Users Guide

NOTE: Health information is available only if Dell batteries are attached to your system.

Battery settings

Dell Power Manager enables users to select a Battery Setting that is optimized for specific system usage patterns. For example,

some settings focus on extending battery life, while others provide fast charge times.

NOTE: Battery settings can be modified only if Dell batteries are attached to your system.

Available settings may be limited depending on the battery. Possible battery settings include:

● Standard — Fully charges the battery at a moderate rate. This setting provides a balanced approach to extending battery

life while providing a reasonably fast charging time. Recommended for users who frequently switch between battery and

external power sources.

● ExpressCharge

™

— Quickly charges the battery using Dell fast-charge technology. Recommended for users who need the

battery to charge quickly. If the system is powered off, then the battery typically charges to 80 percent within one hour and

100 percent in two hours. The charge time may be longer if the system is powered on.

NOTE: The ExpressCharge

™

setting may cause battery health to diminish more quickly than other settings.

● Primarily AC — Extends battery life by lowering the charge threshold, so that the battery never charges to 100 percent

capacity. Recommended for users who primarily operate the system while plugged into an external power source.

● Adaptive — Automatically optimizes battery settings based on the user’s typical patterns. Recommended for users who

want to “set it and forget it.”

● Custom — User selects when the battery starts and stops charging. Recommended for advanced users.

Select battery setting

1. On the Battery Information page, click the battery that you want to change (such as Battery #1 or Battery #2).

NOTE: If Advanced Charge is enabled, you can only access battery setting through the Advanced Charge screen.

2. Click Settings.

3. Select a pre-configured battery setting, or select Custom to define your own settings.

NOTE: Available settings may be limited depending on the battery.

4. Click OK to save your changes, or click Cancel to discard them.

Create custom battery setting

The Custom battery setting enables users to define when a battery starts and stops charging. This setting is recommended for

advanced users who are familiar with battery charging cycles.

NOTE:

There should be a minimum difference between the Start Charging and Stop Charging values specified in your

system's BIOS.

1. Go to the Battery Setting page, and then click Custom.

2. Under Start Charging, move the slider to the percentage threshold at which the battery begins charging, or enter a number

in the text box.

For example, entering 60 causes the battery to start charging when it depletes to 60 percent of the total available charge.

3. Under Stop Charging, move the slider to the percentage threshold at which the battery stops charging, or enter a number

in the text box.

For example, entering 90 causes the battery to stop charging when it reaches 90 percent of the total available charge.

4. Click OK to apply your settings, or click Cancel to discard your changes and return to the Battery Information page.

Battery information