Laptop Batteries

RMurphy195 · January 02, 2018, 04:17:27 PM

So, my laptop battery is dead/deceased.

Can I pop into PCWorld and get another one? Nope.

Duracell Direct do batteries for it (Asus X53E) but at £56 its a tad pricey. But when I look elsewhere, I see the same old suppliers selling unfamiliar battery brands on Ebay and Amazon - and I've got my fingers burnt (almost!) in the past down this route. (The extra battery I bough for my DSLR a few years ago, from a well-known camera supplier, jammed in the camera - it had swelled up- after a couple of years use. Not to mention the hand-warmer I fitted to my mobile a while back!)

So - anyone had a reputable battery from a reputable supplier - a battery that has quietly done its job with no problems for a couple of years? Much appreciated if you have any recommendations, thanks.

themadhippy · January 02, 2018, 04:26:00 PM

In the past ive dismantled the battery pack and replaced the individual cells ,but that was with older NiMH cells

austinbob · January 02, 2018, 04:27:12 PM

Best to pay the higher price for an OEM battery or a warranteed alternative from a reputable supplier.
Otherwise you'll likely suffer similar problems to those you've had already or problems like reduced life or charging problems.
Just my opinion based on practical experience.

Bob G · January 02, 2018, 04:34:14 PM

£56 is not a bad price to get your laptop back working again.
Two months ago my HP Envy (which used to get very hot) with 256 GB SSD fried the motherboard and all was lost, after only 18 months use, and a 12 month warranty.
Replacement DELL with 256 GB SSD £600 in sales. I need a fast reliable machine when visiting clients (self-employed) so yes my firm bought it but the HP equivalent was over £900.
So I'm sorry - i cant get worried about £56 being a ripoff, cos it probably isn't. Laptops have gone up hugely in price over the last two years because folk realised that tablets were not the answer to everything.

Bob

RailGooner · January 02, 2018, 05:16:02 PM

If you think that a dodgy battery has the potential to burn your house down, does £56 still seem pricey?

red_death · January 02, 2018, 05:56:27 PM

I agree with Bob - £56 to replace it with a known brand seems a good deal.

Cheers, Mike

NeMo · January 02, 2018, 06:15:20 PM

Quote from: red_death on January 02, 2018, 05:56:27 PM
I agree with Bob - £56 to replace it with a known brand seems a good deal.

It's a +1 on spending one something reliable.

First time my 2011 15" MacBook Pro battery started to fail, I bought one of those generic ones for 30 quid from eBay. A lot cheaper than Apple's offering (around £100 including fitting) and I felt I could take my machine apart myself, having repaired a few laptops in my time. While the battery was okay for the first few weeks, after a couple of months it dipped down to barely 2 hours away from the mains.

This time around I go a NuPower one from Newer Tech, and while not really any cheaper than Apple's battery, it certainly performs very well. Even after a couple years of average usage, I'm still getting 4-6 hours usage.

I guess it's horses for courses. If your laptop is mostly plugged in, and only needs to run a couple hours on the battery, then a generic Chinese one from eBay might be fine. If you need something with more endurance, then going for something with a known reputation might be a better bet.

Cheers, NeMo

RailGooner · January 02, 2018, 06:49:53 PM

Quote from: NeMo on January 02, 2018, 06:15:20 PM
..
If your laptop is mostly plugged in, and only needs to run a couple hours on the battery, then a generic Chinese one from eBay might be fine.
...

That's the scenario - mostly plugged in - that would worry me the most with a generic Chinese battery.

ntpntpntp · January 02, 2018, 08:41:19 PM

Just replaced my lad's Acer laptop battery with one from Duracell Direct. Seems to be a quality component, but early days.....

Mr Sprue · January 03, 2018, 09:35:31 AM

A friend of mine who chips and programs ECU's has his laptop hooked up to one of these they can also jump start cars with a flat battery!

Dsolds · January 03, 2018, 10:23:32 AM

Honestly, £56 is a decent enough price for the genuine item. I have worked in IT for over 30 years and currently work for one of the major vendors. What has been said above about cheap rip-off copies is 100% true. Bear in mind also that the genuine items are made in the far east as well as the copies, so what's the difference? Mostly they remove the safety circuits that prevent over-charging, every time they remove the circuit that conditions (regulates) the charge to increase battery life and they have also been known to use cells which have failed the stringent tests required by the big vendors.

Think about it for a moment, a battery with no safety mechanisms cannot prevent over-charging and this one factor is the thing which is most likely to cause a cell to get hot and potentially explode, especially if sub-standard cells have been used. Yes, you *can* get copies which meet safety standards but that needs a lot of research which costs your time. Given the risk, do you think it's worth taking? It's a bit like asking a serial killer to hold your shotgun while you tie your shoelace.

Remember one thing in all these decisions. If you decide to go with a copy item you need to be lucky every day for a couple of years (about the life of the unit) whereas Mr Explody Overheating Fireball Esq only has to get lucky once and at best you lose the laptop, at worst.....well take a guess.

Please just buy the right thing. The difference in price is probably no more than 30 odd quid.

Mr Sprue · January 03, 2018, 11:18:35 AM

Yes as mentioned Chinese batteries are a fire risk, there is no way I would use them especially in a mobile phone!

NeMo · January 03, 2018, 11:23:11 AM

Quote from: Mr Sprue on January 03, 2018, 11:18:35 AM
Yes as mentioned Chinese batteries are a fire risk, there is no way I would use them especially in a mobile phone!

Aren't all these batteries made in China? I'm pretty certain the iPhone is made in China for a start! Samsung phones are often made in China too.

I always think it's wise when invoking national stereotypes, to remember to engage nuance as well!

Cheers, NeMo

Mr Sprue · January 03, 2018, 11:34:23 AM

Quote from: NeMo on January 03, 2018, 11:23:11 AM
Quote from: Mr Sprue on January 03, 2018, 11:18:35 AM
Yes as mentioned Chinese batteries are a fire risk, there is no way I would use them especially in a mobile phone!

Aren't all these batteries made in China? I'm pretty certain the iPhone is made in China for a start! Samsung phones are often made in China too.

I always think it's wise when invoking national stereotypes, to remember to engage nuance as well!

Cheers, NeMo

I stand to be corrected What I should have said was cheap Chinese copies!!

Mr Sprue · January 03, 2018, 11:43:52 AM

Quote from: Mr Sprue on January 03, 2018, 11:34:23 AM
Quote from: NeMo on January 03, 2018, 11:23:11 AM
Quote from: Mr Sprue on January 03, 2018, 11:18:35 AM
Yes as mentioned Chinese batteries are a fire risk, there is no way I would use them especially in a mobile phone!

Aren't all these batteries made in China? I'm pretty certain the iPhone is made in China for a start! Samsung phones are often made in China too.

I always think it's wise when invoking national stereotypes, to remember to engage nuance as well!

Cheers, NeMo

I stand to be corrected What I should have said was cheap Chinese copies!!

P.S Furthermore, come to think of it any other country/company that produces parts that are not OEM !