Optimizing a computer means one of two things, getting more performance or more battery life. In terms of a laptop it is usually the latter that takes precedence. After all, there’s no use having a powerful laptop if you cannot take it five yards from a charger. So in this tutorial, I’m going to optimize my Dell XPS 13 for battery life.
If you read my piece on ‘How to increase the battery life of your Dell XPS 13’ you will already know how to save some battery life using basic tweaks and a BIOS update. In this tutorial, I’m looking mainly at software and quality of life fixes that also benefit battery life.
Optimize the Dell XPS 13
The first order of business with any bought computer is removing bloatware. While Dell installs less than some manufacturers, there is still a lot of stuff you likely won’t use. The fewer programs you have running, the more battery life you get so this is a win, win.
1. Right click on the Windows Start button and select Programs and Features.
2. Run through the list at the top of the pane to remove anything you don’t need. Using the uninstaller is better than merely deleting files as it keeps the registry tidy too.
3. Navigate to Settings, System, Apps & features.
4. Run through that list and uninstall anything you don’t need.
Next, let us turn our attention to running services. The same rules apply here. If you don’t use it, lose it. Use Black Viper’s excellent guide on what Windows services to disable or leave alone.
1. Right click on the Windows Task Bar and select Task Manager.
2. Select Services and the Open Services text link at the bottom.
3. Work your way through the list disabling or leaving as you see fit using Black Viper’s guide.
Finally, use Windows Battery Saver mode to get a little more out of your battery.
1. Click Action Center in Windows 10.
2. Click Battery Saver and it should turn blue.
3. Type or paste ‘battery saver’ into the Search Windows box.
4. Click Change battery saver settings and tweak to match how you use your laptop.
These tweaks help you streamline and optimize your Dell XPS 13 without impacting quality of life. Expect to see some decent improvements in both responsiveness and battery longevity with just a couple of simple changes.
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