Battery Question (Macbook 5,1)

[Munkypoo7]

Hey guys,

This is probably a silly question, so my apologies beforehand.

I did review the battery guide stickied but I couldn't find an answer :\

I purchased a used 13" Aluminum Late 2008 Macbook. That being said, the battery has some wear.

Currently it's at 93% capacity with 736 Cycles. (According to iStat Pro)

I just wanted to know, at which point is it recommended to replace the battery? So far with daily usage I can pull about 3-4 hours which is sufficient for school work so I'm quite pleased with such an old and worn battery.

I'm simply unsure if replacing a battery should be commonplace. Replacing it is simple enough, pop off the bottom and swap, I just don't think it's necessary but after 736 cycles, I have no clue.

Thanks in advance!

 

[neilly93]

I would say only to replace the battery when you actually need it! The batteries in the 2008 unibody Macbook (from memory) start to suffer a decrease in their capacity from 300 battery cycles onwards. However, if you're still getting 3-4 hours of use from your battery, I really wouldn't be looking to change to a new one just yet, particularly as new batteries are quite expensive to buy directly from Apple (Around $129 I believe).

 

[Pinkie Pie]

Haha, mine's at 80% with 485 cycles. I don't think you have anything to worry about for a long while.

 

[brop52]

It will tell you replace soon when it is time to replace it (depending on the OS version you are using)

 

[mrsir2009]

Hey guys,

This is probably a silly question, so my apologies beforehand.

I did review the battery guide stickied but I couldn't find an answer :\

I purchased a used 13" Aluminum Late 2008 Macbook. That being said, the battery has some wear.

Currently it's at 93% capacity with 736 Cycles. (According to iStat Pro)

I just wanted to know, at which point is it recommended to replace the battery? So far with daily usage I can pull about 3-4 hours which is sufficient for school work so I'm quite pleased with such an old and worn battery.

I'm simply unsure if replacing a battery should be commonplace. Replacing it is simple enough, pop off the bottom and swap, I just don't think it's necessary but after 736 cycles, I have no clue.

Thanks in advance!

Replace it when the capacity is too low for you to be able to do what you need.

 

[GGJstudios]

I purchased a used 13" Aluminum Late 2008 Macbook. That being said, the battery has some wear.

Currently it's at 93% capacity with 736 Cycles. (According to iStat Pro)

I just wanted to know, at which point is it recommended to replace the battery?

As others have said, when it no longer lasts long enough to suit your needs. The link below should answer most, if not all, of your battery/charging questions. If you haven't already done so, I highly recommend you take the time to read it.

Apple Notebook Battery FAQ​

 

[Munkypoo7]

Sounds good, thanks everyone!