Worth running a laptop with half core number to increase battery time?

[Regert]

Hi! 

 

I am wondering if someone has done this or has any ideas how it would perform?

 

Is it worth running a modern, or a couple of years old laptop (core i and so on) on half the number of cores

i.e 4x -> 2x and 2x -> 1x, to increase battery runtime? 

 

The idea is that since todays CPU's are alot more powerful than previous generations, and especially OK to good business laptops in the 14-15" size and 1.8-2.4 kg (3,9 - 5,3 lb) usually have good but power hungry CPUs, then perhaps half the cores could cope with usual business/vpn/office task as write, read, surf, ms office etc like a breeze together with Win 8.1 + SSD. And at the same time, if I happen to need all cores - well, then I can just switch to all of them. 

 

The background for this question is that I feel the need to move up from my Dell E4300 to something bigger, but don't wan't to loose battery runtime, and don't wan't it to weight alot more. The target is to get maybe 5-6 hours minimum runtime without looking for a socket. 

 

As much as I've read in a swedish forum, the later generations of Core-i CPU's have a "rush to sleep" function that makes them to the work and then to go "sleep" in order to conserve energy. The idea being that it is better to to the work fast and then wait instead of running at a low constanst workload. 

 

 

Cheers.

/Regert. 

[HawkMan]

it won't really save battery taime due to how they're constructed, turn max clock speed to 50% in windows instead, but you'll save most by dimming the screen and maybe make sure the HDD's are used as little as possible and spin down as quickly as possible. 

[Regert]

it won't really save battery taime due to how they're constructed, turn max clock speed to 50% in windows instead, but you'll save most by dimming the screen and maybe make sure the HDD's are used as little as possible and spin down as quickly as possible. 

 Well I thought that being partially covered by using a SSD, and the maximum amount of RAM, then it's only the CPU left. Of course dimming the screen is a option, however it also worsens the usability. 

[sc302 Veteran]

Have the computer do less, would be the way to do it.  Not necessarily shutting down the cores, but shutting down background apps that you don't need running.  Antimalware scans, updates, have your wifi go into a power save mode instead of performance mode, turn off bluetooth if you aren't using it, and dim the screen (this is one of the best ways to save battery life over anything else).  You can always get a larger battery or a battery pad that your laptop sits on. 

http://www.epowerpad.com/model/PPD130.aspx

[taim]

Make sure your diagnostic services that can be changed to only run when plugged in are set to it.