Hey everyone! I recently got a ThinkPad and set up a dual boot with Ubuntu and Windows 11. It's mainly for university, but I'll be using it mostly at home for now. I did some research and found that using TLP to start charging at 45% and stopping at 50% is suggested to help with battery health while keeping the laptop plugged in all the time. I want to know if that's accurate and if it's fine to leave it plugged in even when the laptop is off, like overnight. Also, as I'm new to laptops after using desktops for so long, I'm curious about settings for when I do start uni. Would keeping it between 80-85% be okay – like using it all day, then charging it at the end of the day overnight? Any insights would really help!
2 Answers
I’ve been keeping my Lenovo Legion 5 Slim at 75% to start charging and 80% to stop, and it stays on the charger all the time. I only let it go to 100% when I know I’ll need the battery. It's been like that for almost a year, and my battery capacity is even better than what the manufacturer promised! Just balance what you need vs. battery conservation, whatever matters more to you.
Lithium batteries actually degrade with frequent charge cycles. If you keep your laptop plugged in, it prevents those cycles. So, leaving it plugged in all the time is actually better for the battery compared to discharging and charging repeatedly.
Got it! Should I keep it plugged in overnight as well?
Thanks! Do you leave it plugged in overnight, too?