Laptop Battery Runtime Calculator – Hours per Charge

Calculate laptop battery runtime from battery capacity and power draw.

About This Calculator

Calculate laptop battery runtime from battery capacity and power draw. Use the calculator above for instant results.

Worked Examples

Example 1: 56 Wh battery, 15W light use

  • 56/15 × 90% = 3.36 hours | Light browsing/writing

Answer: ~3.4 hours

Example 2: 86 Wh MacBook Pro battery, 10W

  • 86/10 × 90% = 7.74 hours | Light tasks

Answer: ~7.7 hours

Example 3: 99 Wh max airline battery, 45W gaming

  • 99/45 × 90% = 1.98 hours | Heavy gaming drains fast

Answer: ~2 hours gaming

Who Uses This Calculator?

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Laptop Users

Estimate battery life for travel.

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Mobile Professionals

Plan for working without power.

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Business Travelers

Choose laptop with sufficient battery.

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Laptop Buyers

Compare battery life across models.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Manufacturer ratings are best-case

Apple/Dell battery ratings are measured at minimum screen brightness doing light tasks. Real-world is typically 60-80% of rated runtime.

❌ Battery degrades with cycles

After 500 cycles, most batteries retain 80% capacity. After 1,000 cycles, often 60-70%. Battery runtime decreases with age.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to maximize battery life?

Lower screen brightness (biggest factor). Reduce CPU clock. Turn off WiFi/Bluetooth when not needed. Use power saving mode. Close background apps.

Wh vs mAh?

Wh = mAh × Voltage / 1000. 6,000 mAh at 11.1V = 66.6 Wh. Always convert to Wh for fair comparison across laptops.

M-series Mac battery life?

Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3) MacBooks achieve 15-22 hours because ARM CPUs are extremely power efficient: 5-10W typical vs 15-25W for x86.