What is the Average Gaming Laptop Battery Life?

Let’s get this straight: gaming laptop battery life is not as good as other laptops!

Gaming is an intensive task. And, to provide a high-quality experience, a gaming laptop is packed with high-power kits. Thus, these components take a toll on the laptop battery. 

But it does not mean you should settle for lousy battery life. Most gaming laptops are equipped with high-power batteries to support extended gaming hours. 

So, what is the average gaming laptop battery life? What is a good battery life? How can you extend the lifespan of a battery? Let’s explore all this and more in this post!

What is the Average Gaming Laptop Battery Life?

A gaming laptop typically will have an average battery life of around 4 hours but keep in mind the battery life of gaming laptops varies with different models and features.

However, some powerful laptops also offer 6-8 hours of continuous gameplay. These laptops have a high-end lithium battery that provides more charge. It is also bigger than other batteries. But this type of battery is rare. Generally, a 3-4 hour battery without charge is good in a gaming laptop. 

An excellent feature of gaming laptops is fast charging. Therefore, you can charge the computer quickly to continue gaming. 

Why Do Gaming Laptops Have Bad Battery Life?

Gaming laptops are known for their bad battery life. But there is a solid reason why they can’t provide long battery durations like their non-gaming counterparts.

Manufacturers have equipped gaming laptops with high-speed processors, dedicated video cards, RGB lighting, loudspeakers, and extra ports for peripherals. These components put a strain on the overall battery performance. Also, gaming laptops have high-speed fans to keep the system cool during intensive gaming. These fans also suck enormous battery percentage. 

The above factors combine to shorten the average battery life of a gaming laptop. Therefore, you can only expect a little portability out of these gaming machines. Though you can travel with them, their design is primarily for putting on a desk plugged into a socket. 

We have a complete guide on 8 reasons why gaming laptops have lousy battery life and what you can do to improve it. Check out the post here!

How Long Do Gaming Laptop Batteries Last?

There is no sure way of knowing how long your laptop battery will last. It depends on various factors, such as charging habits and the amount used. The manufacturers do not give a permanent, dependable figure, but it estimates the overall duration. 

Typically, a gaming laptop battery needs replacing in 1-2 years. However, if you take good care of your battery, it can last longer. A mid-range laptop will give you 3-4 years of usage with proper care. 

Some rare high-end laptop batteries are more durable. They might give you 4-6 years without damage.  

What Factors Affect the Lifespan of a Gaming Laptop Battery?

The battery is the heart of the laptop! And you can imagine if the heart stops working!

Well, there are certain factors why batteries run out of juice way earlier than the manufacturers promised. The same elements can also extend the battery life (if you are into careful usage!). 

Let’s take a look at some of the factors that affect the lifespan of a battery.

1- Temperature Variations

Lithium-ion batteries naturally degrade over time. The typical life duration of a laptop battery is 18- 24 months. However, temperature changes can affect the overall lifespan. 

Exposing the laptop to extreme temperatures can be harmful. More hot or cold weather can reduce its average capacity. Avoid using the computer in direct sunlight. According to research by Battery University, temperatures above 30 degrees celsius can directly harm the battery. So, leaving the laptop in your car on a sunny day is not a good idea!

2- Overcharging and Undercharging

Good charging habits can keep your battery going for a long. On the contrary, over or undercharging multiple times will reduce its overall lifespan. 

You should charge your battery between 20-80%. However, it is inconvenient to unplug every time before the battery goes to 100%. Therefore, even if you keep your charger plugged in after full charge, avoid going to 0 again. 

It loses its overall charge capacity when you wait for your battery to die completely before you plug it in again. Thus, it will slowly deteriorate the battery. 

Also, don’t let your battery go into a state of deep discharge. It means that don’t keep your laptop shut down on zero percent battery for long. The long discharge cycles will make it difficult to charge the battery again. 

Another healthy charging habit is to keep the laptop cool while on charge. It is better to turn off your computer during charging to let it cool down. Running the laptop while charging will overheat the battery, which lessens its lifespan. 

3- Overusage

As soon as you start installing apps on your laptop, the battery health decreases. It is because most of the apps drain the energy of the battery. Even if you’re not using them, they keep running in the background to take charge. 

There is a simple trick to solve it! Go to Task Manager on your laptop and select the “Power usage” tab. 

The power usage dialog box will show you all the apps that consume energy from your battery. See which apps are getting the highest power usage. Simply close them if you don’t need the apps. 

If you don’t know about a specific app, just do a quick Google search to learn about it. If it’s not essential, it is better to keep it closed, right?

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the lifespan of a gaming laptop battery?

On average, the gaming laptop battery can last up to 1000 charge cycles. It roughly equals 2-4 years. After that, your battery health will deteriorate. 

You can replace the battery if you need to work it well. Otherwise, you will have to plug it in more often. 

Why do gaming laptops die so fast?

Gaming laptops are heavy machinery designed to perform intensive tasks like gaming. These laptops have multiple components that take power from the battery and drain it. Therefore, the battery dies fast. 

Some main reasons for fast discharging in gaming laptop batteries are

• The high-speed processor in the laptop derives more power to run the programs
• A dedicated video card in the computer takes more battery to produce higher-quality graphics
• Multiple fast-rotating fans strain the battery to keep the system cool and prevent overheating
• RGB lighting on the computer uses the battery as a power source to illuminate the laptop
• The extra peripherals attached to gaming laptops can drain the battery fast
• Loud high, quality speakers take up too much battery to operate

Conclusion

The battery life of a gaming laptop is not as good as its counterparts. The average gaming laptop battery life is 3-4 hours. The battery usually lasts for 1-2 years before you need to replace it. 

You can take specific measures to increase the lifespan of your laptop battery. Good charging habits and preventing exposure to extreme temperatures can extend its overall life. 

Some high-end laptops do offer better battery lifespan. But, overall, gaming laptops will need more plugging than regular laptops!