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13 Posts
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March 22nd, 2013 07:00
Battery Meter: Desktop Mode Explanation/How It Works
Hi everyone,
Running Dell XPS-12 (i7 version).
I'm hoping someone can provide me with a plain English explanation of "Desktop Mode" in the battery meter options. I have activated it, and it's working. If i navigate to the Battery Status Tab it clearly says "Battery Charging Disabled" (with the current charge at 100%), no grey box or activation problems here as per other threads.
I have searched these forums for how Desktop Mode works and each thread trails off with no clear cut explanation. The dell staff seem to think quoting what is written on the "Desktop Mode" tab is useful....well it's not. The wording makes no sense and is too similar to the Longevity Mode to distinguish the difference. So please please please, can someone explain without quoting the "Battery will only charge between 50 and 100%" BS what enabling this actually does:
- Once charged, does my laptop then stop charging the battery completely, which is the equivalent to physically removing the battery, thereby only running on mains power but with the added advantage of having a battery backup if the power is interrupted? (I hope this is the case, and it makes sense as this is truly a "desktop mode" for a laptop).
- When turned off/sleep mode, is it OK to leave the cable plugged in? Does the computer 'remember' that it's not supposed to be charging the battery? Would unplugging it be stupid as then the laptop will trickle power from the battery over night as it's not off, just in a low power sleep state?
- Why does the battery show 100% charge all the time? Surely, if the battery is not being charged then it should slowly deplete? Or does 'topping up' the battery periodically extend the life of it, and all this is done automatically? I do also have longevity mode enabled; is that what's topping it up?
Thanks all, just want to maximize my battery life and hopefully help others by getting some clear answers!
Tom.
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Message to dell:
There really should be more of a manual shipped with these machines like the old days. Paying £1.8k for a laptop and to only have one A4 piece of paper as my instruction manual seems a bit tight, Dell.
The least you guys need to do is provide hyperlinks from the power options menu so FAQs like the above can be answered, and also change the wording of the power options, as it is obviously written by a tech who knew what he meant but nobody else does!
Kind regards,
Tom.
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Tsoof
1 Message
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October 5th, 2013 05:00
Hello,
just one thing regardless to the desktop mode, since you'r the only one on the internet I found to talk about it I must ask:
In your first question you asked about the stop charging action, if it is equivalent to physically removing the battery and I didn't see any answer to that, so does it?
thanks,
Tsoof.
jagathgopinatha
2 Posts
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December 17th, 2013 20:00
Hi,
Could you kindly explain what this so called Longivity mode means.
I have browsed it on net but didn get any proper clarification
Does it offs the charging it self when it reaches 88%?
What does it mean to charge onetime upto 100%??
kasun1994
5 Posts
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February 7th, 2014 20:00
Thanks alot FattyFish for this post!!! ..This is indeed the only useful post about this matter on the internet.. I also have enabled both the desktop mode and longevity mode..I too noticed that my laptop charge suddenly dropped to 75% after 2 weeks time..What I need to know is,
I usually leave my charger plugged in to the laptop all the time..But, after I shutdown my computer at night, I switch off the power from the wall socket..is it like disconnecting the charger from the laptop??? I mean...does that also end the desktop mode??? Please reply
Thanks alot in advance!
Flwflw
4 Posts
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February 10th, 2014 01:00
true that!
It's ridiculous to see the dell tech support guys copy&pasting the exact same, baddly written text of the tool itself all over the web, without any actual information added. What a shame.
Benzened
8 Posts
1
February 16th, 2014 19:00
This is what I also thought, but sadly this doesnt happen. It would be great if dell could change desktop mode so it does what you have described above instead of continually topping up the battery.
It's very strange that desktop mode only activates after 2 weeks of the laptop being continuously plugged into the mains. I would think that if desktop mode is checked, then it would be enabled immediately.
FattyFish
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13 Posts
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February 18th, 2014 08:00
"after I shutdown my computer at night, I switch off the power from the wall socket..is it like disconnecting the charger from the laptop"
Yes.
But I find it odd (in a good way) that your laptop still enabled desktop mode despite being turned off at the wall. Maybe you use your computer daily and the software realised this so enabled desktop mode anyway...maybe the charge didn't drop below a certain threshold before being recharged...maybe a sensor realised you were plugged in but not charging only at night...who knows...but it's certainly working if you're getting that constant charge of 75%!
