Losing or breaking your laptop charger interrupts your daily routine. Replacing the charger is often the priority. You may also want to have a spare charger around areas you frequent just if you, like most of us, forget to carry the charger along with the laptop. Whatever reason prompts you to purchase a new laptop adapter, the following information will come in handy when choosing the right charger for your device.
1. Laptops only work with DC Power
Laptops cannot work with Alternate Current (AC) power, which is often irregular. An adapter aims to convert AC power, which most electric outlets supply, to Direct Current (DC), which is consistent. In case you haven’t caught on, the adapter is the little box between the laptop connector and the wall plugin.
Different adaptors cater to AC and DC outlets. It is essential to do some research and find out what kind of power your wall outlets provide. You cannot buy a laptop charger without the adaptor. But, be careful to choose an authentic laptop charger by checking the finer details at the back of your laptop and the changer adapter your planning to buy.
2. Know your laptops wattage
The market is flooded with adapters for all brands and models of laptops. It is vital to buy HP laptop chargers for HP laptops and so on. Check the adapter for the electrical energy, current, and polarity, which should be listed on the adapter. Secondly, ensure the information matches the information on the bottom of your laptop.
Jot down the model number of your laptop as it is the crucial determinant for the kind of adapter to purchase. While checking for the model number, also look for power requirements, namely amperage and voltage.
3. Check the laptop connector types
A laptop connector is the bit that goes into the laptop. Laptop connectors are different in size and make, but all work with DC power. The following are the different types of laptop connectors.
a. Cylindrical connectors
Most laptops, including Samsung, HP, and Lenovo, use this kind of laptop charger connector. As the name suggests, they are cylindrical in shape and hollow.
b. Snap and lock connector
This type of connector can be confused for the cylindrical connector because they both share a cylindrical exterior. The difference is that these types of chargers have pins inside the cylinder tube ranging from two to four in number depending on the laptop in question.
c. USB connector
These chargers are characterized by their rectangular shape with thin metal pins inside. A USB connector closely resembles the cables used to charge a smartphone.
d. Molex connector
A Molex connector is rare. It features several wires enclosed by a rectangular flat casing with four to six termini. The wires are insulated and multicolored.
In conclusion
Laptops have assumed a central place in the modern world. The device’s portable nature makes it more likely for the charger to get broken, lost or forgotten. With this information, you can make an informed decision on the kind of laptop adapter you will buy.
