Windows 8 Power Consumption Draining my Laptop Battery Faster than Normal ?

By ShareShiz
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ShareShiz

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So I have actually noticed the past few days, or kind of for awhile now, that my 9cell battery on my laptop just isn't lasting as long as it use to while using Windows 8. I have Windows 8 and Ubuntu dual boot, and it seems my battery lasts longer while using Ubuntu. My battery use to last around 4 hours, 7 hours if I am on power saving mode. However, now I seem to only get about 1min/percent, so about 100ish minutes worth of battery or ruffly 2 hours.

I was wondering if anyone else has encountered the same or similar problem as I have.

... Please no trolling in this thread.

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greenwizard88

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As ahhell said, it's probably drivers. Make sure all of your drivers are installed, and then go about updating the usual culprits (video, chipset, video, did I mention video?)

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  • 2 months later...
Neowinian

Yves Bruyere

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It's a old thread but I have the same issue and I think to know why. I can heard my fan spinning on my laptop with windows 8 while doing nothing and my task manager is almost at 0% on the processor. I have an HP Pavilion dv7 with AMD 4 core processor and ATI 2 GPU unit. 2 GPU is for one in low power mode and the other in high power mode. ex: while I'm not plugged, it will use the low power GPU instead of the high one.

My low power GPU is a ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4200.

My high power GPU is a AMD Radeon HD 6300M.

But in Windows 8, these 2 GPU unit seem not to be able to communicate with each other correctly. Each need different instance of the driver. I don't know if it was both the same WDDM version 1.1 in windows 7, but I noticed that my high power GPU was using a WDDM version 1.2 and my low power was using WDDM 1.1. Two different drivers model version.

Currently today, if I have the mistake to update my high power GPU in windows update, my graphics on my laptop will run on it even if it's unplugged but in the both case, very slowly. So I have to keep it disabled and at the old version at all time. It's like to have a big issue with my low power GPU. I have to keep that way to keep high performance graphics with my low power GPU if I want to use Windows 8 correctly but not at full speed. Some games I can't play because of that.

At the end, with all that info, my conclusion is both my GPU is running even if I use only one. That I think explain why my laptop is using double the power than needed for nothing.

I don't know about with your laptop, but if you are using 2 GPU like mine, that can confirm my theory.

I would like some feedback about this. Thank you.

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Grand Master

Ambroos

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It's a old thread but I have the same issue and I think to know why. I can heard my fan spinning on my laptop with windows 8 while doing nothing and my task manager is almost at 0% on the processor. I have an HP Pavilion dv7 with AMD 4 core processor and ATI 2 GPU unit. 2 GPU is for one in low power mode and the other in high power mode. ex: while I'm not plugged, it will use the low power GPU instead of the high one.

My low power GPU is a ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4200.

My high power GPU is a AMD Radeon HD 6300M.

But in Windows 8, these 2 GPU unit seem not to be able to communicate with each other correctly. Each need different instance of the driver. I don't know if it was both the same WDDM version 1.1 in windows 7, but I noticed that my high power GPU was using a WDDM version 1.2 and my low power was using WDDM 1.1. Two different drivers model version.

Currently today, if I have the mistake to update my high power GPU in windows update, my graphics on my laptop will run on it even if it's unplugged but in the both case, very slowly. So I have to keep it disabled and at the old version at all time. It's like to have a big issue with my low power GPU. I have to keep that way to keep high performance graphics with my low power GPU if I want to use Windows 8 correctly but not at full speed. Some games I can't play because of that.

At the end, with all that info, my conclusion is both my GPU is running even if I use only one. That I think explain why my laptop is using double the power than needed for nothing.

I don't know about with your laptop, but if you are using 2 GPU like mine, that can confirm my theory.

I would like some feedback about this. Thank you.

That's a driver issue. If you can't get the configuration-specific driver from HP to work in Windows 8 you're out of luck.

I have a hybrid graphics setup too. I can switch between my Intel HD Graphics and a proper nVidia GeForce card but unfortunately Windows 8 doesn't seem to like the drivers for it. The only option I had was to set switching to static in my BIOS, which means I have to reboot to switch between the two - and even then the nVidia Graphics just won't install since even those drivers are incompatible.

