Helpfulness Guides for laptop battery and adapter
1.What is the different of Ni-Cd, Ni-MH and Li-ion?
Batteries in portable consumer devices (laptops and notebooks, camcorders, digital camera, etc.) are principally made using either Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cd), Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) or Lithium Ion (Li-ion) technologies. Each type of rechargeable battery technology has its own unique characteristics:Ni-Cd and Ni-MH: the main difference between the two is the fact that Ni-MH batteries (the newer of the two technologies) offer higher energy densities than NiCads. In other words, pound for pound, Ni-MH delivers approximately 100% more capacity than its Ni-Cd counterpart. What this translates into is increased run-time from the battery with no additional bulk to weigh down your portable device. Ni-MH also offers another major advantage: NiCad batteries tend to suffer from what is called the “Memory Effect”. Ni-MH batteries are less prone to develop this dreaded affliction and thus require less maintenance and care. Ni-MH batteries are also more environmentally friendly than their Ni-Cd counterparts, since they do not contain heavy metals (which present serious landfill problems).Li-ion has quickly become the emerging standard for portable power in consumer devices. Li-ion batteries produce the same energy as Ni-MH batteries but weigh approximately 35% less. This is crucial in applications such as camcorders or notebook computers, where the battery makes up a significant portion of the device’s weight. Another reason Li-ion batteries have become so popular is that they do not suffer from the memory effect AT ALL. They are also better for the environment because they don’t contain toxic materials such as Cadmium or Mercury.
2.How long do batteries last?
The life of a rechargeable battery operating under normal conditions is
generally between 500 to 800 charge-discharge cycles. This translates into one
and a half to three years of battery life for the average user. As your
rechargeable battery begins to die, you will notice a decline in the running
time of the battery. When your two hour battery is only supplying you with an
hour’s worth of use, it’s time for a new one.
3.What is the run time of notebook battery?
Excel notebook batteries have two main ratings on them: Volts and Milliamperes. Because size and weight of notebook batteries is limited when compared to larger batteries such as car batteries, most companies show their ratings with Volts and Milliamperes. One thousand Milliamperes equals 1 Ampere. When buying a battery, select batteries with the most Milliamperes (or mAh). Batteries are also rated by Watt-Hours, perhaps the simplest rating of all. This is found by multiplying the Volts and the Amperes together. For example:
14.4 Volts, 4000mAh (Note: 4000mAh is equal to 4.0 Amperes).
14.4 x 4.0 = 57.60 Watt-Hours
Watt Hours signifies the energy needed to power one watt for one hour. This Excel notebook battery can power 57.60 watts for one hour. If your notebook runs at 20.50 watts, as an example, this notebook battery could power your notebook for 2.8 hours.
4.How to Choosing the right AC/DC adapter?
Before you buy any AC/DC laptop adapter, please make sure the AC/DC laptop adapter will give you the correct voltage and suitable current output.
To find out the voltage & current, turn your laptop over and look for a label, sticker or writing which shows the voltage and current, it should look something like the examples below. The voltage figure will have a “V” after the number i.e 19V and the current will have a “A” or “mA”. i.e 3.15A, 950mA. You can also find these shown in a similar fashion on the original AC adapter if you have it. In the examples below the voltage & current has been marked with a red ring.
AC/DC Adapter Calculator
Enter the voltage and current then click calculate for the wattage=Voltage X Current
Adapter Wattage Required = V X A
Such as Voltage =15V Current
=3A Adapter Wattage=15v*3A=45W
PLEASE NOTE: If the wattage requirement for your laptop is lower than the 60W or 90W output of the adapter, it will not damage your laptop, your laptop will only take the amount of power it requires. I.E. If your laptop needs 45W, then either the 60W or 90W will work OK. If your laptop needs 80W then you will need the 90W one as the 75W one will not be powerful enough.
Only if you were to plug a 19V adapter into a 15V laptop would you run the risk of damage. If in doubt please email us on our contacts page.
