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Surface Pro has VERY good battery life - around 6 hours for me.

J515OP

Super Moderator
THanks! I'll definitely do a forum search. Are you saying to set the auto off low or don't do that? Also does the pro stop charging once it gets to 100% so we can say leave it on the charger all night

Do not set the power settings to go too low (like 0% remaining) before automatically powering off. Do not attempt to restart or attach accessories to continue to run the battery down past the auto off settings and all the way empty. Completely draining lithium ion batteries is not good for them.

The charger stops charging at 100% so you can leave it on the charger overnight without worry.

JP
 

Ruffles

Active Member
Hi everyone. I'm new to the forum but I thought I'd chime in. I've been getting good battery life with my Pro as well but that may be because I've tweaked the power profiles. When on battery, I set my max CPU to 75% and I keep the display at 30% brightness (which is still plenty bright). As for the rest of the settings, I switched all the options to max savings when on battery and max power when plugged in.

I haven't timed how long the battery lasts in one sprint but when I add up all the time I've used it thru the day, I'm sure I'm getting 5+ hours. Also, I've had several occasions when the estimated time left is 10.5 hours.
 

souldier

Active Member
The estimated times are usually pretty off, but getting 5 hours plus is pretty good. Do you notice a significant change in speed when you limit the CPU? How do you set it at 75% by the way?
 

Ruffles

Active Member
Yeah, I know the ETA can be way off. I haven't notice any slow downs though. It still plays video and Netflix etc. (I only run the big programs while it's plugged in at a desk) just fine. To change the CPU speeds, tap the battery icon in the system tray in desktop mode. Then click Change Plan Settings followed by Change Advanced Settings. In there, expand Processor power management and change the Maximum processor state.
 

null4end

Member
I have had mine since launch day and I am consistently getting around 6 hours of battery life. In this scenario, I am typically using the Type Cover and using WiFi shared from my phone or MiFi. The main use is Outlook, Word, Excel, Power Point 2013 and web browsing. The first few days I would switch my power plan to Power Saver, but lately I don't bother and just keep in on balanced. I tweak my brightness based on the environment I am working in, not battery life.

After hearing the warnings, I am absolutely thrilled with how long it lasts.
 

souldier

Active Member
6 hours is pretty amazing. My usage is about the same as yours but I am only getting 4-5 hours. How do you determine if you get 6 hours? Do you work continuously for 6 hours until you reach 0%?
 

null4end

Member
I travel a lot and spend a lot of time at client sites and airports. I have a pretty good idea based on the amount of time in meetings and sitting at the airport between charges. It isn't continuous, but it is consistent enough I feel comfortable saying I get 6 hours.
 

batikjab

New Member
Has anyone that claim to have 5+ hours of battery done an actual battery life test by keeping track of your usage time? Or are you all basing this on the estimated time while its at 100% charge? Because I've been doing power saver, 30% brightness, browsing, ms office, watching videos etc.. I've been only getting 3:52-4:15 hers..
I wonder if mine is a defect battery.... can someone with 5+ share more info on their usage n battery settings?
Thanks in advance :)
 

TagsxA

Member
I've followed most of what thr article below says and I've gotten over 6 hours consistently (I've hit just under 7 hours twice). I've been using 50% max CPU when I'm on battery and I notice no slow-downs of any kind. I'm sure alot of why I see no slowdown is because I really just use IE and OneNote, when it's on battery. Whenever I play games, however, I plug it in and I have the CPU set to 100% when it's plugged in.

How To: Optimize Microsoft Surface Pro Battery Life
 

batikjab

New Member
I've followed most of what thr article below says and I've gotten over 6 hours consistently (I've hit just under 7 hours twice). I've been using 50% max CPU when I'm on battery and I notice no slow-downs of any kind. I'm sure alot of why I see no slowdown is because I really just use IE and OneNote, when it's on battery. Whenever I play games, however, I plug it in and I have the CPU set to 100% when it's plugged in.

How To: Optimize Microsoft Surface Pro Battery Life

I tried these exact same settings. still cannot get past 4.5 hrs.... is ur 6 hr based on predicted or actual usage time? ive been timing my self whenever im on the sp, and I cant get past 4:30 hrs..

any specific tips would b appreciated. thnc
 
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