Choose correct power adapter for laptop - it is important & easy!

Welcome to TPSTECH blogs. This is Sharath. Today, I will talk about "choosing right power adapter for your laptop". Common questions our customers ask us on this topic are like:

• How to choose right power adapter?
• Shall I buy original or its compatible one?
• Would it work?
• Where to purchase?
• Would it affect the warranty?

Let me attempt to help here. My approach is similar for all laptop vendors - Dell, HP, Lenovo, Asus, Acer - you name it.

Basics first: Laptops rely on two main types of power adapters for energy: the AC adapter and the DC Adapter. These adapters, also known as (power) chargers, are what help convert the electricity from the wall outlet into a form that's usable for the laptop. Some important factors to consider:

• Watt
• Voltage
• Ampere
• Connector Pin type

The voltage and wattage of an adapter needs to match the required voltage of the laptop. ‘Watts’ is important as it is the core foundation power that laptop (battery) supports. The image below shows different power adapters categorised based on ‘Watts’. Needless to say that watts and pin sizes are bound to change in future as the industry standards evolve. Yes we will blog them as well! :)

Enhanced image of the brick shows the wattage, voltage and ampere information:

Not sure if I shall mention this, but I will anyways. Power adapters typically are two components - the brick and the power cord. When we buy online, many website will sell only the brick. On our online shop however, all adapters get complementary power cord.

Then, the connector tip. The connector can vary for different laptops, like rounded small pin, rounded big pin, etc. The cylindrical connector tips are the most commonly used type for a laptop device. Many fast charging and modern devices today come with flat USB-C type pins as well (not in the image below).

Below points are important to consider while selecting a charger:

• Voltage and Amperage of the adapter need to match the requirements of the laptop otherwise it won’t charge the battery fast enough or the battery may get heated up during the charging process.
• Compare the connector type of the Adapter to your laptop adapter Port. They need to match to ensure that the adapter can plug into the laptop.

So, you should first check your laptop's model number (which is usually written on a sticker on the back of your Laptop) and its power requirements. Alternatively, you can check the brick of your old power charger (as shown in above image).

We have made it easy for you, just Contact Us. If you are in India, you can simply click the image of the Laptop Model Number / Serial Number and/or existing power adapter of your laptop & WhatsApp us the image with your question – we will reply with the details. If needed, our support team will contact you back for additional details. Alternatively, you can email us or just fill the request form with details.

About compatible chargers: There are several manufacturers which offer an alternative to the original power chargers. At TPS, we partner with high quality manufacturers only, with manufacturer warranty. These compatibles are safe to use and have been engineered accordingly. Compatible power adapters are not only affordable, but they also serve a great alternative in selected laptop models for which the laptop manufacturer have declared the laptop as out of warranty or no more in production. We are authorised partners with trusted compatible brands like Lapcare & more.

You can use the search box at the top of this page (swipe left hamburger menu, if on mobile). We also have a curated list of Original & Compatible power adapters for you below:

Dell power adapters – Original
Lenovo power adapters – Original
HP power adapters – Original

You can now get them delivered anywhere in India (shipping cost on us).

See you in the next blog.

PS: Original power adapters do not affect the warranty of your laptop, unlike the compatibles where manufacturer is other than laptop manufacturer. I have found compatible ones helpful though in cases where laptop manufacturer stopped manufacturing power adapters for some of their older models.

Got more questions? We will be happy to help.

See you in next blog!