Macbook Charge Cycles

Forums › Mac OS › Macbook Charge Cycles

adida101

118 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 14

Topic # 164407 8-Feb-2015 19:43

Just wanted to get an idea of how people's Macbook batteries are holding up. You can see here how many charge cycles your macbook's battery is designed to last for before diminishing in capacity. Have any of you reached/gone beyond this limit and what sort of shape is your battery in, or how much less time does it last for?

Would also be interesting to see how quick you guys go through charge cycles. To find out how many charge cycles your macbook has done click on the Apple menu (top left corner) > About this Mac > System report > Power > Cycle Count.

I've done 153 cycles having owned my macbook pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2013 - good for 1000 cycles) for about 7 months.

Also wanted to know whether leaving it on its charger when it's fully charged while using it means no cycles are used? As in, is the battery bypassed and power supplied from the charger directly?

Dairyxox

1422 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 374

Reply # 1233094 8-Feb-2015 19:54

My Mid 2012 MB Air is on 243 cycles coming up to 3 years old (in a few months). Good for 1000 according to your link.
I use the battery quite a lot, often using it on my lap sitting the sofa etc, with my previous laptops I almost never used to do this.

EDIT: It still lasts pretty well, but I feel its a bit worse than when I 1st got it. Hard to quantify.

gehenna

4969 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1136

Moderator

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

Reply # 1233112 8-Feb-2015 20:13

Mid 2011 MBA - 918 cycles, Normal health

Full charge capacity is 5532 mAh

Feels like it's getting 3-4 hours these days where it used to get 6-8.

khull

1245 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 137

Reply # 1233135 8-Feb-2015 21:12

Late 2013 Retina 15" : 77 cycles

Apple's official stance and explains your post: http://www.apple.com/batteries and http://www.apple.com/support/macbookpro/batteries_power/ (please bookmark and distribute to every single person you ever know in your life where appropriate) :)

adida101

118 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 14

Reply # 1233154 8-Feb-2015 21:30

Ok, so looks like I've been using mine a bit more heavily than some of you. Still, at my current usage it should last around 5 years by which time it'll probably be time to upgrade the laptop anyway. Still, good to know apple only charge $129 to replace the battery, after 5 years of heavy use that's not too bad.

Would be interesting to find out whether using it while connected to charger uses battery cycles or not.. Haven't been able to find much reliable info on the web.

BTR

1484 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 443

Reply # 1246402 25-Feb-2015 13:58

114 Cycles, 1000 is correct, from what i've heard its the cut off for in warranty battery replacements as the battery is considered a consumable.

adida101

118 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 14

Reply # 1246406 25-Feb-2015 14:01

So we can technically call in for a free battery replacement around 900-1000 cycles and get a free replacement? The battery's likely to not be in 100% health at that point anyway..

timmmay

14222 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2572

Trusted

Subscriber

Reply # 1246418 25-Feb-2015 14:22

It's meant to be better to do frequent, shallow charges where possible, and full charges shorten battery life - reference here. Of course you have to be practical, fully charging a battery is far more convenient.

"Li-ion does not need to be fully charged, as is the case with lead acid, nor is it desirable to do so. In fact, it is better not to fully charge, because high voltages stresses the battery. Choosing a lower voltage threshold, or eliminating the saturation charge altogether, prolongs battery life but this reduces the runtime. Since the consumer market promotes maximum runtime, these chargers go for maximum capacity rather than extended service life."

How to prolong battery life here.

"Let’s look at real-life situations and examine what stresses lithium-ion batteries encounter. Most packs last three to five years. Environmental conditions, and not cycling alone, are a key ingredient to longevity, and the worst situation is keeping a fully charged battery at elevated temperatures. This is the case when running a laptop off the power grid. Under these conditions, a battery will typically last for about two years, whether cycled or not. The pack does not die suddenly but will give lower runtimes with aging.

Even more stressful is leaving a battery in a hot car, especially if exposed to the sun. When not in use, store the battery in a cool place. For long-term storage, manufacturers recommend a 40 percent charge. This allows for some self-discharge while still retaining sufficient charge to keep the protection circuit active. Finding the ideal state-of-charge is not easy; this would require a discharge with appropriate cut-off. Do not worry too much about the state-of-charge; a cool and dry place is more important than SoC. Read more about How to Store Batteries."

and

"Another way to extend battery life is to remove the pack from the laptop when running off the power grid. The Consumer Product Safety Commissionadvises to do this out of concern for overheating and causing a fire. Removing the battery has the disadvantage of losing unsaved work if a power failure occurs. Heat buildup is also a concern when operating a laptop in bed or on a pillow, as this may restrict airflow. Placing a ruler or other object under the laptop will improve air circulation and keep the device cooler.

“Should I disconnect my laptop from the power grid when not in use?” many ask. Under normal circumstances this should not be necessary because once the lithium-ion battery is full the charger discontinues charge and only engages when the battery voltage drops. Most users do not remove the AC power and I like to believe that this practice is safe."

AWS Certified Solution Architect Professional, Sysop Administrator Associate, and Developer Associate
TOGAF certified enterprise architect
Professional photographer