Choosing the compatible charger for your laptop battery: What should you look for?
You must have heard of the Laptop Charger for those who use laptops. So what is a laptop charger?
The connection port is sometimes found in laptops; what role does that port play, and what does it handle? I will help you understand more about laptop chargers and common types of ports today.
A laptop charger, also known as a laptop adapter, can be damaged after prolonged use, accidentally get lost in water, or need to be bought new.
The laptop charger is responsible for converting AC power (AC) to a direct current (DC) power source with the Volt-Ampere number corresponding to each type of laptop according to the manufacturer’s design.
So to buy the proper charger suitable for your laptop and knowing the types of ports on the laptop is an essential thing that everyone must know.
Laptop charger classification
Currently, on the market, there are quite a lot of laptop chargers from different brands, so you should carefully check the charger compatible with your laptop before buying and bringing it back to use. Most chargers on the market have a specific brand and model number.
And there are two popular types of laptop chargers today: AC adapter and DC adapter.
AC adapter:
This is the charger that comes with the laptop when you first buy it. This charger will convert the standard AC power from the jack sockets to the DC standard so the laptop can work.
With this type, you need to know their parameters as above to find the correct laptop charger for you.
DC adapter:
This type of charger is less standard than the AC Adapter. If you have more needs to charge your laptop with weaker power sources such as solar batteries, electricity from cars, airplanes, etc., all are DC; you can still find these chargers.
The operation of laptop chargers is to convert low currents into currents of higher voltage and intensity (still DC) to provide power for batteries and laptops.
You can distinguish these two types of chargers by looking at the AC and DC characters that the manufacturer prints on the face of the charger adapter.
If you need more features than a regular laptop charger, the following laptop chargers might suit your needs:
- Universal Adapter Power: This laptop charger can operate at many different voltages; its output voltage is fixed according to laptop standards. It will serve your work well when you move to many places; many countries have different voltage levels.
- Universal laptop charger (multiple chargers): is a charger with many different output plugs; you can use it for many laptops (compatible plugs). This type has the advantage of saving costs and sockets but also has the disadvantage that it will be very inconvenient to share a charger.
How should You pick an ideal laptop power supply?
- Ckeck the Charger model
- Check Dimensions and type of plugs
Charger model
A specific model number identifies most chargers. This would logically imply that all you need to discover a compatible charger is the model, but there are some difficulties.
The model in issue does not consider the plug type; only the electrical specifications are.
Dimensions and type of plugs
Let’s thus talk briefly about plugs. Chaos has resulted from years of laptop market competition. The number of standards increases significantly if we consider outdated computers and uncommon connector kinds.
Currently, there are about ten standards that are widely used. We presently provide over 120 laptop charger models with 21 different plug kinds.
Some exceptions exist, such as the Lenovo USB form or the Dell plug’s octagonal shape.
It is not that easy because Asus chargers can support up to five different plug types depending on their compatible series.
The situation is much simpler if you own an Apple computer, though. There are currently only three different types of adapter plugs available for MacBook chargers, and each one is quite different from the last. These were, in order of chronology: Magsafe 1, Magsafe 2, and USB-C.
The most popular types of ports connecting to computers today explained here:
Today’s laptop computers have various connections between the computer and other peripheral devices. Here are some common connection types:
- USB Type-C port
- Thunderbolt port
- USB A . port
- HDMI port
- Ethernet port
- VGA port
- 3.5mm headphone jack
- The future of ports on laptops
USB Type-C port
USB Type-C is the latest connection standard with a 24-pin connector design, designed to be connected in any direction. USB Type-C can transmit audio and images and read and write data like a standard USB port.
Currently, component manufacturers and technological devices worldwide have been applying to replace traditional connection ports with a new factor, USB Type C.
USB Type C is the name to distinguish the new USB 3.1 connection standard from the previous types of USB-A, USB-B, and USB 2.0,… With a power transfer rate of up to 100W and connections from 1,250 MB/s to 2,500 MB/s, USB Type C can replace traditional HDMI, VGA, USB, DisplayPort, and charging ports…
Structure of USB Type C
The size of the Type C pin is relatively small (8.4 x 2.6 mm), so it is compatible when charging all thin mobile devices such as phones and laptops.
In addition, the USB Type C charging cord also has two similar plugs, so you can quickly and conveniently use any charger.
The USB Type C port has up to 24 pins, so its current and data transfer speed is impressive (20V – 5A; 1.25 GB/s), equivalent to the Thunderbolt 3 standard.
This is one of the essential factors for developing fast charging technology and high data transmission. USB Type C includes five common types: Standard B, Mini USB, Micro USB, Standard-B USB 3.0, and USB 3.0 Power-B.
