How to know what kind of charger my laptop needs? (3 Easy Steps)
Selecting the correct replacement charger is crucial, as using a charger from another laptop can potentially cause irreversible damage to your device, particularly if there is a discrepancy in voltage.
To identify the suitable charger for your laptop, adhere to the following three straightforward steps:
Navigate to the section of interest:
FAQ
- What actions should I take if my laptop charger is lost?
- Is it permissible to use a different or higher wattage charger for my laptop?
Step 1
Locating Your Laptop’s Model or Charger’s Model Number
Normally you can find these parameters on a label at the bottom of the notebook. For example, the tag shows “Latitude E5270”, then the corresponding parameters of the Dell laptop power adapter is “Output: 19.5V 3.34A”.
Sometimes there is not a tag at the bottom of your Dell laptop, then you can check the tag of your original Dell laptop charger.
Then find your laptop model at following navigation:
- Click the arrow drop-down menu and select your laptop brand and model to fit your charger, and you will be able to see all the details of the replacement laptop charger.
Among the information provided, the following two details are essential to verify:
1. Pin Type & Diameter (For this example, it is 7.4×5.0mm)
2. Output (In this case, it is 19.5V, 3.34A, 65W)
Step 2
How to tell the tip size of my laptop charger
Relying solely on the charger model to find a replacement can be hazardous.
This is due to the possibility that the same model may come with various pin diameters or output specifications.
If the pin type or size is incorrect, it will not fit into your laptop’s charging port.
Moreover, an incorrect output voltage could lead to permanent damage to your laptop’s internal components.
To ensure that the replacement charger you are acquiring is indeed the correct one, it is imperative that both the pin type, diameter, and output specifications align with those of your original charger.
- Click the arrow drop-down menu and select pin size or output.
It is necessary to measure both the outer and inner diameters of the original charger.
Most listings for laptop chargers will provide the connector sizes in the product description or specification table, formatted as outer diameter x inner diameter. For instance: 7.4×5.0mm.
You will need to measure the outer and inner diameters of your original laptop pin and compare them with those of the replacement charger. Both measurements must match precisely; otherwise, the charger will not fit.
Step 3
Output voltages and amps on laptop charger
To determine the output, simply examine your AC adapter for the “Output” label.
For example, the output for the aforementioned laptop charger is 19.5V x 2.31A. The formula for calculating wattage is Wattage = Voltage x Ampere, which indicates that the charger’s output is:
Voltage: 19.5V
Ampere: 2.31A
Wattage: 45W
For the purpose of obtaining a replacement, it is essential that the output specifications of both the original and replacement chargers are identical.