Picture the scenario: You’re close to winning an intense game with your friends, and then, suddenly, a dark screen. Your laptop has run out of battery. Moments like this will always make you wish that you had your computer plugged in or you had a way to extend your battery life.
The idea of having a laptop is to have the option for mobility, so you shouldn’t have to be plugged into the wall all day. This means you should try to extend your battery life.
There’s no bigger nightmare for a gamer than their laptop running out of charge, but if you follow these tips and tricks, you could benefit from extended use of your gaming laptop.
Check your Bluetooth settings
It isn’t always mentioned, but keeping your Bluetooth active on your laptop will consume much of the battery life. In a case like this, you should disconnect if you no longer use the Bluetooth device connected to your laptop. Also, you should switch off your WiFi if you’re playing offline to Improve Laptop’s Performance further.
Regular cleaning
Many laptops and other devices are seeing an increase in dirt and debris clogging ventilation ports resulting in poor performance. Today, less care is given to the duty of maintaining a laptop, perhaps due to the ease and accessibility of having a laptop. Remember to clean your ducts and fans as regularly as possible to avoid overheating your laptop, which will directly harm your battery life.
Unplug “not-in-use” devices
Devices that are usually plugged in, such as external gaming keyboards, mice and headsets, draw a significant amount of power from the battery. If they are not in use, then you should unplug them.
Increase your laptop circulation
Opting for an elevated cooling stand for your laptop will help promote better air circulation and provide a level of “super-cooling” by increasing the number of fans built into the laptop from using the stand. Many of these stands feature RGB lighting that, along with the height, can be changed, offering a more contemporary and sturdy gaming laptop.
Lower your screen brightness
The screen’s brightness directly correlates to how much power is used. From a study surrounding the topic of sustainability published by Harvard University, if you reduce your brightness to 70% from 100% can save close to 20% of the energy being used by the monitor. Reducing your screen brightness can be a viable option and could also be something that can directly help any potential eye damage.
Close unused programs
If you have been using your laptop for an extended period of time, there could be multiple programs that have not been closed properly and continue to run discreetly in the background. Having programs like this running will consume a significant amount of power from the laptop, so they should be closed regularly. You can visit the battery-saver settings on your laptop to check the programs that are running to close the ones you may not be using.
The reasons for poor battery life
1. Dedicated GPU
Your dedicated GPU or graphics processor unit works to obtain the greatest quality video possible to enhance your gaming experience. In most generic laptops, the GPU is attached to the standard CPU. Compared to gaming laptops, where maximum graphics rendering is needed for the best experience, the power consumption for gaming laptops decreases.
2. Overuse
It cannot be ignored that anyone who buys a specialized gaming laptop will likely play games for an extended period. The laptop will overheat from the constant sound usage, screen brightness, running programs and the consistent power utility increase. This overheating can potentially decrease the power life of your gaming laptop.
3. Faster processor
All gaming laptops require high-speed processors, sometimes reaching speeds as high as 4GHz. The higher speed of the processor is directly linked to a higher level of power consumption. High-speed processors will also show an increased clock rate from the CPU, which will enhance the performance of playing games but also increase the chance of overheating.
4. Greater power needed
Including a greater number of fans will help increase the air circulation and decrease the overall heating attributed to the laptop’s increased power requirements. As a result, gaming laptops have much higher wattages than conventional laptops, causing bulkier batteries that are not recommended for travel. It is common for battery conditions to be worse when trying to squeeze the most from a small battery chunk.
Final thoughts
The best way to ensure that your laptop’s performance is always as strong as you desire is to consistently check and maintain your gaming laptop. If you can do this regularly, you will get much more in terms of output and performance.
These small tricks and tips can go a long way in increasing the health and battery life of your gaming laptop as a whole.
