Dell XPS 13 9310 – Battery Drains While Plugged In (Tried Everything)

Question

Hi everyone,

I’ve been having an issue with my Dell XPS 13 9310 where the battery keeps draining even while it’s plugged in.

Here’s what I’ve already tried:

Using both the official Dell charger and my Thunderbolt docking station for charging
Testing both USB-C ports
Downgrading the BIOS to an earlier version
Changing the Windows power plan and battery settings

Despite all that, the problem still persists — the laptop shows it’s charging, but the battery percentage slowly drops during use.

For context, I replaced the battery about 6 months ago because the previous one was draining too fast. Until now, everything was working fine.

Has anyone experienced this issue or found a reliable fix? Could this be a motherboard or charging circuit problem?

Thanks in advance for any help!

yaron.geffen · Accepted Answer

So I ran the F12 diagnostics, including the thorough test, with the charger plugged in, and all the tests passed. Should I also try running it with the charger unplugged?

user_575de2 · Answer

Hi Yaron,

That’s a tough one — and you’ve already done most of the right troubleshooting steps. The fact that it shows charging but still drains points to a power delivery issue rather than a battery fault. Here are a few things worth checking before assuming it’s the motherboard:

Check the charger’s wattage:
Make sure the adapter is the correct one — the XPS 13 9310 needs at least a 45W (preferably 65W) USB-C power supply. If the charger or dock provides less, the system may use more power than it receives, causing slow drain even while “charging.”
Inspect the power adapter detection:
- Go into BIOS (tap F2 at startup).
- On the main page, check if the AC Adapter Type shows correctly (e.g., “65W”).
- If it says “Unknown” or “Not Detected,” that usually means a problem with the charger, cable, or charging circuit. Try another genuine Dell charger and cable if you can.
Update or reset BIOS settings:
Even though you downgraded before, try installing the latest BIOS version again and reset BIOS settings to default. Corrupted firmware settings can sometimes cause misdetection of power input.
Run Dell Diagnostics:
Restart → press F12 → choose Diagnostics. This will test the battery and adapter health. If either shows a warning, note the error code — Dell Support can identify whether it’s the adapter, battery, or motherboard.
Thermal or system load issues:
If the system is running under heavy load (CPU/GPU at full), it can consume more power than the adapter can provide, especially through docks. Try charging with the adapter directly to the laptop, no dock attached, and see if it still drains.

If the adapter is properly detected and you’ve ruled out load issues, then yes — it might be the charging circuit on the motherboard. At that point, Dell Support or a qualified repair shop should take a closer look.

Hope this helps narrow it down, Yaron.

ammarkhan · Answer

Hey, I’ve run into a similar issue before with my XPS. In my case, it turned out to be a power delivery problem with the USB-C port — it was charging, but not supplying enough wattage under load. Try checking the charger’s wattage (should be 65W or higher) and see if the same thing happens when you’re in BIOS or safe mode. If it still drains there, it’s likely hardware — maybe the charging board or motherboard.

XPS

Dell XPS 13 9310 – Battery Drains While Plugged In (Tried Everything)

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