Complete Lpatop Battery Knowledgebase

Choosing a spare laptop battery can be confusing for laptop users who are not familiar with power ratings and battery terms. It is a good idea to look at the individual battery specifications on a new laptop before making a purchase. While there are many choices available,  so knowing what the laptop battery power ratings mean is important for anyone who wants either a replacement laptop battery or an upgrade to the laptop battery he or she already has. 

Laptop Battery Voltage

The voltage rating on a laptop battery is generally expressed in volts (V). Typically, laptop batteries are rated with a number such as ‘10.8 V’. Voltage is used to measure the amount of pressure produced by the positive and negative energy inside of the battery. As such, it can be used to measure the amount of power present in the battery. The more volts present, the more power can be pulled from the battery at once. Surfing the web often requires minimal voltage while watching DVDs or playing games via an optical drive requires maximum voltage. Usually, batteries are equipped to work well with any sort of power usage, which is another case where the power management comes in.

Laptop Battery Number of Cells

Many batteries feature a range of cells. On a laptop battery, the number of cells represents the number of battery partitions. Cells can range from one or two to upwards of nine and usually the more cells, the higher the capacity and life of the battery. A battery with more power cells has a longer battery life than a battery with fewer cells. Other factors can affect the life of the battery as well, but usually a 9-cell Dell latitude e6400 battery has twice the life of a 6-cell battery.

Laptop Battery Capacity

Every battery has a capacity rating, although it might not be quite as obvious as the factory ‘7.5 hours’ or ’11 hours’. The voltage, expressed in volts, and the electric current, expressed in amperes or amps, or milliampere-hours (mAh) can also be used to calculate the exact battery life or battery capacity. These specifications are important for anyone who needs a specific battery capacity, or for anyone who would like to find a battery with a large capacity.

Laptop Battery Material

While any modern laptop battery is going to be a lithium-ion battery, older laptops might have a NiCad or nickel-cadmium, or a NiMH battery with nickel-metal hydride. Both batteries are out of date and are not as environmentally safe, nor as efficient, as lithium-ion batteries. However, these batteries are present and necessary on any laptop made for them so it is always important to check which types of batteries are being used in a specific laptop. Laptop batteries are either NiMH or lithium-ion although, for the most part, lithium-ion batteries have more power and are lighter than nickel batteries.

Purchasing a Laptop Battery Tips

There are many factors to choosing a battery, and in some cases, it depends on what the battery is being purchased for. Anyone purchasing a laptop battery to replace an older battery must choose a battery that is suitable for the computer it should power. On the other hand, anyone who is shopping for notebooks and wants to compare the HP 593554-001 laptop batteries of various models can simply compare the battery ratings, including number of cells, power rating, and expected life.

Purchasing a replacement battery requires extra considerations but mostly requires that the battery be compatible with the laptop. Standard laptop batteries can be purchased from laptop manufacturer and online battery store: AussieBatt at a much lower cost.

To purchase a replacement battery, check the model number on the old battery or check the manufacturer website for a list of compatible batteries. While it is important to choose a model recommended by the laptop manufacturer, it is not important to choose the same power specifications. Many people choose to upgrade their battery by purchasing one with more cells, more ampere hours, and more voltage. In this case, the only real specification is that the battery fit into the computer and that it provide the minimum amount of power necessary for the laptop.