Battery UK

One of the most common issues with laptop batteries is overheating. Not that the batteries are designed poorly or improperly but due to, in most cases, user wear and tear. While the laptop is using the AC adapter for power the battery acts as a backup in case of a loss of power or accidental unplugging. During this AC power use the battery becomes hotter than it would if being used independently. To lessen the chances of this overheating, which leads to a shorter life expectancy of the battery, keep the AC power adapter plugged in only if you need to charge the battery while using the device.

If the battery is consistently hot to the touch, remove it and allow it to cool down making sure it is close to room temperature before reinserting it. Should the battery continue to overheat or get too hot it will probably need to be replaced. Always replace a defective battery as soon as possible as it could cause irreparable damage to the laptop in question. In addition to overheating, failure to charge or hold a charge is another very common issue with laptop batteries.

First check to see if the AC adapter is securely plugged into the device; the tightness of the connection will vary from laptop to laptop but it should be held in place well. To check for a good connection look for the battery charging LED if one is present on your laptop.

If it is not on wiggle the cord to see if the connection makes and breaks contact. If you notice a flickering LED light then the solution is a new adapter which is far better than needed to purchase a new battery or a new DC power jack which can be repaired by a common user with a little instruction and help.

A laptop is made up of a large number of components that all must function well in order for your computer experience to be complete. Unfortunately, this often means that a single failure in any one component can cause your entire laptop to be out of commission until it is repaired. Here are the top 5 parts that are most likely to fail in a laptop, and why.

Optical Drive

CD and DVD drives, and even newer Blu-ray drives, contain more moving parts than most other laptop components, which makes them more likely to fail. In addition, the reading lens is often susceptible to scratches and other damage. If your optical drive fails, it can often be replaced at an affordable price.

Battery

Laptop batteries are fairly destined to fail, as they lose capacity over time until their maximum capacity is no longer useful and battery life is extremely short. Luckily, replacing the battery is one of the most simple and painless items on the list.

Hard Drives

Companies that sell backup products often tell you it is not a matter of “if” your hard drive will fail, but “when.” This may be a bit dramatic, but the fact is that hard drives and their moving parts are a common point of failure for laptops. Replacing the drive is fairly simple, but getting your data back is more difficult. Always use a good backup plan that will allow you to recover your important files in case of a hard drive failure.

LCD Screen

The LCD screen of your laptop draws more power than any other component, making it susceptible to power problems. Diagnosing the issue is often challenging, as it could be a problem with the screen itself, the inverter, or other problems. See a repair shop for a good diagnosis.

AC Adapter

The AC adapter is an overlooked component of a laptop, but is essential for keeping it up and running. It is also the most likely part to fail on any laptop, printer or desktop (power supply). AC adapters tend to get knocked around and shoved in and out of bags, making them susceptible to physical damage to the cords and the transformer unit. Like batteries, AC adapters are very easy to replace.

If you find that a component of your laptop has failed, see if the repair is covered under warranty. If not, and the repair is simple, consider performing the repair yourself, or consult a repair shop for help.

Upgrading the RAM on a laptop computer is one of the cheapest, quickest, and easiest upgrades to dramatically improve its performance and boot time. Here we will look at the main benefits of upgrading RAM on a laptop computer.

1. Open more programs at once

Each program that a user opens resides in RAM. The more programs that are open at once, the more RAM that is required. When the system runs out of available RAM it begins using the hard drive for storing open programs. This can seriously degrade performance of the laptop, as reading and writing from the hard drive is much slower than reading and writing from RAM. Adding more RAM allows users to run more programs at once without slowing down performance.

2. Faster processing

Many high-end software programs, such as Photoshop and video-editing software, have to process large amounts of data while editing. This data is stored in RAM during processing. If the RAM is already full or nearly full, it will require more reading and writing, which results in slower processing. Adding more RAM to your laptop allows more of this data to be stored for processing, making the programs run faster.

3. Faster gaming

Most modern computer games process a lot of information. This makes them similar to the high-end software mentioned above. Many computer games require a minimum amount of RAM for good performance, but to get the best performance from any game, it is recommended that users exceed the minimum requirements.

RAM upgrades are some of the least expensive upgrades a user can make, and it is a very quick and simple upgrade. With the low cost of most RAM upgrades, it is often a good idea to install the maximum amount of RAM that a laptop can handle to ensure the most performance boost possible from the upgrade. Consult your favorite online parts retail store for the correct amount is possible to upgrade for your laptop.

