What's mah mAH?

July 28, 2008 9:44 AM

I need to buy a new battery for my Dell Inspiron 6000, and I've found two options: A and B. Obviously A is more expensive, but it has a higher mAH. I by default prefer the longest battery life possible, but I also don't know jack about laptop batteries. Searching the google has given me only whiffs and bits of information. Tell me hive, is 8000mAH better than 6600mAH enough to warrant $20 more? What can I expect from each, very roughly, in terms of hours of continuous use between charges? Also, feel free to inform me that A and/or B are terrible sites I should not buy from.
posted by ictow to Computers & Internet (4 answers total)

Best answer: The most important thing about your option A is that it looks to be used. "It has been fully tested and has at least 97% of it's original capacity." Batteries wear out, do not buy a used one no matter how much it claims to be tested.

If the two batteries are identically constructed and brand new, the bigger one will store 8000/6600 = 20% more power and should give 20% more life. But that's mediated by how well the battery takes a charge and how old it is. If my choice were a Dell approved 6600mAH vs a third party 8000mAH, I'd probably take the Dell one on the theory the charge management circuit worked better.
posted by Nelson at 9:48 AM on July 28, 2008

If you want the capacity without the compromise above, you may want to take a look at this new high-capacity replacement battery. I've bought hard-to-find replacement batteries for old laptops from AtBatt several times with no issues and good performance.
posted by I EAT TAPAS at 10:02 AM on July 28, 2008

I recently had a large order with this company and didnt have any problems with them. They have your battery in stock.
posted by damn dirty ape at 11:16 AM on July 28, 2008

Quality of NiMH batteries varies a lot by manufacturer, and batteries aren't always what they are advertised to be. My understanding is that Li Ion may be worse, but I have less experience.. Please don't take as the false truism: "you get what you pay for." However, you need to be very careful about the source. With that in mind, I wouldn't be too averse to used batteries, if the source backs up their claims with a satisfaction guarantee (that you know will be followed through on)..

Also, Li Ion cells begin degrading as soon as they are manufactured, regardless of use, so shelf life and manufacture date are important. See the wikipedia page for details. I don't think anybody will tell you this information though..

Frustrating..
posted by Chuckles at 2:21 PM on July 28, 2008