EyeGod

Q: Prolonging MacBook Pro 15" (Mid-2014) Battery Life & Overall Health

Good day, folks.

 

I purchased a used MBP yesterday. Specs:

 

Model Name: MacBook Pro

Model Identifier: MacBookPro11,2

Processor Name: Intel Core i7

Processor Speed: 2,2 GHz

Number of Processors: 1

Total Number of Cores: 4

L2 Cache (per Core): 256 KB

L3 Cache: 6 MB

Memory: 16 GB

Cycles: 130

 

Aside from a few nicks and scratches here and there from general wear and tear, the machine seems to be in a fantastic condition, and beyond that, having recovered pretty much my exact old setup via Time Machine, is a blisteringly fast improvement upon my Mid-2009 Core Duo 2 MBP.

 

Now I want some advise to make sure this machine lasts me another six years (wishful thinking? Well the last one did, but its GPU is beginning to fail...), so questions:

 

1) Leave the machine plugged in and on charge over night?

2) Drain all the way down and then recharge fully? I've been informed by a trusted friend that it's a good idea to keep the battery's charge above 20% if and whenever at all possible.

3) Let it fall asleep on its own, or put it to sleep manually? I prefer the latter, at this stage.

4) I use a USB Receiver for Bluetooth Mouse + Keyboard, and on top of that an Eternal Display connected via Thunderbolt (can use HDMI too, at this point, just still have to old VGA -> Firebolt Adapter); should I unplug these when the machine is put to sleep? It appears they draw a fair amount of power (I did a test last night to see how long the machine lasts on battery when connected to these; doing so now, and it's going strong).

 

I'll probly have a few more questions based on answers to the above, but thank you all in advance for any thoughts/input.

MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X Yosemite (10.10.5)

Posted on Dec 15, 2015 11:08 PM

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Q: Prolonging MacBook Pro 15" (Mid-2014) Battery Life & Overall Health

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  • by steve359,Helpful

    steve359 steve359 Dec 28, 2015 7:46 AM in response to EyeGod
    Level 6 (14,032 points)
    Dec 28, 2015 7:46 AM in response to EyeGod

    Specifically:

     

    1. Batteries cannot overcharge due to protection circuits.

    2. Do not drain dead if it can be avoided.

    3. The longer it does not sleep due to long "wait till sleep" the more the screen is used.  Other than that no difference in my opinion.

    4. Any items attached will require some monitoring power even if idle.  Your test just draws power unnecessarily in my opinion.

     

    Here is the official manual: About Mac notebook batteries - Apple Support

  • by OGELTHORPE,Helpful

    OGELTHORPE OGELTHORPE Dec 28, 2015 7:46 AM in response to EyeGod
    Level 9 (52,516 points)
    Mac OS X
    Dec 28, 2015 7:46 AM in response to EyeGod

    Every thing you want to know about batteries from Apple but were afraid to ask is here:

     

    https://www.apple.com/support/macbookpro/batteries_power/

     

    Ciao

  • by EyeGod,

    EyeGod EyeGod Dec 16, 2015 5:38 AM in response to EyeGod
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 16, 2015 5:38 AM in response to EyeGod

    Thanks, gents; I'll read up and see if I've any other questions.

  • by EyeGod,

    EyeGod EyeGod Dec 28, 2015 7:51 AM in response to OGELTHORPE
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 28, 2015 7:51 AM in response to OGELTHORPE

    Alright, so after reading this, I think I can boil it down to one longish question:

     

    I often use my MBP as a desktop computer, with my external monitor (connected via HDMI) and Bluetooth Keyboard/Mouse combo connected via a BT receiver via a USB port. I want my laptop to sleep at night, and in past (with my older MBP) I just left it and it would fall asleep in 30 minutes. Obviously with newer models and OS's, this is no longer the case, and it takes hours, or you need to do it manually.

     

    So, my question: to prolong my MBP's battery life,  should I unplug my magsafe adaptor and all other devices before I call it a night and let it fall asleep automatically, or should I just put the machine to sleep manually with everything plugged in all the time?

  • by steve359,

    steve359 steve359 Dec 28, 2015 7:57 AM in response to EyeGod
    Level 6 (14,032 points)
    Dec 28, 2015 7:57 AM in response to EyeGod

    You can leave all plugs in.  Just close the lid and the flashing white light will tell you it is sleeping just fine.  Or select "Sleep" from Apple menu.

  • by EyeGod,

    EyeGod EyeGod Dec 28, 2015 8:05 AM in response to EyeGod
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 28, 2015 8:05 AM in response to EyeGod

    Thanks; mine no longer has a flashing light (don't think the newer models have them anymore, do they?) and I generally leave the lid open for my setup, so "Sleep" it is.