Any computer pros here?

I have a 1 year old laptop. Dell 7470. I am having a problem with battery life. When I first got it it lasted like 6-7 hours and gave me a warning that battery life was low so I could shut down.

Fast forward to a year or so after use. Now battery only last 1.5 hours and no warning just goes from like 50% battery to sleep mode all of a sudden.

Is my battery bad? Do they go bad so fast? I called Dell because I have 3 year warranty (they even come to the house) but they say consumable like battery are not covered. WTF? How is an internal battery a consumable? Anyway is my battery bad?

BTW they want $275 to "fix" it. Not sure I want to be fucking around inside the machine then it's $120 for me to fix it if I just order a battery and DIY.

So much for warranty

I preferred it when laptops had an external battery pack standard.

While I would have no accolades to present to you to prove any expertise, I will say this.

1. I've owned a laptop and serviced several.

2. I vape and previously smoked.


What that ultimately breaks down to is I've had to learn more about rechargeable batteries.

Lithium-Ion is definitely superior to the old nickel-cadmium rechargeables, but they too still have a limited lifespan.

You actually want to avoid fully depleting the battery before the next recharge --- but unlike nickel you don't reduce battery life so easily.

Batteries like that go through a limited number of cycles before their capacity takes a huge hit.

As is in your case, while its still usable for a limited duration, you can no longer rely on the battery for hours at a time. If you want longer use on a battery, it needs a replacement.

Whenever laptops have an internal battery, removal and exchange is never as simple as just a few screws. You generally have to be careful to make sure to not just remove all screws necessary (some are usually tiny and easily missed) but also have to avoid tearing cables and damaging other components.

If you're familiar with pc assembly, it's not too far off but a lot more delicate.

Generally, it comes down to overall value of laptop vs new one -- how much does the repair/replace compare to replacing the entire laptop.

And yes batteries are consumable, and probably the most likely thing to fail through regular use.


(You wouldn't think it, but there are folks who buy laptop batteries and extract the 18650s that make them up, whether for vaping or other rechargeable battery application)

Yeah laptop I use everyday for work out in the field so lots of up and down off the charger. I've never had one this bad though and thought it was something else maybe. ill have the guys come over and replace because laptop was $1200. $275 is way cheaper.

Yeah if that's the case I'd definitely go that route.

Also, to potentially improve battery life, I'd suggest trying to charge it more frequently - not to the point of charging it a minute between uses, but more along the lines of letting it charge a bit after use when there's some down time before the next time you need it.

The old nickel batteries got people into the habit of using until drained and then not using until fully charged again.

With the lithium ion, you basically want to avoid draining it too far (charge it before its too low to use) and charge it more frequently.

When I was researching batteries, the graphs about lifespan showed that the heavier the drain on the battery the shorter it would function at full capacity.

But all in all, the easiest way to extend the life of said battery is charge it before draining it too far.

Long story short - that's the deal with quality of batteries of new generation laptops.

If it's Latitude E7470, there could be two types of batteries with different part numbers and capacity. As long as I remember they are interchangeable.
To replace the battery you need to remove the bottom cover. It's not hard, but if not having the tools and practice - ask someone experienced to avoid damaged plastics.
I guess you can buy original battery at the price range of 70-100$ on the american market, chinese sell it even cheaper.

It’s not the battery... Hehe learned this in class the other day. So people have a tendency after the battery reaches 100% to leave the battery still attached while plugged in. This literally kills the battery...

If you see the battery is at 100% charged remove it if you are on the laptop while plugged in. You don’t need the battery to be on the laptop if you have the chord plugged in. Never ever have the battery attached to the laptop if you are plugged in. Only time that battery should be attached to the laptop is when you’re on the go.

It’s unfortunately human error and the lack of knowledge... Not your fault.

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solwitch wrote:

So people have a tendency after the battery reaches 100% to leave the battery still attached while plugged in. This literally kills the battery...

This isn't the 90s anymore lmao.

Xav is right, batteries are not removable these days in laptops.
All integrated.

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solwitch wrote:

...people have a tendency after the battery reaches 100% to leave the battery still attached while plugged in. This literally kills the battery...

Well, no.

A couple of tips to prolong battery life and avoid failures:

1. Avoid plugging on and off the external AC adapter too often.
Many battery controllers consider any AC plug-in as a new cycle. It gets even worse with controllers programmed to lock down after a certain number of cycles.

2. Attempt to make full cycles - charge/discharge the battery fully.
This way you don't only utilize most effectively its capacity, but is also a way to prevent memory effect - present with li-ion batteries as well.

3. If battery is rarely or never in use (many people use laptops as desktop PC), it requires 1-2 full cycles monthly. Otherwise will get faulty after time.

Mind that battery is a consumable, hence any funny moves to make it last forever are effectively worthless and unneeded.
It's accompanied by the initially poor quality of the majority of modern laptop (and not only) batteries, often unrelated with the notebook classification and price.

The only brand with emphasis on battery performance and durability is Apple.
High-end business-class notebooks of other brands could be an exception as well.