It's a common issue with exotic hardware configurations. When your hardware manufacturer no longer provides updates for new operating systems you're basically screwed - and there's not much you can do about it.

  • Yves Bruyere
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Neowinian

Yves Bruyere

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That's a driver issue. If you can't get the configuration-specific driver from HP to work in Windows 8 you're out of luck.

I have a hybrid graphics setup too. I can switch between my Intel HD Graphics and a proper nVidia GeForce card but unfortunately Windows 8 doesn't seem to like the drivers for it. The only option I had was to set switching to static in my BIOS, which means I have to reboot to switch between the two - and even then the nVidia Graphics just won't install since even those drivers are incompatible.

It's a common issue with exotic hardware configurations. When your hardware manufacturer no longer provides updates for new operating systems you're basically screwed - and there's not much you can do about it.

I guess more for a Microsoft issues with Windows 8 than a driver issue with Windows 8. Because Windows 8, logically, have to run any driver compatible with Vista and Windows 7. But I think is the difference about the driver WDDM version model that is the big problem. I hope that AMD & ATI will correct that soon.

Thanks for your reply.

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cleverclogs

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It's likely driver issues. I've got to wait until end November before Samsung release updated drivers for my laptop. In the meantime, fans whir away etc etc. I'm happy they're still supporting my laptop though!

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Neowinian

Yves Bruyere

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Run the AMD package installer in Windows 7 compatibility mode. Problem solved.

Failed! Same thing than updating driver whit Windows Update. Graphics run very slowly.

I have to Refresh my Windows again, thank you for that.

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Neyht Member

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I use some modded drivers on my laptop to get the hybrid (or switchable) graphics working. HP has yet to release proper windows 8 drivers for my computer. Which is odd because they have already released some windows 8 drivers for my computer along with a bios update. Trying to install switchable graphics in compatibility mode for windows 7 fails. Windows update will install the latest drivers, but that won't install the components necessary to make them switch back and forth.

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Grand Master

Detection

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Here's a strange thing, my laptop battery is as good as dead, it has around 18% capacity left, which is just about enough keep it in sleep mode for about 1-2 days

With Windows 7 and 8, if I leave the power settings to default, which is the middle option (normal/average) the battery will be dead when I come to use it again the next night, if I set the power options to "High", it will happily stay sleeping for a day or two

Work that one out

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Neowinian

Yves Bruyere

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I use some modded drivers on my laptop to get the hybrid (or switchable) graphics working. HP has yet to release proper windows 8 drivers for my computer. Which is odd because they have already released some windows 8 drivers for my computer along with a bios update. Trying to install switchable graphics in compatibility mode for windows 7 fails. Windows update will install the latest drivers, but that won't install the components necessary to make them switch back and forth.

I look at leshcat and after trying X, Y, Z solution I found at least an half solution to my problem with your suggestion.

The solution I found the most usefull to me now is that:

After installing Windows 8, erase atiilhag.inf and atiilhag.pnf file in C:\Windows\Inf folder.

Uninstall both device in Device Manager, with the first that is not used and the used one after so windows will replace it with his one default.

Install the leshcat driver, a version which is compatible with Windows 8 and the only ones is with a stupid Intel Graphics Unit which it's not my case.

I guess we must stay plugged in or it will select the poor GPU by default which it's not a good idea.

After it's installed and it using the High Performance GPU, don't switch your GPU or we are gonna to get back to the same problem.

You can update your driver with Windows Update so you can have more feature than the driver provided with leshcat.

After all of this, I just have to make sure to not switch my GPU with the Switchable Graphic Application and make sure that the automatic Switch is not checked.

The good point is I can have my High Performance Graphics working correctly.

The bad point, I still have a power consumption problem.

My Low Power GPU unit is under control of the Basic Graphic Driver from Windows, and I think, it is still running even if I don't use it.

Thank anyway Mr. Android. :) It's a good start.

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