| Finding the right laptop power cord

Finding the right laptop power cord


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With all the options out there available to us now days for powering our mobile devices, finding the right replacement or backup laptop power cord can be a daunting task. Here are some suggestions or ideas on how to find the right one for your mobile needs and that works with your model of laptop or notebook.

Getting the Correct Wattage

The most important thing is that the power cord you get for your laptop is rated for the correct wattage for your laptop. Most laptops these days work on 90 w power adapters, which means you’ll want to make sure your cord or adapter is 90w. With that said, there are exceptions to this rule and it’s impossible to list all the possible models and wattage variations here, the best place to find this information is on the back of your current laptop power cord or adapter. Well, if you’re here because you need a replacement and you lost yours, well, then you should check your owner’s manual. If you can’t do that, there are some pretty good tools online for finding the correct wattage. One cool page, which will tell you what adapter you actually need, is this page. Just select your brand and them model and it will list up the power cords you need for your specific laptop.

We talk a lot about universal supplies on this site, why? Because they’re cheap and really handy as you can use them for all sort of mobile devices not just as your laptop power cord. So that’s always an option as well.

Can I replace JUST the laptop power cord and not the entire adapter?

If you’ve lost or damaged just the power cord, meaning probably the part that has smart two pin connection or even the cord itself attached to the adapter is damaged; yes you can. The best places to start are searching online for refurbished power supplies and see if they have just the cord itself. This is probably not your best option since most places won’t want to separate the adapter from the cord as then they don’t have a complete unit to sell. Now, that’s not to say they won’t do it or that they don’t have some bad adapters but good cords. The problem here is, you’re more likely to pay about the same amount as you would if you just purchased the entire power cord. So you’ll have to weigh your options. Again, another great resource is your local computer store and see if they happen to have any lying around that will work for your adapter and cord combination. You may even get lucky and they’ll give it to you.

You may be able to repair the cord yourself. I have done this on a few occasions with other power cords but never with a laptop power cord. I’m sure it can’t be any different you just have to make sure you use the right gauged wire. Although personally, I probably wouldn’t attempt this; it’s not a big deal if you burn up a lamp but to damage a laptop is a little more… well, bad.

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