Unusual decline in battery capacity on my Laptop

[linercapr]

Windows battery report tells me that my full charge capacity sits at around 25.000 mWh with a design capacity of 51.000 mWh.
The laptop I'm using is the HP ENVY x360 15,6 inch 2-in-1 Laptop-PC 15-ey0000 (54J84AV) running Windows 11. I've been using the laptop since October 2023 for university, mostly note taking and studying / browsing, nothing that would be more computing-intensive.
I'll probably have to get the battery replaced, as it currently only lasts me ~4 hours on a full charge, if I use it for basic browsing, flashcards, OneNote, etc.

My main question is: How did the battery get so bad and how can I prevent the replacement battery to also decline that much. I never left it plugged in over night, exposed it to extreme temperatures or dropped it. I know battery life declines with time but this much of a drop in ~2 years seems excessive.

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @linercapr,

Welcome to the HP Support Community!

Thanks for reaching out!

We're thrilled to have the opportunity to assist you and provide a solution.

I understand your HP ENVY x360 laptop battery capacity has dropped significantly compared to its design capacity, and you’re concerned about why this happened and how to prevent it with a replacement battery. Let’s go through a few points to understand the cause and what you can do going forward.

Normal lithium-ion battery aging
Lithium-ion batteries degrade over time due to chemical aging, even with light usage.
After 1.5–2 years, a 40–60% capacity drop can happen depending on charge cycles and heat exposure.

Charge cycle accumulation
A “cycle” is counted every time the battery uses 100% total charge, not in one go.
Frequent partial charging (for example 30% → 80%) still adds up and increases wear over time.

Heat exposure during normal use
Even light tasks can generate internal heat, especially in thin 2-in-1 designs.
Heat is the biggest contributor to battery degradation, more than charging overnight.

Battery kept near 100% often
Regularly charging to 100% accelerates chemical wear in lithium batteries.
This can happen even if you don’t leave it plugged in overnight.

High power draw from background services
Windows updates, indexing, OneDrive sync, and browser tabs can increase power usage.
Higher discharge rates over time reduce battery health faster.

What to do before replacing the battery
Run HP PC Hardware Diagnostics → Battery Test to confirm battery health status.
Check BIOS and Windows updates, as power management improvements can help efficiency.

How to protect a replacement battery
Enable any BIOS or HP utility option that limits charging to ~80% if available.
Try to keep the battery between 20% and 80% during daily use when possible.

Reduce heat and power stress
Use the laptop on a hard surface for better airflow.
Lower screen brightness and close unused apps to reduce power draw.

Long-term storage habits
If storing the laptop unused for weeks, leave the battery around 40–60%.
Avoid storing it fully charged or fully drained.

I hope this helps.

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