Dell Alienware M15x Manual - Page 22

Battery Pack Your laptop is equipped with a high-energy rechargeable lithium ion (Li-ion) battery pack. Battery life will vary depending on your laptop configuration, model, applications installed, power management settings, and features used. As with all batteries, the maximum capacity of this battery will decrease with time and usage. The battery meter lights on the battery pack indicate the charge level of the battery. When you press the battery meter once, the charge level lights illuminate. Each of the five lights represent approximately 20% of the total battery charge. For example, if four lights turn on, there is 80% of battery charge remaining and if no lights turn on, there is no charge remaining in the battery. Recharging the Battery Pack Your laptop supports both on-line and off-line recharge. Follow the procedure below to recharge battery: • Ensure the battery pack is installed in the laptop. • Connect the AC adapter to the laptop and to an electrical outlet. The power button light indicates the power and battery status. For details on the power button light, see "Power Button" on page 20. When the laptop is OFF, a depleted Li-ion battery will take three hours to recharge. Battery Maintenance To maintain the battery pack's maximum capacity, you should occasionally let the laptop deplete its battery power completely before recharging. To carry out a complete depletion of the battery, disconnect the AC adapter and let your laptop consume the remaining battery power. To speed up the depletion, use the hard drive as much as possible and set the display as bright as possible. When the battery is depleted or fully discharged, wait for the laptop to cool down (especially the battery). The temperature should be within 15°-25°C (59°-77°F). Then connect the AC adapter to recharge the battery. Frequently Asked Questions Q: I can feel a mild heat next to the battery pack. Is this normal? A: The battery will generate heat during recharging and discharging. There is a protection circuit inside the laptop to prevent overheating. You do not need to worry. Q: My battery operation time is not as long as it should be. Why? A: The battery is heat sensitive and can only be charged to its maximum if the battery and its environmental temperature remain within 15°-25°C (59°-77°F). The more the temperature deviates from this range during recharging, the less chance there is for the battery to be fully charged. In order to recharge the pack to its full capacity, allow the battery to cool down by disconnecting the AC adapter. Then connect the AC adapter to start recharging again. 22 CHAPTER 2: GETTING TO KNOW YOUR LAPTOP