Conquer the Gaming World – How to Make Your Gaming Laptop Battery Last Longer in 2023

Picture this: you’re comfortably seated on your couch, controller in hand, and a refreshing Red Bull by your side, fully immersed in the world of gaming. Suddenly, your laptop dies, and your epic gaming session comes to a screeching halt. It’s a nightmare no gamer wants to experience. But fear not, because I’ve got you covered.

Gaming laptops are powerful machines, but their Achilles’ heel has always been their battery life. If you’re tired of your gaming laptop running out of juice too quickly, you’re in the right place.

In this article, I’ll provide you with essential tips on how to make your gaming laptop battery last longer, ensuring you can enjoy your favorite games without constantly searching for an outlet. These secrets are precious don’t tell anyone about them ok? So, Let’s start!

How to Make Your Gaming Laptop Battery Last Longer

Now, let’s delve into some practical steps you can take to extend your gaming laptop’s battery life:

Reduce Screen Brightness

One of the easiest ways to save battery power on your gaming laptop is to reduce the screen brightness. The screen is one of the most power-hungry components of your laptop, as it uses a lot of energy to display the images you see. By lowering the brightness, you can reduce the power consumption and make your battery last longer.

To adjust the screen brightness on Windows 10, you can click on the action center icon at the bottom right corner of your screen and then move the brightness slider. Alternatively, you can go to Start > Settings > System > Display and then use the slider there. You can also use the function keys on your keyboard to change the brightness level.

Turn Off the Keyboard Backlight

Another feature that can drain your battery faster is the keyboard backlight. While it can be useful in low-light conditions, it is not necessary during the day or when you have enough ambient light. Turning off the keyboard backlight can save you some battery power and also make your keyboard look cleaner.

To turn off the keyboard backlight on your gaming laptop, you can check your manual for instructions. Usually, there is a function key or a dedicated key that you can press to toggle the backlight on and off. You can also configure your keyboard backlight settings so that it turns off automatically when your laptop is running on battery power.

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Prevent Overheating

Overheating is not only bad for your laptop’s performance and lifespan but also for its battery life. When your laptop gets too hot, it forces the fans to spin faster and more often to cool it down. This consumes more power and reduces your battery life. Moreover, excess heat can damage your battery cells and degrade their capacity over time.

To prevent overheating, you should make sure that your laptop has good ventilation and airflow. Avoid using your laptop on soft surfaces that can block the air vents, such as pillows, blankets, or carpets. Use a hard and flat surface instead, such as a table or a desk. You can also use a cooling pad or a stand to elevate your laptop and improve its airflow.

Another way to prevent overheating is to keep your laptop clean and dust-free. Dust can clog the air vents and fans, making them less efficient and causing more heat buildup. You should clean your laptop regularly by using compressed air or a soft brush to remove any dust or debris from the vents and fans. You can also open up your laptop and apply new thermal paste to improve the heat transfer between the components and the heatsink.

Change Your Power Mode

Windows 10 has a power mode slider that lets you choose between different performance and battery settings. You can access this slider by clicking on the battery icon at the bottom right corner of your screen. The slider has four options: Battery saver, Better battery, Better performance, and Best performance.

• Battery saver: This mode reduces your laptop’s performance and disables some features to conserve battery power. It is recommended when you have a low battery level or when you want to maximize your battery life.
• Better battery: This mode balances your laptop’s performance and battery life by adjusting some settings automatically. It is suitable for most situations when you are using your laptop on battery power.
• Better performance: This mode boosts your laptop’s performance by increasing some settings, such as screen brightness and processor speed. It is ideal for demanding tasks that require more power, such as gaming or video editing.
• Best performance: This mode maximizes your laptop’s performance by enabling all features and settings at their highest level. It is only recommended when you have access to a power outlet or when you need the best possible performance.

You should choose the power mode that suits your needs and preferences. Generally, you should use Battery Saver or Better Battery Mode when you are gaming on battery power, as they can extend your battery life significantly. You can switch to Better Performance or Best Performance mode when you are plugged in or when you need more power.

Switch From HDD To SSD

Another factor that affects your battery life is the type of storage device that you use on your gaming laptop. There are two main types of storage devices: hard disk drives (HDD) and solid-state drives (SSD).

