DescentBB

Is it necessary or best to order it from Dell?

If not, suggestions on a good source.

Here's what to watch out for when buying discounted batteries-- Li-Ion and Li-poly batteries have a shelf life, meaning regardless of how much or how little it is used, it will degrade over time on its own. A lot of times the \"cheap\" laptop batteries have been sitting on the shelf of a warehouse for a couple years unused and have already lost some of their capacity for this reason. If you are buying from anyone other than Dell, be sure to check their reputation/buyer reviews first.

Here are some other care tips for Lithium batteries:
- Try to avoid fully draining the battery on a routine basis. Instead, recharge when it gets down to 30-40%.
- If you are going to be leaving your computer (or other device) plugged in for a long time (more than a week), discharge the battery to 40%, put it in a ziploc or other air-tight bag, and store it in your refrigerator (NOT freezer). This will minimize the shelf life effect.
- The heavier the load, the harder it is on the battery. Avoid running high-demand applications like games while running on battery power whenever possible.

Simple rule to go by. DO NOT buy any batteries from Chinese. That mostly includes sellers on ebay and some websites such as all-battery.com.