How to Check Your Laptop Battery Health and Make It Last Longer
Laptop batteries do not last forever — they gradually lose capacity with every charge cycle. But how quickly they degrade depends largely on how you treat them. Here is what you need to know.
How battery capacity degrades
Lithium-ion batteries have a maximum capacity that decreases over time. A new battery might hold 100% of its rated capacity. After 500 charge cycles, it might hold 80%. After 1000 cycles, perhaps 60%. This is why a laptop that used to last 8 hours might only last 4-5 hours after a few years.
How to check your current battery health
On Mac, hold Option and click the battery icon in the menu bar — it will say Normal, Replace Soon, or Service Battery. On Windows, type "powercfg /batteryreport" in Command Prompt to generate a detailed battery report. Cerebro Scan shows battery health percentage directly on its Battery tab.
Tips to slow down battery degradation
Avoid leaving your laptop plugged in at 100% for extended periods. Many modern laptops have a battery optimisation setting that limits charging to 80% to preserve long-term health. Avoid letting the battery drain to 0% regularly. Try to keep it between 20% and 80% for the best long-term results.
When to replace the battery
Most laptop batteries are replaceable. A battery showing 70% or less of its original capacity is worth replacing — it is usually a straightforward job for a computer repair shop and costs significantly less than buying a new laptop.
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