 

http://www.uk-online.co.uk/news

There are a number of reasons why your notebook computer may stop powering on, the most obvious among these being a power issue. However, even that can be somewhat complicated to diagnose, as power issues can come as a result of a bad outlet, bad charger, bad battery, or a damaged DC jack. If you think your problem may originate from the DC jack, there are a few tests you can run to see if it does in fact need to be replaced or repaired.

First off, you’ll want to remove your battery. If your laptop is only receiving intermittent power, your battery will kick in and mask this problem, causing you to miss some important symptoms. Power on your laptop and basically start wiggling everything. It sounds silly, but it really is an easy and effective objective test. Start from your charger’s cord where it connects to the wall, all the way to wiggling the adapter in your DC jack. If your laptop shuts down, you have found a bad connection. If it occurred when moving your adapter’s cord, you have a bad adapter. If you see the charging/power light flickering or flashing, you may have a DC jack issue.

To verify further, try a different AC adapter, or try that adapter in a different compatible machine. If you don’t have a spare adapter or machine around, you will have to use a multimeter. Check the connection inside the jack to see if you get a reading. Attach the multimeter to your adapter’s jack, and then wiggle the cord behind it. If the meter jumps or fluctuates, your adapter is likely bad. You can also attach an Ohm meter to your laptop’s DC jack. If it is seated properly, you should see some brief continuity readings. If you don’t, your DC jack may have come unseated from your motherboard.

 

http://www.uk-online.co.uk/news

Memory Technologies

Since the early days of computing, RAM (random access memory) has been necessary for storing temporary information that the computer needs to access quickly. Since that time, however, memory has undergone many changes and configurations. Let us look at some of the major types of memory and their differences.

DRAM

(dynamic random access memory) distinguished itself from earlier SRAM (static RAM) in that it used a transistor and capacitor to store its data, and it is the basis for most modern types of RAM.

SDRAM

SDRAM (synchronous DRAM) was one of the earliest types of RAM to come in separate sticks that could be replaced, as earlier memory types were part of the motherboard. The modules operated at 3.3 volts and used 168 pins to transfer data.

Rambus (RDRAM)

Rambus was a technology used by Intel from 1999 to 2003. It offered better performance than current solutions at the time due to the fact that the memory could read and write on the rise and fall of a clock cycle, effectively doubling its throughput. The technology never became widely mainstream and was replaced by other options.

DDR, DDR2, etc.

DDR SDRAM (double data rate synchronous dynamic RAM) is an improvement on the original SDRAM technology. The technology has the ability to read and write on the rise and fall of the clock cycle, similar to Rambus, and has continued to evolve to faster clock rates and better performance over many years. The original DDR standard was replaced by DDR2, DDR3, etc. but none of the standards are backward-compatible, making it impossible to use older memory in new computers.

Memory technologies have continued to improve and evolve since the dawn of computing, and there is no reason to think they will stop any time soon. As more and more computers move to solid-state drives instead of platter-based drives, the performance bottlenecks are improved, meaning faster and better-performing RAM may be needed again soon.

 

http://www.uk-online.co.uk/news

One of the most common issues with laptop batteries is overheating. Not that the batteries are designed poorly or improperly but due to, in most cases, user wear and tear. While the laptop is using the AC adapter for power the battery acts as a backup in case of a loss of power or accidental unplugging. During this AC power use the battery becomes hotter than it would if being used independently. To lessen the chances of this overheating, which leads to a shorter life expectancy of the battery, keep the AC power adapter plugged in only if you need to charge the battery while using the device.

If the battery is consistently hot to the touch, remove it and allow it to cool down making sure it is close to room temperature before reinserting it. Should the battery continue to overheat or get too hot it will probably need to be replaced. Always replace a defective battery as soon as possible as it could cause irreparable damage to the laptop in question. In addition to overheating, failure to charge or hold a charge is another very common issue with laptop batteries.

First check to see if the AC adapter is securely plugged into the device; the tightness of the connection will vary from laptop to laptop but it should be held in place well. To check for a good connection look for the battery charging LED if one is present on your laptop.

If it is not on wiggle the cord to see if the connection makes and breaks contact. If you notice a flickering LED light then the solution is a new adapter which is far better than needed to purchase a new battery or a new DC power jack which can be repaired by a common user with a little instruction and help.

 

http://www.uk-online.co.uk/news

First and foremost you need to disassemble the laptop and remove the motherboard. Locate the DC jack on the motherboard, typically speaking, it is an almost square component with a metal casing located at the back of the board in relation to where it was in the laptop. Using a soldering iron set to around 800° F, heat and remove the solder holding the DC jack to the board. Removal of the solder is best achieved by using a desoldering pump. You may need to turn the motherboard over to completely loosen and remove the solder. You may be tempted to pull the component if the solder is almost off; do not do this! You run the risk of damaging the motherboard permanently.