Just know that it's also OK to leave it plugged in AND on at the wall - your laptop won't come to any harm :emotion-21:
FattyFish
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February 18th, 2014 08:00
With regards to your first question: "Could you kindly explain what this so called Longivity [sic] mode means"
Longevity mode = basically means the battery will be charged to 100% and allowed to discharge down to 88% before the charging (automatically) cuts in again. Leaving the power cable plugged in throughout this entire time is OK/what you're supposed to do. The battery will simply allow itself to charge and discharge in cycles between 88% and 100% - which Dell have worked out as being this goldilocks range for their lithium-ion batteries (li-ion batteries don't like full discharges).
Longevity mode is best used when you've got unrestricted access to power and you intend to work for many hours - it simply avoids the need for the continuous plugging and unplugging of your machine.
In comparison:
Desktop mode = keeps the battery topped up somewhere between 50% and 100% and works even when the laptop is turned off (whereas longevity mode only works when the laptop is ON). Once desktop mode kicks in (after being activated and left plugged in 24hrs a day for 14 days straight - dumb...I know) then the battery (at least the battery on my Dell XPS 12 with i7) will maintain around 75% charge continuously, even when turned off. It's similar to physically moving the battery. Read my above posts for more info.
Desktop mode is best used when you're leaving you laptop in place for 2 weeks or more, day and night, and would rather not unplug it each night.
With regards to your second question: "Does it offs [sic] the charging it self [sic] when it reaches 88%?"
Yes. With both modes, all the power management and battery monitoring is done by the hardware/software. You don't need to worry about monitoring it yourself.
With regards to your last question "What does it mean to charge onetime [sic] upto [sic] 100%":
This is an option you can click. Doing so will allow you one more full charge all the way to 100% which li-ion batteries love. You can also click that option if you're planning on unplugging your laptop and would like it fully charged before you do so. Tray battery icon --> right click --> click "dell extended battery life options" --> click "longevity mode" tab --> click "charge battery to 100% one more time"
After this full charge (and assuming longevity mode is enabled) the battery will be charged and discharged in cycles with the minimum charge allowed being 88% and the maximum charge being 100%.
I hope that helps clear up the differences between the two modes?
FattyFish
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February 18th, 2014 08:00
In short Yes...well...kind of...desktop mode is like physically removing the battery...BUT:
1) desktop mode only kicks in after
a) activating 'desktop mode' in battery settings and
b) leaving the laptop plugged in continuously for 2 weeks even when not using it.
2) desktop mode will in fact trickle charge your laptop battery. So it's not EXACTLY like physically removing the battery as doing this would - eventually - run the battery flat. This is in fact a GOOD thing: the lithium ion (li-ion) battery in your Dell laptop does not like to be completely discharged (unlike older Nickel-cadmium or 'Ni-Cd') and so by being trickle charged this actually lengthens the life span of your battery.
I hope that helps?
I must say, Dell support staff are bloody useless - not once have they chipped in on this thread or any other about this elusive feature.
kasun1994
5 Posts
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February 18th, 2014 09:00
Thank you FattyFish! :) :) ....Well.. then I suppose keeping the laptop plugged in all the time with desktop mode is good for the battery health.... :)
Thanks alot once again!!
FattyFish
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February 18th, 2014 09:00
Sorry dude, I must have missed your post before.
In short: Use longevity mode.
Longevity mode will allow you to plug in your laptop and leave it plugged in for the day without damaging the battery. Once activated it will then cycle between 88% and 100% which is healthy/optimum charging for a lithium-ion battery. This style of 'topping up' the charge is NOT harmful for modern li-ion batteries (you're thinking of older ni-cad batteries).
Once you've finished at the office/coffee shop/wherever you can pack up and unplug without worry. Once longevity mode is enabled, you do not need to worry about manually doing anything (plugging or unplugging). Just leave it plugged in and the hardware/software will do the rest for you.
My personal experience with longevity mode:-
When I use this mode on my Dell XPS 12 and hover my mouse over the battery icon it often says "100% fully charged". If I check the power options (right click the battery tray icon --> click "dell extended battery life options" --> click on the "status" tab) it will clearly say "Battery Charging Disabled" under the big green battery meter. This gives me the peace of mind that longevity mode has kicked in immediately.
For me, it seems to maintain a 100% charge for anywhere between 12 and 24 hours depending on how much power I'm drawing (word processing Vs. video editing). After this variable time period the battery will then start to cycle between 88% and 100% charge. I assume this is when the battery monitoring hardware decides it's now better for the battery to discharge a little. Everything is handled automatically and I am confident that this method of charging (including keeping it at 100% for a short while) is in the best interest of extending the life of new li-ion batteries - I've spent enough time researching them because of this!!! The only thing better than this is full desktop mode, which obviously isn't always practical for a laptop as you need to leave it plugged in for 2 weeks straight before it kicks in.
I just wish dell would provide a better explanation as part of their user manual!