I have a Yoga laptop running on Windows, and I've noticed that it switches off when the battery reaches 3%. I'm a bit confused and it's my first laptop, so I wanted to ask if this is normal behavior. Also, should I be making it a habit to let the battery drain to 0% before charging it back up to 80%, as I've heard about this conservation method?
3 Answers
It's actually pretty common for laptops to shut down around that range to protect the system and your data. Modern chargers and batteries are designed to avoid the old ways of conditioning, so you don't need to worry about draining it fully. Charging it when it gets down to 20-30% is usually a good practice.
Newer devices are designed for optimal battery life, so leave it plugged in whenever possible. Fully draining the battery is actually one of the least good things you can do for its longevity. Sure, you might need to drain it from time to time, but don’t make it a habit!
You might want to rethink the full drainage theory. It’s not great for battery health. Charging whenever you can is actually better for modern batteries, as full discharges count against your battery lifespan. Lithium batteries usually can handle a lot more flexibility than that!
Pretty standard advice for batteries before modern lithium!