November 1, 2017

If you leave your laptop plugged in a lot, and you own the MSI GS60 laptop or similar such as the 2PC 2PL 2QE 6QE 6QC MS-16H2 PX60 or 3ICP5/40/99-2 series laptop, chances are the battery will begin to bulge after a couple of years. Unfortunately MSI does not provide software for some models of laptop to prevent the battery from charging past 80%, thus reducing the useful lifespan of the battery. When the battery starts bulging, this is dangerous as there is a chance that it could explode, even if the battery still appears to be working normally.  The bulging battery could also cause further harm to the structure of your laptop if you let it continue to bulge as I have shown in photos here.  You should immediately remove the battery carefully not to damage it during removal, dispose of it safely at your local hazardous goods disposal drop-off location, and replace the battery with another if you like.  MSI no longer sells or ships the original battery (model BTY-M6F), so you must obtain it from 3rd party sellers such as on eBay or Amazon.  I was lucky to find it for cheap here on Amazon, they sell for about $60 if you get a good deal.

By default, Paypal wants to do the foreign exchange conversion of your payment for you because Paypal pockets ~2.5% from your purchase, just like most credit cards would anyway. However, if you use a credit card that has no foreign exchange fees, you want to be billed in the currency of the seller when using Paypal on eBay for example.  In Canada the Chase Amazon.ca Visa card has no forex fees and 1% cash back.  In the USA and other countries there are similar cards available. Below are the steps to set up Paypal so that you pay in the seller’s currency on your credit card.