Sunday, 14 August 2011
Replacement Battery - dell battery, replacement battery
Be sure to get the "RoHs" battery featured here. I purchased a 9 cell battery from another seller at about the same time as this 9 cell battery. This one holds a 3 hour 40 minute (plus time to spare) charge (I tested with media player playing the first half the time and a backup running the second half - no idle time) and the other barely gets past 2 hours. HUGE difference. Also the other battery gets warm - not this one. Nice! I highly recommend this product.
As for the seller, the shipping time was fast and the price is decent, esp for what you're getting (it's like two thirds cheaper than buying direct from Dell if I'm not mistaken).
One one of the best buys I've made over the past 12 months. Kudos! 9 cell Battery For Dell Inspiron 1525 1526 series replace RN873 GP952 M911 X284G series Ac Laptop Notebook Main Battery
The first gotcha was that this battery is quite a bit bigger that the one it replaced (RN 873) but it fit the slot fine. Just stick out and down a little.
Second gotcha was absolutely no directions which should be not problem but...Apparently Dell uses a Smart Power system which has thousands of complaints on the internet.
Anyway, I powered down, installed battery and powered up. Power options said 63%. OK so far. 12 hours later still 63%....Uh Oh.
Long story (about 7 hours of Internetting, calling, attempted BIOS flashes etc) developed many horror stories about LIon batteries and Dell power adapter. The dreaded "unknown device" syndrome.
Here's how Dell recommended a reset. First, power down and remove battery. Second, unplug AC Power adapter from computer AND wall. Third-Wait till green light goes out. In my case, went and got coffee and watch a show.
Fourth - plug adapter into wall and computer and power up WITHOUT the battery installed.
After boot up, insert the battery.
It worked?!!?!
I bought this battery to replace the worn-out battery on my 2-year-old Inspiron 1525, which is battery model M911G. The one I received didn't fit the computer and it didnt look like the battery pictured above. Return was easy through Amazon, but disappointed that the battery didn't fit. Possibly my mistake, as the product description says it fits M911 (but doesn't say M911G).
For those that are confused about the physical size of the replacement battery; this is an extended size battery. There is the standard size that is flush with your laptop when inserted, and there are the extended sizes that protrude out approximately one inch from the back of your laptop. You will find this same protrusion on any extended size battery you buy directly from Dell. It will stick out the back a little, and that is normal. The standard size is a six cell battery and will give you a shorter run time on a charge. This is a nine cell battery, and this is how they get more run time out of the battery... it's bigger ;)
Considering the same size battery from Dell costs $179; I would say paying $39 is a bargain (price I paid at time of purchase). It would still be a bargain even if it lasts only half as long.
You can save yourself some headaches though on having to replace your battery more often than necessary:
- If you generally have your laptop plugged in and the battery is sitting there fully charged all the time, unplug it and let the battery run down a bit (about 40%) and then remove it. Your laptop will function just fine without the battery. When you need to use the battery, put it back in, let it charge up a bit, and use it.
I can't give this product a five star rating as I haven't had it for an extended period of time. I received it, plugged it in, discharged it, charged it up to full and it shows about 6.5 hours of run time with the backlight on the LCD at dim. Ran it down to 40% and put it away for storage. I'll come back and edit this review a few months down the road.
[EDIT - Addition - Jan 31, 2011]
Well, a few months down the road has passed by. First, a little background info so you can relate my usage to what I am saying. I am a full time tech college student, I drive a small fifteen minutes both ways to campus, and I attend class four days out of the week. I have the computer on pretty much the whole time as that is where I store my notes, take my notes, and do some of my homework. I use the the battery fairly frequently. With all that use my battery still reads 6.5 hours. Not sure if it is reading right or not, but it does hold a charge through all my classes down to about the 15-20% mark at worst (depending on usage). I do keep the battery on power saver settings while in school; display dimness turned all the way down, display turns off in 3 minutes, goes to sleep in fifteen minutes, WiFi turned off unless I need to look something up. I do occasionally turn the display brightness up, but turn it back down after. Do realize that the more you are demanding out of your laptop, it will shorten how long your battery will be running, I am pretty much using it for Office 2007. I remove the battery on the weekends as I can run it off the power cord at home.
I have been pretty satisfied with the battery, so much that when my wife's laptop had her battery kick the bucket I went and ordered one for her also (she has the same brand/model laptop as I do). I would buy this battery again and am changing my rating for it to a five star. - Laptop Batteries - Laptop Battery - Dell Battery - Replacement Battery'
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