Don’t let your portable PC run out of power. Follow these tips and you’ll get a lot more battery life out of your Windows 10 machine.
Battery life is always a crucial part of any PC, whether it’s old or brand new.
We’ve already explained some techniques to preserve power on Windows 7 but what about Microsoft’s latest addition Windows 10? Thankfully if you’re using the new operating system, there are a number of simple tips that will help you save on power so you can continue using your PC that little bit longer. Watch the video below to see some of the tips in action and follow our guide for more details.
Tip 1: Turn off wi-fi and Bluetooth
Windows 10’s new Action Center makes it easier to switch off connectivity options such as wi-fi and Bluetooth which can drain battery life.
If you don’t need or Bluetooth on all the time, go to the Action Center by clicking the small square icon near the time in the bottom right, and click on Bluetooth to deactivate them so that they’re no longer lit. Older machines may not have Bluetooth, in which case you won’t see that option.
Wi-fi is usually used a lot of the time, but if you don’t need to be online for a while (perhaps if you’re writing a letter using a word processor) you can always click the Wi-fi icon to turn it off, which will save some battery as well.
Alternatively, if you want to switch all connectivity options off for a certain period of time, click Airplane mode and it’ll cut off all connections for you. When you want them back, simply click Airplane mode again.
Tip 2: Turn on Battery Saver
For laptops that aren’t plugged in to a power source, Windows 10’s new Battery Saver is a great way to preserve some of your machine’s juice.
Battery Saver does what its name suggests by reducing screen brightness, stopping push notifications and preventing apps from running in in the background.
Battery Saver is automatically set to kick in whenever your battery falls below 20%, but you can switch it on at any time (if mains power is not connected) from the Action Center.
You can also set Battery Saver to start automatically a bit earlier or later too, by going into the settings menu. Simply search for ‘Battery’ in Cortana and select Change battery saver settings at the bottom.
From here you can adjust the point at which Battery Saver will kick in by moving the scrolling bar.
Tip 3: Turn the sound down
Your PC’s speakers use up a decent amount of power, so turning them down even a little bit could help save some of your battery’s life.
Headphones also use less battery than speakers, so if you can opt for a pair instead, all the better.
Tip 4: Turn screen brightness down
The brightness of your screen is another big battery sucker. You can turn it down a notch or two by searching for ‘Brightness’ in Cortana and clicking on Display settings.
Under ‘Adjust brightness level’, move the scrolling bar down – but make sure it’s still bright enough to use.
Tip 5: Adjust power and sleep settings
Leaving your PC idle is a waste of battery, so make sure you’ve got the best screen and sleep options set-up.
Search ‘Power’ in Cortana and select Power & sleep settings.
Here, you can adjust how long your PC should wait before the screen dims or goes into sleep mode. Select a suitable time that you’re comfortable with from each drop down box.
Tip 6: Unplug any peripherals you’re not using
Got a USB stick plugged in all day but not using it? Remove it! Even if you’re not actively using it yourself, your PC will still be powering it.
new MS-16H2 Polymer Rechargeable battery
9600mAh/36Wh Lenovo L14C3K31 Replacement Standard Battery
Sony VGP-BPS38 li-ion battery 7.5V 4740mAh/36Wh
LG R500 5200mA Battery Replacement
YFDF9 11.1v 5800mah/65Wh Li-ion Battery Pack