Batteries

Batteries questions

Which Batteries brands does Memory Clearance carry?

The most listed brands in Batteries are Dell, HP, IBM, Lenovo, Toshiba and LSI Logic. Every listing names its manufacturer and part number, so you can search by either.

Are these Batteries products new or refurbished?

Both. Of the 8,825 listings, 3,281 state a condition: 3,118 are refurbished and 163 are new. The other 5,544 do not record one, so ask for it when you request a quote. The condition shown on a listing is the condition you receive.

How do I get a price on a Batteries part?

262 Batteries listings show a price you can order at. Items marked "Call for Price" have a Request for Quote button; send the part number and quantity and the sales team replies weekdays between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm PST.

How to choose a replacement battery

The first decision is which kind of battery you need: this category covers three unrelated jobs, the cache battery or supercapacitor behind a RAID controller's write cache, the pack that keeps a UPS running, and the notebook pack that powers a laptop. None interchange. The 8,825 listings span 58 brands, led by Dell, HP, IBM and Lenovo, with LSI Logic and APC covering controller and UPS batteries. Only a minority of listings carry an online price; the rest are quoted against the part number.

A RAID controller with a failed cache battery, or a flash-backed write cache module with a dead supercapacitor, drops its cache and switches to write-through, so writes go straight to disk and the array runs slower until it is replaced. HP lists these as Smart Storage Batteries and Megacell capacitor packs for Smart Array controllers and DL and Blade servers; LSI Logic covers the controller side. Order by the part number on the failed unit, since one controller generation can use more than one cache battery part. See RAID controller vs HBA if unsure which card is in the server.

UPS battery packs and extended runtime modules are matched to the UPS model, not estimated by voltage alone. The catalog carries packs built for HP R3000, R5500 XR, R7000 and R12000 XR units, APC Smart-UPS SRT, Smart-UPS X and Smart-UPS RT models, and external battery cabinets for larger units, identified by the OEM or kit part number on the old pack or the UPS label. Chemistry is stated on 7,837 listings: 7,581 are Lithium Ion and 13 are Lead Acid, the rest split between Lithium Ion Polymer, Lithium Polymer and Lithium.

Laptop and notebook packs are identified the same way: match the part number on the bottom of the battery or in the BIOS. Cell configurations here run 2-cell to 12-cell; match what the laptop's battery bay and charging circuit expect, not just a higher number. A used pack's remaining charge and cycle count cannot be read from a listing; buy it as a consumable rated for a service life, not a known runtime. 159 listings are stated New and 3,101 Refurbished, 3,260 in total; the rest do not state one, and the part number is stated on every listing. See how to identify a part by OEM number. Unpriced items carry a Request for Quote button; quotes run weekdays 8 am to 5 pm PST on (800) 733-1169.

Batteries buying questions

Why did my RAID array get slower after a battery alert?

A RAID controller, or a flash-backed write cache module, that loses its cache battery or supercapacitor switches from write-back to write-through caching: it can no longer safely hold unwritten data in cache, so every write goes straight to the disks. That is slower, and it is the expected behavior of a healthy controller protecting your data, not a fault in the array itself. Replacing the cache battery restores write-back caching.

How do I find the right replacement battery for my UPS?

Match it to the UPS model and, where you have it, the OEM or kit part number printed on the pack you are replacing or on the UPS itself. This catalog carries packs and extended runtime modules built for HP R-series and R/T-series units, APC Smart-UPS SRT, X and RT models, and external battery cabinets for larger units. A part number search is more reliable than matching by voltage or watt-hours alone.

Can you tell me the remaining capacity or charge cycles on a refurbished laptop battery?

No. A battery's remaining capacity and charge cycle count are not stated on any listing here, because they are not fixed properties like a part number: they depend on how the pack was used before it was pulled. Buy it as a consumable rated by the manufacturer for a service life, matched to your laptop's OEM part number and cell configuration, not for a specific amount of remaining runtime.

How do I order a battery that doesn't show a price online?

Use the Request for Quote button on the listing. Only 251 of the 8,825 batteries here carry an online price; the rest are quoted against the part number and quantity you need. Quotes are answered weekdays 8:00 am to 5:00 pm PST on (800) 733-1169.