First Battery Charge for Dell Inspiron 15 E114

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the initial charging practices for the Dell Inspiron 15 E114 laptop, specifically concerning the implications of a brief initial connection to power before a recommended 12-hour charge for optimal battery efficiency. Participants explore the nature of lithium-ion batteries and their charging requirements, as well as manufacturer guidelines.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses concern about the potential impact of a 20-minute initial charge on battery efficiency, referencing a guideline suggesting a 12-hour initial charge for optimal performance.
  • Another participant asserts that lithium-ion batteries do not require an initial priming charge, suggesting that the initial charge duration is not critical.
  • A participant questions the rationale behind Dell's inclusion of the initial charge recommendation, speculating it may be a legacy practice from older battery technologies or a precaution to prevent user complaints about battery life.
  • Further discussion touches on the idea that while lithium-ion batteries do not need priming, an initial charge may still be beneficial for performance verification and calibration of battery metrics.
  • One participant shares personal experience indicating that prolonged charging does not negatively affect battery life, countering concerns about leaving the laptop plugged in frequently.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that lithium-ion batteries do not require an initial charge for optimal performance, but there remains uncertainty about the implications of following manufacturer recommendations. The discussion includes multiple viewpoints on the necessity and impact of initial charging practices.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference varying experiences and interpretations of manufacturer guidelines, highlighting the lack of consensus on the necessity of the initial charge and its effects on battery longevity.

Siberion
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Yesterday, I purchased a new laptop, more specifically a Dell Inspiron 15 E114. Due to my excitement, after I unpacked it, I inmediately plugged in the cord to check out the software, and I explored its features for about 20 minutes, then I turned it off and unplugged it.

After that, I realized there was a tiny sheet of paper next to the manual which said that, in order to get the max. efficiency, I should not plug in the notebook with the battery on before doing an initial charge of at least 12 hours.

As of right now I'm kind of worried, because I'm pretty obsessive with these kind of things, and I fear that my battery efficiency will not be optimal because of the first 20 minutes I connected the battery when I opened the package. But in which amount would the efficiency decrease? I've talked to some people and they said that the initial 12 hours charge doesn't really matter with modern computers, because the battery already has a tiny initial charge for the obvious reason that most people feel like exploring their new adquisition inmediately after unpacking it, but I'm not really sure.

It is a Lithium Ion Battery (6-Cell). It'd be really appreciated if someone who knows about this topic could help me.

Thanks in advance!
 
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Unlike NiCad Li-ion don't need an initial priming charge.
Don't worry about it

http://batteryuniversity.com/partone-19.htm
 
Last edited by a moderator:
NobodySpecial said:
Unlike NiCad Li-ion don't need an initial priming charge.
Don't worry about it

http://batteryuniversity.com/partone-19.htm

Thanks for the info and the link. That was really helpful. But then I wonder, why would Dell still include that message?. Is it simply a 'just to make sure' step to follow?

Lithium-ion batteries deliver full power after the initial charge. Manufacturers of lithium-ion cells insist that no priming is required. However, priming is beneficial as an initial start and to verify battery performance. Excessive cycling should be avoided because of wear-down effect.

In which way would it be beneficial as an initial start?Sorry if this seems to obvious, I don't know much about the subject, thanks again for your help!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
They might include the message because they used to have it with nicads and nobody got round to changing it, or because people would otherwise charge the battery for 20mins then complain if the machine didn't run for the advertised 3hour battery life or the windows battery power meter needs to start with a full charge to calibrate the time remaining
 
NobodySpecial said:
Unlike NiCad Li-ion don't need an initial priming charge.
Don't worry about it

http://batteryuniversity.com/partone-19.htm

But if you'd prefer to be worried, you can't change what's done, but you can follow the instructions from here on out.

At one time I was told leaving my laptop's Lithium-ion batter plugged in all the time would ruin the battery, but after three straight years in that state, it still lasts 7 hours on its battery, the same as it did when I first bought it, and an overnight recharge gives it another 7 hours of life.

I use it as a desktop more than 95% of the time.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

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