Decent battery for MacBook5,2?

[Cubytus]

Hello all,

I still have this MacBook5,2 (White, pre-unibody) that's working reasonably well, except for one thing: the NuPower battery I bought for it a year and a half ago only has 50 or so cycles, 100% health, but for an unknown reason, the computer shuts down without warning when under load if I unplug the power adapter. Idle load doesn't cause this issue. This doesn't happen with the other spent battery.

Most of the time, this computer is plugged in, but I occasionally need to mode it from place to place, from the desk to the TV, as it's also my movie player, or take it on the road as a backup for my other one?

Of course, warranty is over, and I am now suspicious of NuPower's batteries.

Is this an isolated incident, and others have bought this brand for this model without issue?
Is the brand over-rated?

What other brand would make good batteries that won't fail after so few cycles?

 

[Samuelsan2001]

It's nearly ten years old, unfortunately people just don't make batteries for them anymore so any batteries you are buying have been hanging around a long time. That's tech for you.

 

[hartleymartin]

Search on eBay. I bought a brand new genuine Apple Battery for the Early 2009 White MacBook 5,1. It did come from a retailer in the Netherlands and took a few weeks to arrive.

With aftermarket batteries, you get what you pay for. The pricier ones tend to be better, but genuine Apple-branded batteries have always worked best.

 

[Cubytus]

It's nearly ten years old

Huh, no. October 2009 makes it a 7 years old computer. Not as bad as an actual 10 year-old computer. I assume you're talking about motherboard age.

Search on eBay. I bought a brand new genuine Apple Battery for the Early 2009 White MacBook 5,1. It did come from a retailer in the Netherlands and took a few weeks to arrive.

Approximately how much did you pay for it? More, or less than Apple charges for?

 

[hartleymartin]

The official supplier in Sydney wanted $140 (AUD) for a "NuPower Battery" which is apparently approved by Apple in some manner. The official battery (New Old Stock) on eBay was $65 (AUD).

 

[Cubytus]

The official supplier in Sydney wanted $140 (AUD) for a "NuPower Battery" which is apparently approved by Apple in some manner.

Even more surprising that it failed so soon on mine

 

[wordsworth]

Search on eBay. I bought a brand new genuine Apple Battery for the Early 2009 White MacBook 5,1. It did come from a retailer in the Netherlands and took a few weeks to arrive.

With aftermarket batteries, you get what you pay for. The pricier ones tend to be better, but genuine Apple-branded batteries have always worked best.

I'm also in the market for a battery for the same model of laptop. hartleymartin, do you have a link (or other lead) to your original Apple battery supplier? Presumably you were happy with how it's performed?

To the OP, I have found the laptop Power Supply Shop in Ireland, who claim that the batteries they supply are superior to the cheap Chinese products so readily available. I am considering this retailer myself.

 

[hartleymartin]

It was from eBay and the supplier was in the Netherlands and I am not sure if they have any more. I think I bought the last one in the listing.
[doublepost=1475502380][/doublepost]You can try this. http://www.ebay.com/itm/181985089195

 

[wordsworth]

It was from eBay and the supplier was in the Netherlands and I am not sure if they have any more. I think I bought the last one in the listing.
[doublepost=1475502380][/doublepost]You can try this. http://www.ebay.com/itm/181985089195

Okay. Thanks for the prompt reply. My whitebook has been a real trouper, and generally serves as a desktop machine these days. Battery was swollen though, hence, my desire for a replacement.

 

[Cubytus]

To the OP, I have found the laptop Power Supply Shop in Ireland, who claim that the batteries they supply are superior to the cheap Chinese products so readily available. I am considering this retailer myself.

Being somehow endorsed by a higher-than-average quality reseller like OWC, I assumed NuPower would be the go-to brand for aftermarket batteries, unlike counterfeit, generic Chinese batts.

 

[wordsworth]

I received a battery for my old clamshell iBook not long after I acquired the used iBook, and the battery didn't last very long at all. It's a bit of a lottery, it would seem when it comes to this particular technology. harleymartin's eBay link a couple of postings above this one looks interesting. Original Apple batteries.

 

[Cubytus]

Ended up choosing a slightly used, Apple-original battery on eBay. Reason is: Li-Ion batteries don't like not being exercised, and sitting for years without usage isn't conducive to good battery life.

Unfortunately, given the age of this computer, it may be very hard to find a "slightly used" battery.