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Fatus_Asticus

macrumors 6502
Oct 24, 2021
281
252
ho

how about using aldente to use passthrough and keep your battery at 50-60% all the time ? and running from 0 to 100 every 2 weeks ? wont it be the best ?

I want to say I recall reading if you do something like this it needs to be 80% or higher or the OS will still draw and drain from battery. Once it hits 81% though it can use the charging algorithm to draw from the AC cord while not charging the battery any further.

The lesson for the OP is batteries don't like to sit at topped off voltage al the time. It isn't so much that they liked to be used its more an issue with constantly trying to shove amps into the battery when it is full. If you are going to store (not use) the battery you can't just hook it up to a charger all the time and keep it stuffed. I guess you could think of it like a fat guy at a Buffett. He just ate his full and now you are micro feeding him for hours and hours, eventually he is going to get sick of eating.
 

Love-hate 🍏 relationship

macrumors 68040
Sep 19, 2021
3,058
3,237
I want to say I recall reading if you do something like this it needs to be 80% or higher or the OS will still draw and drain from battery. Once it hits 81% though it can use the charging algorithm to draw from the AC cord while not charging the battery any further.

The lesson for the OP is batteries don't like to sit at topped off voltage al the time. It isn't so much that they liked to be used its more an issue with constantly trying to shove amps into the battery when it is full. If you are going to store (not use) the battery you can't just hook it up to a charger all the time and keep it stuffed. I guess you could think of it like a fat guy at a Buffett. He just ate his full and now you are micro feeding him for hours and hours, eventually he is going to get sick of eating.
If u find the source I'd be interested (about the 80% thing )

Very nice analogy hahaha
 

ThunderSkunk

macrumors 601
Dec 31, 2007
4,075
4,562
Milwaukee Area
BTW, I did the same thing on my 2009 MacBook Pro, and it's still on its original battery from 12 years ago. That one has poor battery life now, and says "Service Battery", but it still holds a charge. Actually, I've treated this one worse, now that I think about it. Since I use it less, there are times where it would be plugged in for many days at a time, unused.
Yeah my 09 17”mbp spent a few years on the charger in a desk, not getting used more than once a month at all, before getting pressed back into service a few years ago and becoming the most useful computer in my life. But about a year ago, the battery finally gave up, and started bulging up in the middle of the machine. I was near the end of an expedition, but by the time I could get it home 2 days later & take it out, it already bent up the touchpad inside, so now the right half clicks and the left doesn't, (not that big of a deal since I never clicked the thing anyway). …but, I cheaped out and got a $30 battery direct from china (they all are anyway, so why not), and what I got is a battery that says its at 100%, and then if you disconnect the charger, 3 minutes later says it’s down to 60% at which time the computer shuts off. Connect it to a charger, turn it back on, and it says 1% & charging. Every time.

When it’s time, just get the real battery.
 

Joniz

macrumors 6502a
Sep 21, 2017
676
1,646
Yeah, techies think they know how technology works.

But unless you built it all yourself, you really don’t know.
 
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Unregistered 4U

macrumors G4
Jul 22, 2002
10,613
8,636
Does Apple still have a calendar subscription for monthly battery discharges? I found that a nice reminder to let it die regularly :)
 

Analog Kid

macrumors G3
Mar 4, 2003
9,361
12,606
I don't understand why people buy a portable computer and then spend this much effort worrying about using it.

The battery lasted 4 years, and would cost $200 to replace. It will probably do even better today if you don't try to outsmart the people who designed the charging logic. Put $5 in a jar once a month, get the most you can out of your machine, and replace the battery in 4 years.
 

Hombre53

macrumors regular
Feb 27, 2018
246
263
I have a Macbook Pro (2012) Unibody. Original battery, still charges to 100%. The laptop is plugged in and charging the battery 24x7. No issues. It's electronics, a roll of the dice. Just use it and enjoy it.
 
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now i see it

macrumors G4
Jan 2, 2002
11,256
24,283
It’s impossible to avoid battery load cycles. If the device is on and plugged in, it’ll still register a partial load cycle after hitting 100% SOC and coasting down to 96% SOC which it does on its own even when plugged in.

The computer can’t run solely off the charging brick. It runs off the battery and the charger recharges the battery.

iOS now has a shortcut automation that allows the user to automatically turn a smart plug on and off at a battery level they choose. Shortcuts is coming to MacOS Monterey so maybe they’ll include that functionality too.
Then the over charging problem will be solved forever.