What’s outstanding about USB Type C?
Pros – Cons – Highlights
With the above structure, indeed, the USB Type C line possesses many outstanding advantages over its predecessors:
- The connection port size is compact, compatible with many different devices, and can use both sides of the pin, so you don’t have to worry about wrong plugging causing damage to the socket.
- Capable of transferring power and data, including images at high speed, support fast charging.
- Replace HDMI, USB, VGA, Power, and Display ports with just one convenient compact plug.
Cons
- Because it was born not long ago, this connection port has not been wholly replaced by technology products.
- Additional costs are incurred because sometimes users need an intermediate conversion cable between the two devices.
Which devices use USB Type C?
The popularity of USB Type C has now been applied to the design of many technological devices, especially products with high mobility such as laptops, phones, tablets, PCs, chargers backup, headphones… Besides, this technology is also supported on external storage devices such as USB and hard drives using a USB Type C port.
Thunderbolt port
The fastest connection standard available at the moment is Thunderbolt, which has a similar design to USB-C but a lightning bolt icon next to it.
With the latest version of Thunderbolt 4, transfer speeds can be up to 40 Gbp/s, suitable for transferring large 4K resolution images, 6K radar displays, or transferring data up to tens of TB.
ThunderBolt uses a trapezoidal interface like mini DisplayPort, combining PCI Express and DisplayPort into a single serial connection, in addition to charging capabilities.
In short, with ThunderBolt, you can charge, connect, and transfer data between your computer and other peripherals, all with one cable.
Features of ThunderBolt
- Speed 2 times faster than USB 3.0 and faster than USB 2.0 20 times.
- ThunderBolt technology was developed in-house by Intel and brought to market in partnership with Apple.
- ThunderBolt transmits data simultaneously, using total 10Gbps bandwidth in each direction.
- PCI Express is built in; ThunderBolt will make peripherals as fast as the built-in device.
- ThunderBolt provides 10W of power to peripherals, higher than the FireWire 800’s 8W and USB 3.0’s 5W.
Classification of existing Thunderbolt ports
ThunderBolt 1
The ThunderBolt 1 standard has 4 DisplayPort 5.4Gbps channels, two channels are used to transmit data and the other two to receive data, creating one 10Gbps transmission channel and one 10Gbps receiving channel.
ThunderBolt 2
Thunderbolt 2 doubles the transmission speed by allowing four channels to be connected in the same direction. Functionally, the first two standards are identical, using mini DisplayPort (mini DP) connectors.
ThunderBolt 3
ThunderBolt 3 brings many more critical improvements. Besides doubling the bandwidth compared to the previous version, doubling the number of DisplayPort channels available and using the PCI Express 3.0 standard supports the USB 3.1 standard.
It uses USB Type-C instead of the mini connector. DisplayPort.
As a result, ThunderBolt 3 is compatible with USB 3.1 devices but is limited to 10Gbps (1GB/s) – the maximum transfer rate of USB 3.1.
USB
This is the most common USB connection standard today, commonly used and appears on laptops, PCs, or electronic devices to transmit, receive data or provide power.
The USB port is the standard cable connection for personal computers and consumer electronic devices.
USB stands for Universal Serial Bus, an industry standard for short-distance digital data communication that has a plug-and-play interface and helps communicate with other peripherals and devices.
On Which device is the USB port Available? :Devices with USB ports include:
- Desktop
- Laptop
- Tablet
- Smartphones
Desktop: A desktop computer usually has 2 – 4 ports on the front panel and 2 – 8 on the back.
Laptop: A laptop with 1 – 4 ports on either side.
Tablet: The charging port on a tablet is a USB port, usually a USB type C or Micro USB port.
Smartphones: Similar to tablets, we can use the Lightning cable on the iPhone to transfer data to the computer, and they can also charge your iPhone. This is even easier for Android phones like Samsung, Oppo,…
Devices that can be connected via USB
- Digital camera.
- External drive.
- iPod or another MP3 player.
- Keyboard.
- Micro.
- Computer mouse.
- Printer.
- Joystick.
- Scanner.
- Smartphone.
- Webcams.
What is the USB port used for?
The task of the USB port is to transfer data between devices equipped with a USB port without using the network.
In addition, this interface also transmits power to devices that need electricity to operate, even to charge the device’s battery.
Common types of USB ports
– Classification by connection standards:
USB Type-A
This is the most common USB connection standard today, commonly used and appears on laptops, PCs, or electronic devices to transmit, receive data or provide power.
The USB A connector is rectangular with a length of about 1.4cm (9/16 inch) and a height of 0.65cm (1/4 inch). This is the most common USB port for wired mice and keyboards.
