As a Lenovo LOQ laptop user with an Intel Core i5-13450HX and RTX 4050, I recently noticed my battery draining faster than expected—even with basic usage. After hours of trial, error, and research, here’s the real, step-by-step process I used to finally fix it.
Step 1: Check Power Settings
I went to Windows Settings → System → Power & Battery. Setting “Battery Saver” to active while unplugged, and reducing screen brightness, made a noticeable difference.
Step 2: Update Drivers (Especially GPU!)
Outdated drivers can be the hidden culprit. I used Lenovo Vantage to update all drivers, then opened Device Manager to check for pending updates, especially for the RTX 4050 graphics card.
Step 3: Disable High-Performance Mode When Not Needed
I realized that keeping my laptop on “Best Performance” was killing my battery. Switching to “Balanced” when editing documents or browsing gave me an extra hour or more per charge.
Step 4: Undervolt GPU and CPU
Using MSI Afterburner, I set a modest undervolt for my RTX 4050 (core voltage set to -100mV, testing stability before applying permanently). For my Intel i5-13450HX, I used ThrottleStop to slightly lower PL1/PL2 values (example: PL1 = 45W, PL2 = 60W). Each change helped lower heat and battery draw.
Step 5: Close Background Apps
I disabled all non-essential startup apps (Task Manager → Startup), which reduced CPU load and background power usage. Apps like Discord, Chrome extensions, and Adobe auto-updaters were especially demanding.
Extra Tips:
- Unplug peripherals you don’t need.
- Switch off Wi-Fi/Bluetooth when working offline.
- Regularly check Windows Updates to keep optimizations ahead of bugs.
Results:
After all these tweaks, my LOQ battery life improved from ~3 hours to almost 5 hours with mixed usage.
Conclusion:
If you’re struggling with battery issues on a Windows laptop, these steps—tested and used on my own machine—can genuinely help. If you want guides for specific settings, or need help with undervolting, comment below!