7 tips to double your laptop's battery life without charging

Many new laptop owners expect 8–10 hours of battery life but actually get half that. A few simple tweaks to Windows 11 and popular programs can help you regain those hours and extend your battery life.

NV writes about it.

Energy saving with one click

The Energy Saving button, which has a leaf icon, has been added to the Quick Actions panel (Win + A). With a single click, Windows pauses background synchronization, slightly reduces screen brightness, and limits the maximum processor frequency without disabling Wi-Fi or notifications. You can configure the feature to activate automatically when the battery reaches a certain level, adding about an hour of battery life.

Limiting the display refresh rate

Screens with a refresh rate of more than 60 Hz look smoother, but they put a strain on the graphics and battery. In the Display settings menu, under Advanced settings, turn off Dynamic refresh rate or manually set it to 60 Hz. On many models, this saves 10–15 watts, which is equivalent to an additional hour of video streaming.

Cool Down Mode for background processes

Windows 11 lets you mark background threads as Eco QoS, which reduces their power consumption. Utilities such as EnergyStarX make this easy, and advanced users can do so via PowerShell. As a result, backup processes won't take resources away from other important tabs.

Get performance under control in Task Manager

When you need to manually rein in a voracious application, open Task Manager, right-click on the program, and select Performance Mode. Windows will lower the program's priority, activate Eco QoS, and reduce the processor's load, which affects both the coolers' silence and the operating time.

"Browser Diet"

In Microsoft Edge, efficiency mode and sleeping tabs stop inactive sites after 30 seconds. Microsoft estimates that this feature adds about 25 minutes of battery life to a 15-inch laptop. Go to Settings > System & Performance, activate the mode, and set the time for tabs to go to sleep.

Play video without discrete graphics

When watching streaming video, a discrete graphics card isn't necessary — the integrated core can handle 1080p and uses less power. Go to Settings > System > Display > Graphics, find your browser, open Settings, and assign it to "Energy-saving GPU".

Global Video Eco Mode

Another useful option can be found in Settings > Programs > Video Playback. There, you can select "Energy Saving" to have Windows reduce the decoding resolution, limit the HDR brightness, and reduce buffering. The slight decrease in quality is offset by about half an hour of operation without an outlet.

As we mentioned earlier, saving money on a laptop does not necessarily mean a loss in quality. Even in the $500 price range, you can find decent options — provided the user does not ignore important features that meet their needs.

Also, many people, both at home and in offices, have kept their computers or laptops switched on for years, considering it a convenient solution. Nevertheless, experts advise switching off your PC at least from time to time.