Is it true that you should let the battery of your laptop die when you first get it?

Question

I heard that is actually is good to let the battery die a few times and that is extends the life of your battery.

Is this true?

Thanks!

Answer 1

No, Lithium Ion batteries don't suffer from memory effect (that is Nickel batteries, a lot of ignorant people seem to think all rechargeable batteries behave the same when they don't).

There's a lot of superstition about batteries going around, a lot of it based on how to treat Nickel Cadmium and Nickel Metal Hydride batteries (which actually do suffer from memory effect) which used to be used in computers but then applied to Lithium chemistry batteries which are different enough that the advise is wrong.

Lithium Ion batteries though do over time age and lose capacity but that's not something you can do anything about (unless you aren't using the battery in which case you can get it to 40% charge and stick it in the fridge but that kind of defeats the purpose of having the battery), this aging means that the battery meter will become less accurate as time goes on and so every few months you should discharge the battery but that's not actual memory effect (even if those ignorant of what is going on think it is) and the discharge will not improve the battery in any way (only update the information needed to determine how long it'll last).

Answer 2

this depends on the battery type really, typical cell phone batteries usually require a 16-24 hour charge out of the box, then the cells in the battery are primed for optimal use, Lithium ion batteries however can just be charged to optimal capacity and away they go, in your case the procedure for your  notebook would not be a bad practice first few times around, after that your ok.

Answer 3

All my batteries, Cellphone, laptop, chargeable NiMH batteries.. etc.. I let them die out and then I charge them. So yes.

Answer 4

Only in MAC

if you check Mac site they call it calibration and they recommend it once in a long while ,

Yes let it on till it dies then charge it for like overnight ...

Answer 5

yes otherwise the battery develops a memory when it gets to certian

state of charge it will give you false reading on when it low.