Discussion Tips for laptop maintenance

[odedgal67]

Hey everyone,
I just bought a gaming laptop and would like some advice on how to keep it as healthy as possible (software and hardware) for as long as possible.
Should I keep it plugged the whole time?
Should I let the battery drain and then charge it fully?
Is overclocking and undervolting damage the laptop in the long run?
What kind of applications are good for weekly maintenance for example?
How do I keep it cool as possible and clean as possible?

Please answer from your experience, I would like to get your tips

 

[Eximo]

For many gaming laptops you only have full power available when it is plugged in. Really heavy duty gaming laptops will drain the battery while they are plugged in. (They'll usually sell a larger power supply, or two with the system)

There is no legitimate reason to let lithium ion batteries fully discharge for charging. Plug it in whenever possible. (The only possible exception would be the need to re-calibrate the batteries' zero point, but this would be done only to extend the life of an older battery)

Overclocking and overvolting certainly may reduce the lifespan of silicon. Overclocking and undervolting will have much less of an impact. Voltage is truly what breaks down integrated circuits, so a reduction is good. Overclocking will have an increase in power consumption over not overclocking, more cycles means more power flowing through the chip on an operations/second basis.

I can't think of any application for weekly maintenance outside of anti-malware and anti-virus.

If you plan on gaming on a flat surface, try elevating the laptop so that the intake fans have room to get fresh air. If you plan to actually put it on your lap, reconsider, or get a flat laptop/gaming/tv tray.

As for cleanliness, annual cleaning with compressed air is about all you can do short of taking it apart for a more thorough cleaning. Don't eat over it.

 

[odedgal67]

Thanks for the answer
No damage for my battery or for the laptop whatsoever if my laptop is connected to the power all the time??
And do you have any example so how I can elevate my laptop above my table? I am going to mostly use it on a flat surface.

 

[jsmithepa]

Ur suffering from "First Laptop Syndrome."

Don't obsess about it. The games makers will come out with something new to obsolete your laptop before anything will fail.

 

[Eximo]

Thanks for the answer
No damage for my battery or for the laptop whatsoever if my laptop is connected to the power all the time??
And do you have any example so how I can elevate my laptop above my table? I am going to mostly use it on a flat surface.

Literally anything that creates a gap between the bottom of the laptop, near the intake fans, and a surface. Laptop coolers, some laptop stands, strategically placed books, all kinds of options. It just promotes airflow through the system.

A battery that isn't used isn't going to critically fail or anything. The charging circuit knows what it is doing and will keep the battery maintained if you leave it plugged in all the time. Older styles of batteries with less intelligent charging circuits is probably what you are remembering or hearing about. NiMH and NiCad cells were quite prone to 'memory' issues (the act of not utilizing their full capacity if recharged before they were drained) and over charging. These types were in some laptops though the early 2000s, but mostly in older style devices. By the mid-2000s pretty much everything was on Lithium.

We've reached a point where, since every mobile device has a lithium ion battery, that the standard chips and circuits for maintaining and safely charging them are cheaper than any alternative. So the basic functionality is available at a low cost to even the most frugal of manufacturers. Plus you get more repeat customers when your devices don't burst into flame.