Originally Posted by
Silverbullet555
But, if you don't need that performance advantage. Would a LIHV charged to 4.2 degrade slower than a LiPo charged to 4.2? And, would the difference between degradation rates be cost effective?
I couldn't be absolutely sure of that. I haven't seen anyone test that and neither have I. I am sure that because they use such high-end cells that yes they would indeed degrade slower than standard LiPos by a noticeable degree. However, the cost of a LiHV is so high that I seriously doubt it would ever be more cost effective. Setting your LVC higher on a standard LiPo is enough to slow its degradation to a noticeable degree as well.
Might I suggest SMC Racing Extreme Graphene V2 if you want a very high performance, long lasting pack that is not LiHV. Great value too. 4S 6000mAH LCG race-focused pack goes for just $80 USD. The biggest issue with only running a LiHV to 4.20VPC would be that you would loose a lot of capacity. A 6000mAH 4S LiHV pack charged to only 4.20VPC would only have a little over 5000mAH capacity to use and the rest is useless weight, and a typical LiHV 4S pack near 6000mAH costs over $120 USD, a full 50% more expensive.
You are far better off just getting the pack that is right for your use case.