• HDD: This is the traditional type of storage device that uses spinning disks and magnetic heads to store and access data. HDDs are cheaper and offer more storage capacity, but they are also slower, louder, and more power-hungry than SSDs.
• SSD: This is the newer type of storage device that uses flash memory chips to store and access data. SSDs are faster, quieter, and more power-efficient than HDDs, but they are also more expensive and offer less storage capacity.

If your gaming laptop has an HDD, you can consider switching to an SSD to improve your battery life. SSDs consume less power than HDDs because they have no moving parts and require less energy to operate. They also improve your laptop’s performance by reducing the boot time, loading time, and file transfer time. You can either replace your HDD with an SSD or add an SSD as a secondary storage device.

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Disable Wi-Fi And Bluetooth

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are wireless technologies that allow you to connect your laptop to the internet and other devices. However, they also use a lot of battery power to maintain the connection and transfer data. If you are not using Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, you can disable them to save some battery power.

To disable Wi-Fi on Windows 10, you can click on the network icon at the bottom right corner of your screen and then turn off the Wi-Fi switch. Alternatively, you can go to Start > Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi and then turn off the Wi-Fi switch there. You can also use the function key or the dedicated key on your keyboard to toggle Wi-Fi on and off.

To disable Bluetooth on Windows 10, you can click on the action center icon at the bottom right corner of your screen and then turn off the Bluetooth tile. Alternatively, you can go to Start > Settings > Devices > Bluetooth & other devices and then turn off the Bluetooth switch there. You can also use the function key or the dedicated key on your keyboard to toggle Bluetooth on and off.

Lower The Volume Or Use Headphones

The speakers on your gaming laptop also consume some battery power when they produce sound. The louder the volume, the more power they use. Therefore, you can lower the volume or mute the sound when you don’t need it to save some battery power.

Another option is to use headphones instead of speakers when you are gaming on battery power. Headphones use less power than speakers because they have smaller drivers and require less amplification. They also offer better sound quality and immersion than speakers, especially if they have noise cancellation or surround sound features.

Limit External Peripherals

External peripherals are devices that you connect to your gaming laptop via USB ports or other ports, such as mice, keyboards, controllers, webcams, microphones, printers, scanners, etc. While these devices can enhance your gaming experience, they also draw power from your laptop’s battery when they are in use. Some devices may even draw power when they are not in use but still connected.

To extend your battery life, you should limit the number of external peripherals that you use on your gaming laptop. Only connect the devices that you need for your gaming session and disconnect them when you are done. You can also use wireless devices that have their own batteries instead of wired devices that rely on your laptop’s power.

Adjust Graphics Settings

Graphics settings are the options that determine how your games look and run on your gaming laptop. They include resolution, frame rate, anti-aliasing, texture quality, shadow quality, lighting effects, etc. Higher graphics settings make your games look more realistic and detailed, but they also require more processing power from your graphics card and CPU. This means that they consume more battery power and generate more heat.

To save battery power on your gaming laptop, you should adjust your graphics settings to lower levels. You can do this by accessing the game’s settings menu and choosing a preset option (such as low, medium, high, or ultra) or customizing each option individually. You can also use a software tool like NVIDIA GeForce Experience or AMD Radeon Software to optimize your graphics settings automatically based on your laptop’s specifications.

By lowering your graphics settings, you can reduce the load on your graphics card and CPU and make them use less power. This will also lower the temperature of your laptop and prevent overheating. However, lowering your graphics settings will also affect the visual quality and performance of your games. You may notice some blurriness, jagged edges, pixelation stuttering, or lagging in some games. You should find a balance between graphics quality and battery life that suits your preferences.

Close Unnecessary Apps And Processes

When you are gaming on your laptop, you may have some other apps or processes running in the background that are not related to your game. These apps or processes may include web browsers, email clients, music players, video players, chat apps, antivirus software, etc. These apps or processes use some of your laptop’s resources (such as memory, CPU, disk space, and network bandwidth) and consume some battery power.

To extend your battery life, you should close any unnecessary apps or processes that you are not using while gaming. You can do this by using the Task Manager on Windows 10. To open the Task Manager, you can press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard or right-click on the taskbar and select Task Manager.

Then, you can view the list of apps and processes that are running on your laptop and see how many resources they are using. You can sort the list by CPU, memory, disk, or network usage and identify the ones that are consuming the most resources. You can then select the ones that you want to close and click on End task.

