When I plug my laptop in to the original manufacturer's AC adapter, my laptop battery charges.
When I plug it into a cheap replacement (i.e. non-Dell) adapter, it stops using the battery, but will not charge.
Here's the details:
- The laptop is a Dell XPS M1530.
- I've verified that both the original and knockoff are specified for the same wattage (90 W AC), input (AC 100 – 240V, ~ 1.5 A, 50 – 60 HZ), and output (19.5 V, ~ 4.62 A).
- I am using Windows Vista.
I did get a message about some sort of power issue when booting on the knockoff adapter, but unfortunately I dismissed it ("don't show this again") before I realized the battery wasn't charging and don't know how to get it back.
Any ideas? Do I just write it off as a lesson in not buying non-manufacturer AC adapters?
Best Answer
3rd-party adapters might not have the same efficiency as the original charger, and their QC is usually much worse.
However, if you can use the notebook - I suspect the case is the former - the adapter is not supplying enough power (because of its non-efficiency) to power the notebook and charge the battery at the same time. It's one or the other.
Shutdown your notebook - see if the battery charges.