches that point, you’ll notice a significantly lower duration of power.
Addressing a Short Laptop Battery Life
How can you improve your battery’s life when it’s not lasting as long as you’re used to?
Monitor Settings
One of the easiest approaches is monitoring your laptop’s settings. You can set your computer to use a lower brightness when you’re relying solely on the battery. You can also select other settings, such as dropping out of high-performance mode and turning off or reducing your keyboard’s backlight.
You can find these settings under the display category and power settings. You shouldn’t have any problems using maximum settings when you have your computer plugged in.
Minimize Connections
Because power-intensive components draw power from your battery, you should minimize the number of devices you connect when you don’t connect your computer to a power source. For example, if you’re running on battery power, don’t use your computer to charge your phone. Running on battery power is all about prioritizing how you use your laptop, and you should seriously consider which connections you require and which are convenient.
Prioritize Applications
While on battery power, prioritize the applications you’re using and reduce them to only the most essential programs. This can help you eliminate most of the background processes. You should also avoid video gaming and other resource-intensive activities when you’re not plugged in.
Regular Updates
Ignoring operating system updates from Windows and Apple not only leaves you vulnerable to security breaches, but it can also significantly reduce your battery life. Always install updates as soon as they become available. In addition, ensure you’re updating your graphics drivers and other firmware.
Component Replacements
Sometimes, you just need a new battery. Whether you have an old battery or you have a different corrupted component, replacing it can solve your problem.
Quick Fix Repair Can Improve Your Laptop Battery
If you’re asking, “Why does my laptop battery drain so fast?” Quik Fix Repair can diagnose and fix the issue. Whether you need help choosing a new laptop for fixing something on your current device, you won’t find more expert and reliable help. For a free quote, call 520-448-9611.