USB Type-B
Unlike Type-A, the Type-B connection standard is used on peripheral devices such as cameras, printers, etc.
The design of Type-B has a beveled square shape at both ends of the connection. Similar to Type-A, Type-B uses tabs on the USB end and small cups inside to secure the connection. The pins are arranged differently from Type-A to suit the intended use.
Mini USB Type-B
This is a standard connector for mobile devices; as the name suggests, Mini USB is very small compared to regular USB, they are used in some cameras, now this type of cable is less and less on the market school due to not high aesthetics.
Micro USB Type-A
This connection standard often appears on mobile devices such as phones, cameras, GPS, mp3 players, etc. Micro USB Type-A comes with OTG (On-The-Go) feature that allows phones the tablet becomes the server to connect the peripherals).
Micro USB Type-B
Micro USB Type-B appears more on modern mobile devices today. The Type-B design is a bit different from Type-A in terms of the beveled connector on the upper part; inside, there are still five pins connecting the compact pin, and the metal pins make the connection more firmly on the other side. The transfer rate of the two connection standards is similar at 480 Mbps and has OTG function.
USB Type-C
The newest type of port is the USB Type-C port with a size of 0.84 cm x 0.26cm. It is favored on mobile devices with a size that looks slimmer and smaller. The highlight of this type of port is that it is reversible and still fits into the device.
HDMI port
HDMI stands for High-Definition Multimedia Interface, understood as a high-definition multimedia interface.
True to its name, this connection standard helps to transmit images and sound through the cable to devices such as large projection screens and televisions but still retains high resolution. At the same time, it also supports audio transmission to speakers.
HDMI ports have the three most popular versions: HDMI 1.4, HDMI 2.0, and HDMI 2.1.
Structure of HDMI cable
The HDMI cable head has a structure of 19 small pins, each leg will take care of a separate task, and each will also comply with a particular transmission principle when operating.
For example, Pin 18 is responsible for providing 5V power for the connection.
How many types of HDMI are there?
According to the connection speed
There are five types:
- Standard HDMI cable – only up to 1080i/60Hz resolution is supported.
- High-speed HDMI cable – supports resolutions up to 1080p, Deep Color feature, 3D format (standard 1.4).
- Standard HDMI cable with Ethernet – same as standard HDMI cable but with an additional Ethernet line.
- High-speed HDMI cable with Ethernet – same as high-speed HDMI cable but with an additional Ethernet line.
- Automotive HDMI cable – supports connecting an HDMI transmitter to an HDMI device in the car.
According to the device compatibility
There are four types:
- Standard HDMI cable.
- Mini HDMI cable – for video cards, cameras,…
- Micro HDMI cable – for devices such as mobile phones, tablets,…
- HDMI MHL cable – a specialized connection standard that allows you to project images from a mobile device (phone, tablet) that supports MHL to a large screen, most commonly a TV.
Pros and cons of HDMI
Pros:
- HDMI helps you transmit images and videos with a Full HD resolution of 60 frames per second, which is the maximum transmission standard you can achieve now.
- It can transmit both image and sound with just a single connection cable.
- The sound quality is supported by studio-standard audio recording, so you can play games and watch movies with extremely vivid sound.
- The size of the HDMI port is almost twice more petite as the VGA port, helping to reduce the size of the laptop.
- With just a smartphone and a suitable HDMI cable (Micro HDMI), you can enjoy relaxing entertainment moments with your whole family.
Cons:
- The cost of an HDMI connection wire is still high compared to a VGA connection wire.
- The HDMI cable does not have a plug; it is easy to happen that after a period of using the socket, it becomes loose, making the data transmission unstable.
- HDMI port is still not very popular in some places, such as schools and offices, compared to VGA ports. If you want to connect a laptop for presentation, you need a cable to convert from HDMI to VGA.
Ethernet port
Ethernet is a family of technologies used to connect computer networks or understand; Ethernet helps devices such as laptops and TVs connect to the Internet and transfer data to other devices.
Because of data transmission speed and high security and reliability, Ethernet is often widely used everywhere, such as in companies, offices, schools, and hospitals.
What is an Ethernet port?
An Ethernet port is a hole for plugging an Ethernet cable on computer network devices, used to connect wired network hardware in a LAN, WAN, or MAN network.
Ethernet ports are in many devices such as Routers, computers, TVs, game consoles, and TV Boxes.
The most popular types of Ethernet cables today
Currently, there are three types of Ethernet cables commonly used by users:
- CAT5E cable: This type of cable has the characteristics of less cross-contamination and supports signal transmission up to 1000Mbps.
