Should I let my MacBook Pro's battery die completely before charging it?
Help me please
MacBook Pro (15-inch Late 2011), Mac OS X (10.7.4)
Help me please
MacBook Pro (15-inch Late 2011), Mac OS X (10.7.4)
No. That will kill the battery's cells long before their natural end-of-life.
I do not normally run mine below 40%, and if I do I do not run it below the point where the battery symbol in the top bar goes red.
I would post the "Caring for you battery" article but cannot find it right now.
No. That is not good for it.
That superstition is based on Nickel-Cadmium batterys which occasionally developed the memory effect. One cycle of Deep discharging was needed once-in-a-blue-moon to "condition" the battery and eliminate the memory effect.
Apple has not used that kind of batteries in more than a decade.
I was curious about this as well. Since my battery is "glued" to the mainboard in my rMBP, I want to make sure I get the most out of it.
The 1000 full charge and discharge cycles leads me to believe you should recharge it once it get's low. But say a certain day of the week consists of charging my computer in the morning, leaving it plugged in at the office, and then again when I get home. Am I doing more damage than if I just let it be for most of the day and then plug it in once to charge it? Or should I just plug it in whenever I'm near my charger?
Thanks!
huntermaclean wrote:
Or should I just plug it in whenever I'm near my charger?
Plug it in whenever you can, as this will do no harm. You can't overcharge your battery. The biggest killers of Lithium batteries...the kind in your Mac...are frequent full discharge/recharge cycles & heat. Fact is, these batteries don't like to be discharged more than ~ 35% of capacity. Every three ~ four months, discharge to ~30 to 35% of capacity & then recharge till full.
Don't worry about 'calibrating' your battery, either. Newer MBPs with non-removable batteries don't need it. A good rule-of-thumb is to let your battery discharge down to around 30% or so once a month and then charge it. Note that I don't heed that advice myself - I'll usually discharge until about 10% ever day and then recharge. My 3-4 month MBP has already been through 78 cycles and that's not so 'healthy'...
Clinton
Thanks for finding it. Now the OP has all he/she needs.
Thanks for the quick reply guys. Glad to hear that my usual practice is the right one!
It is a Lithium Polymer Battery so no you don't because it has no "memory". Also make sure you don't leave you MBP in the sun or a hot car that will destroy the battery.
Should I let my MacBook Pro's battery die completely before charging it?