It’s seriously effed up that battery charging on macs is designed to prematurely wreck the battery.
 

Paninnguaq

macrumors regular
Jul 27, 2018
134
105
If you need to use it unplugged, use it unplugged. If you can plug it in, then plug it in. Is playing this game of 35-80% worth it? Why waste mental cycles on this? Computers should be set it and forget it. If you feel the need to babysit the battery, then by all means go ahead, but don’t be surprised if other people have better things to focus their attention on.

Use it plugged in if you can. Just replace the battery when you need to. Is saving that bit of money worth all those hours of babysitting the battery?
 
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Natzoo

macrumors 68020
Sep 16, 2014
2,016
646
When im working at my desk, I leave it plugged in but I use AlDente and manually adjust it between 70-80% throughout the hours its left plugged in.
 

Miltz

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Sep 6, 2013
887
506
Yeah my 09 17”mbp spent a few years on the charger in a desk, not getting used more than once a month at all, before getting pressed back into service a few years ago and becoming the most useful computer in my life. But about a year ago, the battery finally gave up, and started bulging up in the middle of the machine. I was near the end of an expedition, but by the time I could get it home 2 days later & take it out, it already bent up the touchpad inside, so now the right half clicks and the left doesn't, (not that big of a deal since I never clicked the thing anyway). …but, I cheaped out and got a $30 battery direct from china (they all are anyway, so why not), and what I got is a battery that says its at 100%, and then if you disconnect the charger, 3 minutes later says it’s down to 60% at which time the computer shuts off. Connect it to a charger, turn it back on, and it says 1% & charging. Every time.

When it’s time, just get the real battery.
Wow, I’m grateful mine didn’t do that.
 

Miltz

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Sep 6, 2013
887
506
If you need to use it unplugged, use it unplugged. If you can plug it in, then plug it in. Is playing this game of 35-80% worth it? Why waste mental cycles on this? Computers should be set it and forget it. If you feel the need to babysit the battery, then by all means go ahead, but don’t be surprised if other people have better things to focus their attention on.

Use it plugged in if you can. Just replace the battery when you need to. Is saving that bit of money worth all those hours of babysitting the battery?
You’re right. Lesson learned
 
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Blowback

macrumors 65816
Jan 10, 2018
1,311
736
VA
Being a computer technician I should know better, but I didn't and I hope this helps anyone with their laptop. I got a brand new MBP 15" in 2017. I wanted to keep this laptop as long a possible and that meant using the battery the least as possible when it made sense. So basically if It could be plugged in it was plugged in. I never let it charge overnight because I knew that was bad for the battery. I did everything I could to keep the cycle count as low as possible, because everyone including Apple uses that as a metric for battery health. I found out the hard way that's not true at all. So from 2017 to 2021 the laptop battery was mostly kept at 100% because it was plugged in while using it.
Earlier this year I started using my laptop more without it being plugged in due to work and I was in for a huge surprise. It would die very quickly and at times it would go from 60% to dead. How could this be I thought? I only had 125 cycle counts which is nothing... I did all the SMC, PRAM resets nothing helped. The battery was dying faster than ever before and worst of all I couldn't rely on it at it would randomly die out. I soon realized my mistake. Keeping the battery at 100% or plugged in all the time killed my battery faster. Granted, I would have kept it plugged in for long FCP editing sessions anyway, but the rest of the time I didn't have to keep it plugged in. I usually worked at my desk so it was easy to just keep it plugged in. For light work loads I should have unplugged the battery and let it drain to around 35% and then plug it back in till it would reach 80%. I was so focused on those charge cycles which really don't mean much. I ended up getting a new 16" MBP M1 Pro and with this laptop I will definitely not keep it plugged in for all light work loads, nor will I focus on charge cycles as keep mine at 125 from 2017 did nothing for my battery and left me with a battery that died faster and wasn't even reliable when it came to battery percentage. For the record Apple reported the battery health at 73% which seems wrong as well at the battery life was more like 50% of what it was.
I hope with helps anyone with charging questions on their new laptop. If possible keep it above 20% and below 80%, and don't leave it at 100% for Long periods of time. I'm excited to test FCP next week with my new 4K video shoot to see how it does on battery and performance. The Intel 2017 model was a furnace and needed to be plugged in. These new M1 chips make that super easy as they are so efficient.
I have the same MBP...2017 also. Mine is plugged in 99% of the time but when I travel (as recently as this past Thanksgiving) and use the battery I've never had a problem. Also, if what you say is true then Apple Stores should have some means that unplugs all of their devices periodically...which I don't believe they do. Your battery may just have had production problems (or your surge protector has allowed it to be damaged?). Anyways, if just leaving it plugged were the issue I'm sure the lawyers/MSM would have been on this long ago....for all Apple devices!
 

