17. Battery Tests

Battery Life / Run-down Tests

As in the previous test, battery life once again proved to be the greatest problem. While the nc8230 was able to last an eight-hour workday without needing to be plugged in to a wall outlet, this was only possible with the secondary battery attached and the ambient light sensor activated, which in darker surroundings can help extend battery life by as much as ten percent. Seen from this perspective, the HP unit has a clear advantage compared to its competitors. However, under full load with a 3D application running, the Compaq nc8230 is quite power hungry for a notebook, drawing a full 47 Watts - at least, that's what calculations showed based on battery capacity and the average battery life.