Laptop AC adapter question

I’ve had a laptop for 4 years now and I’ve recently started having a problem with it being when it is on high loads for extended periods of time, mostly gaming related with the AC adapter connected it suddenly stops charging.

After some research I assume the power supply either broke or something is wrong with the battery, not being savy enough I could be completely wrong and I’d like to have some pointers before trying stuff out, I’m still using the factory AC adapter that came with it and I was thinking about getting a new one from a store and see if it helps, also if I would do that do I need to get the exact same model/manufacturer or just keep the same input/output and voltage/wattage?

Careful, most of the big OEM’s actually have a authentication scheme on the power interface. Thus you just can’t get something with the same power specifications. In the past I’ve seen windows pop-up’s saying this ‘charger’ not valid and running on low wattage warning…

Thus this forces you to search for manufacture ‘compatible’ adapters, which are a little cheaper then OEM’s.

In the mean time, one thing i would try. Try removing your laptop’s battery when “gaming” this will help take some of the load of the AC adapter when your laptop is pulling power.

Regards,

Appreciated the response, I took the charger to a local repair shop and they found a replacement of the same manufacturer that seems to be working fine.

I had tried that said suggestion but instead of stopping to charge the computer just immediately shuts down.

Glad you got it working.

That’s a little scary for your data, if the computer wants to shutdown when the battery is removed. What happens to your data when the battery goes completely out…

Regards,

I haven’t had any data problems so far, what I got told is that the OEM AC adapter just failed over time and had a faulting connector to the laptop, hopefully the replacement is good enough.

It sounds silly, but you need to make sure the laptop is actually plugged in. No software tweak or hardware repair can make a disconnected laptop magically power on. So before you do anything else, ensure that the AC outlet and laptop plugs are firmly seated.

Check the AC adapter brick and verify that any removable cords are fully inserted. Next, make sure the battery is properly seated in its compartment, and that there is nothing wrong with either the battery or laptop contact points.

Finally, find out whether or not the problem even has anything to do with the laptop at all. Try plugging the power cord into a different outlet to see if you’ve got a short or a blown fuse. If it’s plugged into a surge protector or power strip, take it out and plug it directly into the wall.

At this point, if it still doesn’t work, we’ve determined that it’s not just user error causing the problem. There is a real issue with powering the laptop; now it’s simply a matter of figuring out where the problem may be. That begins with eliminating where it isn’t. We’ll start with the most common and easy-to-address issues.

Lose the Battery
First, check the integrity of the battery. If your laptop comes with a removable battery, take it out, and hold the power button down for about 15 seconds to drain any residual power from the device. Then, with the battery still removed, plug in the power cable and turn the laptop on.

If the laptop powers on properly, that means the power adapter is working properly and the problem is likely a bum battery. Though you can always re-install the battery and try again—maybe the battery was just poorly seated.

If your laptop doesn’t have a visible battery compartment on the bottom, it may be built into the laptop (like most Macs are), and you’ll either have to open it up yourself or take it to a repair specialist to test the battery.

Make Sure You’re Using the Right USB-C Port
USB-C is a popular cross-platform standard for connecting peripherals, transferring data, and charging your battery. The new standard allows for thinner devices, but might also cause some confusion. Some manufacturers have opted to make certain USB-C ports data-only, so they won’t charge your device.

Is Your Charger Powerful Enough?
Similarly, just because a power adapter fits into your laptop’s charging port doesn’t mean it’s powerful enough to charge your laptop. This goes for any type of charger, but it’s an especially common problem with laptops that charge over USB-C—you can technically plug in any USB-PD charger, but some may have too low a wattage to properly charge.

Check the Connector
When you plug in the laptop’s power connector, the connection should be fairly solid. If there’s dust or other buildup inside the jack, it may not be able to make a clean connection. Try cleaning out the jack with a toothpick, and plugging in again.

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