By closing unnecessary apps and processes, you can free up some resources and make your laptop run faster and smoother. You can also save some battery power by reducing the workload on your laptop.

Let me answer your question which I think you must have.

Why is my gaming laptop battery draining so fast?

Gaming laptops are designed for high-performance tasks, which naturally consume more power. However, several factors can contribute to a rapid battery drain:

1. Hardware Intensity: Graphics cards, CPUs, and high-refresh-rate displays draw substantial power during gaming.
2. Background Apps: Unnecessary background processes can silently eat up your battery.
3. Screen Brightness: A too-bright screen is a common culprit. Adjust the brightness according to your surroundings.
4. Networking: Online gaming or continuous Wi-Fi searching can be energy-intensive.
5. Heat: Overheating components can negatively impact battery life.

Now you got the answer to your first question let’s move on to the second one.

How long should a gaming laptop battery last?

The longevity of a gaming laptop’s battery varies depending on several factors:

1. Battery Size: Larger batteries typically last longer.
2. Hardware Specifications: More power-hungry components drain the battery faster.
3. Usage: Intensive gaming will exhaust the battery faster than general tasks.
4. Battery Health: As batteries age, they lose capacity, reducing their lifespan.

Is 5 hours of battery life good for a gaming laptop?

While 5 hours might sound insufficient for gaming, it’s actually quite decent for a gaming laptop. Many high-performance models struggle to reach this benchmark due to their power-hungry components. However, with the following tips, you can potentially extend this runtime:

• Adjust your power settings to balance performance and battery life.
• Lower your screen brightness when gaming in dimly lit environments.
• Use a cooling pad to prevent overheating, reducing the strain on your battery.
• Keep background applications to a minimum while gaming.

Is it OK to leave my gaming laptop plugged in all the time?

Leaving your gaming laptop plugged in all the time can negatively impact your battery’s lifespan. Overcharging can cause the battery to degrade faster. To maximize battery longevity:

• Unplug your laptop once it’s fully charged.
• If possible, remove the battery when playing games while plugged in.
• Consider using a power bank or an external UPS for prolonged gaming sessions.

Here’s a friendly suggestion: Instead of dealing with these issues, consider investing in a laptop with excellent battery life from the start. This way, you can enjoy your gaming sessions without worrying about battery-related problems.

Laptops with Good Battery Life

MacBook Pro 16-inch (M1, 2021)

This laptop has an impressive battery life of over 18 hours, thanks to its powerful and efficient Apple M1 Pro or M1 Max chip. It also has a stunning 16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display, up to 64GB of RAM, and up to 8TB of SSD storage. It is ideal for professionals who need high performance and portability.

LG Gram

This laptop is one of the lightest and thinnest laptops on the market, weighing only 2.4 pounds and measuring 0.7 inches thick. It has a battery life of up to 17 hours, thanks to its 80Wh battery and low-power Intel Core processor. It also has a 14-inch Full HD IPS display, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of SSD storage. It is suitable for travelers and students who need a reliable and portable laptop.

MacBook Air with M1

This laptop has a battery life of up to 15 hours, thanks to its energy-efficient Apple M1 chip. It also has a 13.3-inch Retina display, 8GB to 16GB of RAM, and up to 2TB of SSD storage. It is one of the best laptops for everyday use, as it offers fast performance, smooth operation, and excellent features.

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14

This laptop is one of the best gaming laptops with long battery life, as it can last up to 10 hours on a single charge. It has a powerful AMD Ryzen CPU and NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPU, which deliver impressive gaming performance. It also has a 14-inch Full HD display with a 120Hz refresh rate, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB of SSD storage. It is perfect for gamers who want a portable and powerful laptop.

HP Chromebook x360

This laptop is one of the best Chromebooks with long battery life, as it can last up to 12 hours on a single charge. It has an Intel Celeron processor and Chrome OS, which offer fast and smooth web browsing and online productivity. It also has a 14-inch HD touchscreen display that can rotate 360 degrees, 4GB of RAM, and 32GB of eMMC storage. It is ideal for users who need a simple and affordable laptop for online tasks.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The Bottom Line!

Gaming laptop battery life can be a limiting factor, but with the right adjustments and precautions, you can significantly extend your gaming sessions. Implement these tips in 2023 to ensure your gaming laptop battery lasts longer, allowing you to enjoy your favorite games without constant interruptions.