Dell laptop power adapters question

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Phil Shapiro

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Jul 25, 2017, 3:57:31 PM7/25/17
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I found a nice chart showing which power adapters are suited for which Dell laptops. This is useful
for those of us who refurbish Dell laptops.


   Am I correct in thinking that there is no problem in using a power adapter with more rated power
than the minimum power requirement for a laptop model?

       Phil




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Bart Anderson

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Jul 25, 2017, 6:45:44 PM7/25/17
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I think you're right, Phil. There should be no problem using a power adapter with a greater power rating than required (e.g. using a 90W adapter rather than 65W).

There would be a problem using a power adapter that has a smaller power rathing than required.

The other problem would be using an adapter with a different voltage. I fried an HP motherboard when I read a label wrong, and used a 19.5V adapter rather than an 18.5V one.

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Amber Schmidt

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Jul 26, 2017, 12:35:24 AM7/26/17
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I would recommend being careful with that line of thinking.

You can use power adapters that have higher amperage because a machine can regulate to the capacity it is designed for, but higher voltage risks frying the innards. Obviously, NEVER go below either voltage or amperage. Just make sure you check the voltage and amperage of power adapters. Voltage needs to match, amperage can be higher with out risk of frying the machine.

On Tue, Jul 25, 2017 at 12:57 PM, Phil Shapiro <psha...@his.com> wrote:

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Nate Sheen

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Jul 26, 2017, 12:35:49 AM7/26/17
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Phil,
I'm not an expert in this however I would disagree. 
I would be wary of using adapters that are rated for more power than the computer requires. 
Just because of warranty issues with customers I would be concerned that if I got a bad batch and it fried a board then it would be on me.
Anyone correct me if I am wrong, but it is my understanding that the power adapter on most setups is the only thing that is protecting the computer from high voltage. 

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