After removing the component, take a small amount of 99% pure isopropyl alcohol and apply it to an old tooth brush and gently remove the solder film, also called flux; this creates a clean surface for the new DC jack to be connected. Be sure the soldering iron is cleaned after the disassembly process to prevent dirt and debris from becoming attached to the contacts. Take the replacement DC jack and apply a small amount of solder to each contact; then apply a fresh bit of solder to the leads on the motherboard prior to attaching the component.

It is important that both sides of the motherboard have solder applied to them to ensure the best possible contact with the DC jack component. At this point you are ready to connect the jack to the motherboard. Place a small box or piece of wood under the DC jack and place the motherboard on top. Simply apply fresh solder to each of the leads and the repair is complete. Should you need to correct an incorrect solder simply use the iron and desoldering pump to remove and reapply. Finish by reinserting the motherboard into the laptop.

 

http://www.uk-online.co.uk/

A cordless charger provides charge to the battery in an electronic device without a cord extending from the device to the power source. In some cases, this means that the device, or its battery, is plugged directly into the wall. Other cordless chargers use induction to transfer electricity to a device that is set on top of it. Solar and battery powered chargers are other types of cordless chargers.

One type of cordless charger is a wireless charging pad. This charger pulls energy directly from a wall outlet and transfers it to various electronic devices, such as cameras, cell phones and electronic readers that are placed on top of it. One of the advantages of charging with a pad is that multiple devices can be charged at the same time. The charging pad is limited to about six small electronics at a time, which is about the number that will fit of the surface of it.

Devices charged with a charging pad must be connected to a receiver in order to obtain electricity without plugging into the charging pad. Receivers can be attached to the outside of the device or to the battery inside. The devices are charged through induction, which is the transfer of electromagnetic energy from one coil to another. In the case of a charging mat, one of these coils is in the mat and the second is in the receiver attached to the electronic device.

Another type of cordless charger is a portable solar cell. Small electronic devices plug into the charger, which is able to draw energy from exposure to direct sunlight. Solar chargers may be specifically designed to work with a certain device or may come with a series of attachments in order to connect to various electronics. These chargers are useful for traveling to places where electricity may be limited or unreliable.

A cordless charger may also plug into a wall socket and then directly into an electronic device. These chargers only work with small devices because the device will need to sit on the charger, above the wall socket, while it is charging. Sometimes these types of chargers can be designed to charge a battery that is taken out of the electronic device.

Emergency chargers are also available that can charge a device without access to an electrical outlet. Powered by batteries, an emergency cordless charger can plug in to a number of different types of electronics. The electronic devices pull power from a battery powered charger in the same way that they would from a wall socket. Emergency chargers can come with disposable or rechargeable batteries.

 

http://www.uk-online.co.uk/

Choosing the best laptop car charger is a matter of examining a few simple options and selecting the one that best suits a person’s needs. Some chargers are made for a specific brand of computer and plug directly from the car’s cigarette lighter into the back of the machine. Power adapters that convert the 12-volt direct current (DC) coming out of the cigarette lighter into 110-volt alternating current (AC) are also available. Two- or three-pronged plugs can be plugged directly into these adapters.

One option for a laptop car charger is to purchase a power cord that plugs directly from the cigarette lighter of the car into the laptop computer. Each brand of computer uses a power cord with different specifications, so it is important to select an adapter that is made to be used with the computer. This type of laptop car charger it a good option for a person looking to charge one computer or a couple computers of the same brand. These chargers will only supply one computer with power at a time.

Universal adapters that come with a set of attachments that accommodate most brands of computers are also available. Though they can charge many types of computers, they can still only power one computer at a time. A universal laptop charger or a brand-specific laptop car charger are both relatively inexpensive options.

A power adapter is another way to charge a laptop from a car’s cigarette lighter. These devises are designed to convert 12-volt DC power into 110-volt AC power. The computer’s usual charger can then be plugged directly into the adapter, eliminating the need for a laptop car charger. This is a good choice for someone who wishes to charge more than one type of electronic device from the road.

Some power adapters are made to accommodate one or more plugs at the same time. Charging two computers at once or a computer and a phone at the same time will require an adapter with at least two plugs. Computers, phones, cameras and other electronics can all be charged from a power adapter.

There are power adapters with a variety of different output levels. Reading the power requirements of the laptop is the first step in choosing the right charger. It is very important that the output of the adapter fall within the computer’s acceptable range because a lower or higher output could damage the computer. The price for power adapters ranges significantly. While price is not always indicative of quality, it’s a good idea to check product reviews to determine if a bargain adapter is worth the initial savings.

 

http://www.uk-online.co.uk/