Just imagine the situation, you are in the middle of an important client presentation, and your laptop charger breaks down suddenly. It will be literally hard to cope up with the situation when you know that your laptop will hardly stand not more than 3 hours before completely turning out.
You tried out several times to power on the laptop, but all your efforts have gone vain. Now, what next? Maybe you can borrow an adapter from somewhere and use it for the time being to complete your presentation. However, this is only a temporary solution to the problem.
It’s time that you have to find a suitable charger for your laptop that can power your gadget so that you can carry out all works uninterruptedly.
Usually, you need a charger when you are facing the following problems-
- First, your laptop adapter has burnt
- Second, the cord of the connector has broken or wore out
- When you get the message plugged in not charging
- Your battery has got frozen and displaying a message Not Charging.
However, if you are confused which is the best and suitable charger for your notebook, this blog will guide you through the steps.
So, let’s begin-
First is Determining Your Laptop Model
First things first, you need to find out and confirm your laptop model number. The major notebook manufacturing companies like Dell, HP, Lenovo or Apple’s Mac manufacture various models with different serial numbers.
And you must know that not all models of even the same company will support the same adapter. It means two different models of Dell will have two different chargers.
The model number is usually located at the backside or bottom of the laptop. If you cannot find there, you can check the user manual or search in the built-in-program.
Determining the laptop model will help you to find the exact adapter model with the appropriate serial number.
Buying the Genuine Product
Whether you are looking for a mobile phone memory card, smartwatch accessories, or laptop adopter, you will find plenty of options in the online market, especially on the e-commerce sites.
However, it also adds an element of risk as well because not all products displayed on the websites are genuine. Many are duplicate items, which does not have any manufacturing warranty.
Thus, you need to take guard when you are purchasing any such product from an online site. First, you need to make sure that you are buying the item from an authentic site and check the product details before making a purchase. Verify the model and a serial number of the adapter and check how many years the manufacturer is offering a warranty.
The Two Types of Adapters for Laptops
It is important to note that laptops basically depend on two major types of power adapters for receiving the charging. These include the AC or Alternative Current Charger or the DC or Direct Current Charger. The adapters help in converting the electricity from the wall outlet to a form that can be used within the laptop.
The AC adapter converts the AC power electricity of the wall outlet into DC current, which is mostly used by all electrical appliances. The power is used in the laptops to allow them to keep running if the owner is mobile.
Most of the laptops use the Direct Current power and so it does not seem like using a DC adapter if you are plugging into a DC power source. However, the fact is that you need to use a DC adapter as the power voltage is too low to suit the needs of a laptop. The function of a DC adapter is to convert the low voltage into higher voltage, which makes it easier for the battery to charge the laptop.
Finding the Wattage Requirements
You also need to find out the right wattage requirement for running your laptop without any hindrance. Many customers complained that their laptops developed snags due to irregular voltage, which even tends to damage the motherboard. The chargers get burnt out or short due to irregular supply of current.
You need to check the user manual to verify the voltage needs of your laptop. In addition to that, you also need to check whether the room has a proper earthing or not.
Did You Check Your Ampere
Now that you have checked the voltage, you need to also check one important parameter. Yes, I’m talking about ampere. Ampere is the amount of energy required to run your laptop.
In this case, we usually calculate how much water is flowing through the river.
Type of Connectors
When you are purchasing a charger for your laptop, you also need to check out which type of connector will fit with the adapter. You need to note that though most of the laptops use DC power current, you cannot say the same thing about the connector.
To upgrade your knowledge, there are four types of connectors including-
- Snap and Lock Connector
- Cylindrical Connector
- USB Connector
- Molex Connector
- The first type of Connector, the Snap and lock are also referred to as a Kycon 3-pin and 4-pin DC power plugs. It contains 3 or 4 pins and is surrounded by a thin metal cylinder.
- The Cylindrical connector is also known as a barrel connector or sleeve connector with many other different names. What you need to know is that it has an insulated hollow cylinder, which connects the power port with the laptop.
- The USB Connector comprises a rectangular, hollow, metal tip, which contains two or more flat metal pins.
- The Molex connectors are usually used in personal computers for supplying power. It has various insulated electrical wires that are encased in a flat plastic rectangle case containing three, four or six terminals.
Ending Up the Discussion
Your laptop is your priced possession and it’s your responsibility to take care of the valuable asset. It’s important that you choose the appropriate charger or any other accessory for your laptop, which is original and matches your laptop model number. Also, do check other important details such as voltage and ampere to get the correct supply of current while running the device.