Ron21

macrumors 6502a
Sep 6, 2007
953
708
In my experience and dealing with 100's of Macbooks at work, the ones which were plugged in 100% of the time (mostly developer machines) had the most battery issues. Many swollen batteries.

On the other hand, ones that were used like normal mobile computers with 300-500 cycles, were still holding ~80% charge and had less issues related to the battery.

However, after a while, most batteries will go bad regardless, either stop holding charge or will swell up.
 

CalMin

Contributor
Nov 8, 2007
1,890
3,696
Honestly, batteries need to be thought of as consumable or wear items. Think of them like brake pads for your car - use them when you need to and replace them when you need to. Don't overthink it!
 

Unregistered 4U

macrumors G4
Jul 22, 2002
10,613
8,636
Also, if what you say is true then Apple Stores should have some means that unplugs all of their devices periodically...which I don't believe they do.
I don’t know if they do, but it could just be a matter of cutting power to the devices via an automated power control system. If it’s plugged in but no power’s going through, then it runs off battery anyway.

But they likely don’t bother, most of the things on display that have internal batteries won’t be there longer than 12 to 18 months at the latest ;)
 

Fatus_Asticus

macrumors 6502
Oct 24, 2021
281
252
If u find the source I'd be interested (about the 80% thing )

Very nice analogy hahaha


I got it from here:

 

darkus

macrumors 6502
Nov 5, 2007
383
153
Sorry to hear this. I learned the exact same lesson in 2013. Kept one laptop plugging in 24-7 and after I think 2 years it was unusable due to rapid battery drain when not plugged in. I think it could last about 5 mins without being plugged in, no joke.

Conversely have had a 2012 MacBook Air which I’ve used like a normal person, drain, charge, go on trips, etc. and the battery seems to perform just as well today as it did the day I bought it.

The true lesson is that Apple fans, aside from being rabid and illogical are also neurotic as hell and create all sorts of fantasy’s around things you shouldn’t think much about.

Once I decided to just use my devices instead of letting them use me I’ve found they last much much longer and I’m happier for it ?

Apple makes some seriously quality hardware so I’ve found there’s no need for us to go out of way and just use the stuff
 

collin_

macrumors 6502a
Nov 19, 2018
583
888
Here is a post I made a few weeks back about how I make my iPhone’s battery last much longer (TLDR: generally keeping a 25-76% range with the help of a Shortcuts Automation, but not worrying if it does drop below 25). If you’re a little bit neurotic like me then you may find it helpful. It’s much easier to pull off than it sounds. Let me know if you need help making the automation that pings your Apple Watch. If you don’t have one it’s still very doable, you can just make your iPhone ding instead of your Apple Watch.

I keep that same general charging range for my Mac (also with an >75% notification), while still drawing from AC power most of the time to avoid needlessly burning through battery cycles (I use my MPB as a desktop). I achieve that by just using a much lower wattage charger than the computer is meant to use (30 instead of 96). That way it takes forever to charge and is overwhelmingly using AC power. (Sidenote: I really wish Apple would give us the ability to use our Macs plugged in with charging disabled.)

It won’t go over very well if you’re doing an intensive task, and even if you’re not, the computer will often briefly switch to pulling from battery power (when you cause a spike in CPU usage), but that hasn’t caused a problem. It’s worked very well. On my newer Mac I’m still at 98% after years.

My posts about how I keep my batteries in good condition inevitably generate “it’s stupid worry so much about it” responses, but it’s actually incredibly easy given my circumstances (*but not everyone’s) and truly does work. To those people: feel free to quote this telling me that what I do is over the top, but you can save yourself some time by just ignoring my advice and moving on with your day. :)
 
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Pskordilis

macrumors member
Jul 31, 2021
83
33
This should be less of a concern nowadays with MacOS's "optimized battery charging," which typically caps at 80% (unless you override it).

Unfortunately, my new MacBook Pro is ignoring the feature (even though I have it turned on). I assume maybe it takes a few weeks to kick in, as MacOS is trying to learn what times of day I usually unplug it.
Mine kick on once. But again started to ignore that setting randomly. Any way to force that setting?
 
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