Battery maintenance - Lenovo

Proper battery maintenance is still an issue nowadays and I am still not completely sure what is the best practice. I know how to properly store the battery (point 3 below) but what about the one I use...? Well, most of the time I have my laptop on AC power...

Recently I got a new laptop Lenovo T440s that has an internal battery that makes everything a bit more complicated. So, I sat down and red a bit more on what Lenovo suggests. Here is what I found in the "Power Manager" help.


Your Lenovo battery is a consumable component that decreases in performance over time. Here are some tips to help you maximize the lifespan of your battery: 

1. Make sure you are using the correct ac adapter for your model. Using the wrong adapter will prevent the battery from charging fully and may cause the battery gauge to be inaccurate.
2. Do not place your battery or your Lenovo computer in a high temperature environment.
3. When you store your battery outside of your computer, store it with a charge of less than 50% to reduce the battery deterioration.
4. If you primarily use your computer with the AC adapter attached and only infrequently use battery power, battery deterioration may occur faster when the battery is constantly charged at 100%. Lower the charge thresholds of your battery if you use your Lenovo computer often while on AC power. Learn about Changing Battery Charge Mode and Changing Battery Charge Thresholds (I have copied the text in the next section).
5. If you have a Li-Ion or Li-Polimer battery, learn about resetting the battery gauge.
6. If you have a NiMH battery, learn about conditioning the battery.
7. Use Power Manager to select the best power plan for you. Learn about using Power Manager. 

• Note: If it has been a long time since you last charge your battery, it will take longer to charge.
• Note: Battery performance will be temporarily be degraded if the battery is used in a cold environment.

This section describes the settings available in Advanced mode.

If you primarily use your computer with the AC adapter attached and only infrequently use battery power, battery deterioration may occur faster if the battery is constantly charged at 100%. Lowering the charge thresholds for your battery, periodically resetting the battery gauge, using Maximum Lifespan mode, or using Battery Health Mode will help increase its lifespan.

To change the battery charge mode, click the Battery Maintenance... button on the Battery Information tab. On the Lenovo computer with replaceable battery, there are three options listed below the Charge mode section. By default, Automatically optimize for battery lifespan is selected. This option sets the battery charge mode automatically by monitoring battery usage. Initial mode is Maximum Runtime mode and this option charges with full charge voltage. When the battery charge mode is set Maximum Lifespan mode, it helps to increase battery lifespan by reducing charging capacity. When Maximum Lifespan mode is set, Power Manager’s battery gauge displayed on taskbar is shown with green outline. Always fully charge (Start when below 96%; stop at 100%) uses Maximum Runtime mode. This mode starts charging when the remaining capacity of the battery is below 96% and stops charging at 100%. Note, this setting may not help to increase battery lifespan. You can also create your own stop and start thresholds by selecting Custom charge threshold and entering your preferred values.

On the Lenovo computer with embedded battery, there are also three options listed below the Charge mode selection. By default, Always fully charge (Start when below 96%; stop at 100%) is selected. If battery stays at or near full charge, it is recommended you select Optimize for battery health to set Battery Health Mode. Battery Health Mode immediately discharge your battery to 50% and set to stop charging at 50% and start charging at 46%. You can also create your own stop and start thresholds by selecting Custom charge threshold and entering your preferred values.

Note:

• The stop charge threshold must be at least 4% above the start threshold.
• If you don't see the above options, please refer to Changing Battery Charge Thresholds.

Essentially, I configured the internal battery to be maintained between 45% and 55% to extend its life. For the removable battery I set to be kept between  70% and 80% which is kind of compromise between life-span and having some battery for unexpected situations. If I know that I might need the computer on battery I switch back to normal charging plan which will charge both batteries to their full capacity.