Battery conditioning questions

[naterod1972]

I read online it’s a good idea to fully drain the battery then charge it. My question is how long should I wait before it can turn on? It’s been on the charger for at least 30 minutes but every time I try to power it on the boot sound makes a noise but nothing happens. This deck is brand new only had it a few hours.

[Lithurge]

Draining the battery fully to condition them isn't necessary with lithium ion batteries, however as I don't own a deck I can't answer your question. You're better off asking in the Steam Deck's dedicated discussion.

https://steamcommunity.com/app/1675200/discussions/0/

[Muppet among Puppets]

Most worse:
Lithium batteries physically hate being drained.

Second worse:
They dont like to be full. Especially when warm.
Sometimes 100% on display is not them being actually full. Who knows.

[metamec]

Rule of thumb with lithium-ion batteries is to keep the charge between 20% and 80%. Do not fully discharge and do not fully charge.

[Phénomènes Mystiques]

Originally posted by metamec:

Rule of thumb with lithium-ion batteries is to keep the charge between 20% and 80%. Do not fully discharge and do not fully charge.

This is correct.

[Satoru]

Note you as a user don’t have to worry about any of it

All modern devices have controllers that basically do all this for you. It’s why your battery shuts off the device at less than 0%. It’s why your battery only quick charges to 80%.

Yes these are all “technically” true, but are not relevant to users anymore. Your device does all that for you. Your device is smarter than you are, let it do its job

[Phénomènes Mystiques]

I think the problem with the auto-shutoff is that sometimes it fails and we end up with "spicy batteries".

[Cash]

dont fully charge or discharge

[Cash]

Originally posted by Wynters:

Originally posted by metamec:

Rule of thumb with lithium-ion batteries is to keep the charge between 20% and 80%. Do not fully discharge and do not fully charge.

This is correct.

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

Power and charging


If your device has been left on the charger for long periods of time, it may report less than 100% charge. This is normal. We allow the battery to slowly discharge after long periods of time under charge to optimize long-term battery health.

https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/69E3-14AF-9764-4C28

[Muppet among Puppets]

Originally posted by Satoru:

Note you as a user don’t have to worry about any of it

All modern devices have controllers that basically do all this for you. It’s why your battery shuts off the device at less than 0%. It’s why your battery only quick charges to 80%.

Yes these are all “technically” true, but are not relevant to users anymore. Your device does all that for you. Your device is smarter than you are, let it do its job

That would mean if it shows 0% it was actually at least 20%. And if you keep it at least at 30% the battery capacity you use is 50%. That is unlikely.
Also you would not know if the device actually does that.
So for draining, it is unlikely that the device does it as you should.

Why does no manual say, if you drain the battery to 0% on screen it is still in the recommended state for lithium batteries?

[Joke]

Originally posted by Muppet among Puppets:

Originally posted by Satoru:

Note you as a user don’t have to worry about any of it

All modern devices have controllers that basically do all this for you. It’s why your battery shuts off the device at less than 0%. It’s why your battery only quick charges to 80%.

Yes these are all “technically” true, but are not relevant to users anymore. Your device does all that for you. Your device is smarter than you are, let it do its job

That would mean if it shows 0% it was actually at least 20%. And if you keep it at least at 30% the battery capacity you use is 50%. That is unlikely.
Also you would not know if the device actually does that.
So for draining, it is unlikely that the device does it as you should.

Why does no manual say, if you drain the battery to 0% on screen it is still in the recommended state for lithium batteries?

What I've read, if a lithium cell were to really discharge to 0% then it can't be charged by ordinary means. Device manufacturers would be drowned in warranty claims.

[Muppet among Puppets]

Originally posted by Joke:

Originally posted by Muppet among Puppets:

That would mean if it shows 0% it was actually at least 20%. And if you keep it at least at 30% the battery capacity you use is 50%. That is unlikely.
Also you would not know if the device actually does that.
So for draining, it is unlikely that the device does it as you should.

Why does no manual say, if you drain the battery to 0% on screen it is still in the recommended state for lithium batteries?

What I've read, if a lithium cell were to really discharge to 0% then it can't be charged by ordinary means. Device manufacturers would be drowned in warranty claims.

Yes they keep it from critical drain.
Thats one limit.

Then there is the limit of what the battery does not take bad effects from. That is 20 or 30% left of its capacity.


To be more precise, you never could discharge a lithium battery to real 0%. It would burst in flames way before that.
There is one "thats it point" where secured batteries cut themself off. Before that burning happens. The battery is gone, but not burning. Not safe to use anymore. Not chargeable.

Then there is a point before that, as refered to on screen as 0% (which could be anything above that).

Then there is a range where the battery is happy with any charging. And only consumes what a "part of a load cycle should cause".

Below and above that range, additional wear happens.
Low state causes effects by time and degree of low.
High charge causes effects by time, accelerated by temperature.