- CAT6 cable: CAT6 has many of the same characteristics as CAT5E cable but has a bandwidth of up to 250 MHz, 2.5 times that of CAT5E.
- CAT6A cable: This is the most advanced cable today. It has a thick outer shell to limit interference; the bandwidth of 500MHz is twice that of CAT6 and supports 1000Mbps signal transmission at a distance of 100m.
- The RJ45 standard is a popular Ethernet wire standard widely used today.
- VGA port
VGA (short for Video Graphics Array) is a computer display standard introduced in 1987 by IBM.
With a resolution of 640 horizontal lines and 480 vertical lines, a VGA port can be considered a device that outputs graphics in the form of video in series to the screen and can display 256 continuously variable colors at once.
VGA port configuration
VGA ports are usually dark blue or black. Includes 15 pins arranged in 3 rows, each row of 5 pins. When connecting, the 15 pins of the VGA connector will connect to the 15 contacts of the VGA socket to transmit signals.
To be more secure, VGA jacks will usually have two more screw holes to screw in from the VGA wire so that it is not connected halfway.
VGA port specification
Advantages
- Compatible with old display standards such as CGA, MDA, EGA,…
- It can be used for many different resolutions.
- The cost of connecting cables and replacing VGA ports is very cheap. Therefore, the VGA port is commonly used in schools or companies.
Defect
- The image quality and resolution of VGA are not high. At the same time, HDMI has enough capacity to play an HD Video up to 1080p resolution and 60 frames per second. This is the highest level of bandwidth in today’s signal wires.
- It can only transmit images, not sound.
- The size of the VGA port is too large and cumbersome. Heavy cable ends make connection interruptions very common.
- It is becoming less and less popular and has been replaced by USB-C and HDMI.
- 3.5mm headphone jack
The 3.5mm headphone jack is an industry-standard audio jack with a diameter of 3.5mm, used to connect headphones to an audio output device and transmit the signal in an analog format.
Advantages:
- Convenient for some users who have a habit of listening to music while charging on their phones or tablets
- The headset can be used with many devices equipped with a 3.5mm jack or on most current laptop models.
Defect:
- Sound quality is not high due to analog signal transmission
- Limit smartphone thinness
- Occupying the space of camera technologies
- Processor and battery on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.
The future of ports on laptops
Currently, the connection ports on laptops are gradually being reduced on laptops and replaced by USB-C ports by USB-C ports with a thin and light design, supporting a variety of connection bandwidths, supporting multi-purpose video, and audio to heavy data transfers with the help of the Thunderbolt standard.
Apple’s MacBook lines are only equipped with a USB-C port and a 3.5mm headphone port, similar to Dell’s XPS lines.
In the future, other laptop manufacturers may gradually remove other connection ports to save space inside the machine and make the machine thinner.
Selecting a charger based on the specifications
If you don’t know the power adapter model, you can choose a new charger based on the specifications of the laptop, which are listed on its internal rating sticker, which you can find, for instance, under the battery. The power adapter itself displays the same values.
ENTRY – entry of parameters
These details reveal the type of socket the charger is intended for. This relates to the voltage standard in a particular country rather than the type of plug.
In Poland, as in nearly all of Europe, a voltage of 230 V is in effect. The lowest voltage, 100V, is only found in Japan and some African and Middle Eastern nations.
However, this isn’t very sensible about selecting laptop chargers. All Green Cell chargers can operate between 100 and 240 volts, making them compatible with any international standard.
OUTPUT – output specifications
The output values let you know how much current the laptop’s power supply delivers and if the charger is appropriate. The information includes two values:
Amperage in amperes and voltage in volts (V) (A)
These numbers are multiplied to produce the power, measured in watts (W). The calculated power for the model in the image above is 90W.
Here are some of the laptop power chargers I recommend for you
Image | Name | Price Link |
 | Dell Inspiron Laptop Charger 65W watt 4.5mm tip AC Power Adapter(Power Supply) | On Amazon, you can see the price right here. |
 | Dell Laptop Charger 65W watt AC Power Adapter(Power Supply) | On Amazon, you can see the price right here. |
 | New Genuine Lenovo ThinkPad 65 Watt 20V 3.25A Type-C USB AC Adapter ADLX65YDC2A | On Amazon, you can see the price right here. |
 | 90W AC Adapter Laptop Charger for HP Envy Touchsmart Sleekbook | On Amazon, you can see the price right here. |
 | Dell 65 Watt AC Adapter for Dell | On Amazon, you can see the price right here. |
Final Thoughts
In short, after the knowledge I provide, you can understand what a charger is, what it is for, and a few suggestions for choosing the correct charger for your laptop battery to help you choose the suitable device.
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