Laptop wireless interfaces give us freedom from wires. But this freedom comes at a price: laptop battery life decreases when Wi-Fi is on. But how much does this module affect the increase in the power consumption of the laptop and is it worth turning off Wi-Fi when we are not using it?
Instructions
Step 1
The power consumption of Wi-Fi chips has dropped dramatically over the past 2-3 years. If your laptop has been released in the last 2-3 years, then you have nothing to worry about. At idle, these new chips consume practically nothing.
Step 2
In relatively old models, there is a difference between the power consumption of a laptop with and without Wi-Fi enabled. In simple measurements by the users themselves, the wireless module can consume about 250 mA. In terms of 12 V voltage, this is 3 W. And with active use, this difference rises to 7 watts.
Step 3
Is it a lot or a little? The average consumption of a working laptop is about 45 W, and an actively used one can be over 60-65 W. At the same time, the processor accounts for 80-90% of the power.
Step 4
So turning off Wi-Fi while idle will not play a significant role, even if you have a fairly old laptop. But if you want to maximize the battery life of your laptop, and the account goes on for minutes, then feel free to turn it off - 20-30 minutes of saved time is guaranteed to you.