5.How to choose and identify a right laptop battery?
When purchasing a battery for your laptop computer, the first thing a consumer should look for is the reputation of the product at mind. If the product is made by the manufacturer of your laptop (i.e. Sony, Compaq, Dell, etc), you can usually be sure it is a quality product. However, many manufactures do not actually manufacturer, instead they are the brander of the product. for example, if you open up a genuine Sony laptop battery, you may find that the power cells inside are actually made by Toshiba, Panasonic, or a similar big name company. Sony in this case has just made the plastic case of the battery. This goes to show that the brand of the battery you are buying does not necessarily mean that the quality is superior. Many third party brands use the exact same power cells as original manufacturers. Using a third party manufacturer is often a good way to go when buying a battery, as there are usually many extra benefits. for instance, most third party batteries are much lower in price than original manufacturers? Secondly, they usually offer a superior warranty, as they realize that in order to win the consumer’s confidence; they must stand behind their product. A one year warranty is a must. Don? buy any battery with a warranty less than one year. Batteries have been known to die early, and a three month warranty could leave you high and dry.
The next main thing a consumer should look for is the type of battery. Batteries can be made using several chemicals. for laptops, there are four main types. They are Ni-Cad, Ni-MH, Li-ion, and Li-Poly. There is no major manufacturer that still makes Ni-Cad laptop batteries, as they are a very old and primitive type of power. Ni-MH is newer and more advanced, but is not as good as its Li-ion and Li-Poly counterparts. If we compare the last three types (Ni-MH, Li-ion, Li-Poly), we find that Ni-MH batteries weigh more than the other two, but produce less current than the other two. Li-ion and Li-Poly are the most advanced types of batteries on the market, and you should try to get one of these two types if possible. Most laptops that come with one type of battery can not use any other type of battery, meaning that if your laptop came with a Ni-Cad, it must be replaced by another Ni-Cad. The same goes for the other types. Please note that in some cases, this does not apply. Some laptops that come with a Ni-MH battery can be replaced with a stronger Li-ion one.
Lastly you must look at the power rating of the item you?e buying. As technology advances, so do power ratings. The battery you bought last year may be twice as strong this year, and might even be the same physical size. Batteries have two main ratings on them: Volts and Amperes. Because laptop batteries do not carry a very large amount of power when compared to larger batteries such as car batteries, most companies show their ratings with Volts and Milliamperes. One thousand Milliamperes equals 1 Ampere. When buying a battery, always go for the battery with the most Milliamperes (or mAh). Batteries are also rated by Watt-Hours, perhaps the simplest rating of all. This is found by multiplying the Volts and the Amperes together. We will now show you an example of finding the Watt-Hours for our example battery.
Our example battery is 14.4 Volts, 3600mAh
(remember that 3600mAh is equal to 3.6 Amperes).
14.4 x 3.6 = 51.84
This battery has 51.84 Watt-Hours. The term Watt Hour signifies the energy needed to power one watt for one hour. Thus this battery can power 51.84 watts for one hour. Suppose your laptop runs at 25.92 watts (this may be unlikely, but let? use this just for simplicity). This battery could power your laptop for 2 hours. People usually associate the word ?atts?with light bulbs, and yes, this battery could power a 40 watt light bulb for about an hour and 18 minutes, a 60 watt light bulb for about 52 minutes, or a 100 watt light bulb for 31 minutes; it? the same idea.
The reason we have shown you watt-hours is because oftentimes the volts and Amperes vary. for example our laptop that uses a Li-ion 14.4 Volt, 3600mAh battery may use a NI-MH battery that is 9.6 Volts, 4000mAh. Now let? do the math and find out which battery is stronger.
Li-ion: 14.4 Volts x 3.6 Amperes = 51.84 Watt Hours
Ni-MH: 9.6 Volts x 4 Amperes = 38.4 Watt Hours
The Li-ion is stronger.
