I have a Dell XPS 13 that is about three years old, and its battery now lasts only around two hours. It has had fairly heavy daily use, has often been carried around in a backpack, and the fans frequently run even when I am only browsing. As a college student, I cannot always find a place to charge it, which makes completing homework difficult. I may replace the laptop when I start my graduate job next year, but I would like to know whether this battery life is expected and what to look for in a future laptop. Ideally, I want something that can handle coding, several browser windows, and lightweight games for a few hours without needing to be plugged in.
2 Answers
Yes, two hours after roughly three years of frequent use is not unusual. Laptop batteries gradually lose capacity, and heavy use can speed that up. Before replacing the whole laptop, check the battery's actual health with Windows' `powercfg /batteryreport` command. If the full-charge capacity has dropped significantly, replacing the battery may restore much of the original runtime. An original manufacturer battery is usually safer and more reliable than an extremely cheap replacement.
Background programs, high screen brightness, and the fans running constantly can reduce runtime too, so it is worth checking Task Manager and your power settings. Still, after three years, normal battery wear is probably the main issue. A battery replacement from a reputable repair shop could be a much cheaper temporary fix while you save for a new system.
I’ll look into replacing it. I was hoping to wait until I start my new job and buy a new laptop, but the battery is making it difficult to get homework done right now.