A Guide to Pick the Right Car Adapter for Your Laptop
Your laptop needs a special auto adapter to acquire power from the vehicle’s cigarette lighter socket (aka. auto plug outlet) so it can charge the laptop battery in the vehicle. You can purchase a car charger from the original laptop manufacturer. However, it often costs quite a bit to do so. For example, an HP brand 90W Smart auto adapter costs around $99 dollars on the company’s website, while you can find an alternative solution which works identical for only $65 on the Internet. The following are the things you need to look for when sourcing your alternative auto adapter from a 3rd party laptop accessory builder:Input voltage range: US domestic and the Japanese cars usually provide 12V at the cigarette lighter socket. There are European trucks and special purpose utility vehicles that output 24 or higher voltage at the cigarette lighter socket. You need to pick an auto adapter of which the acceptable input voltage range is compatible with the cigarette lighter socket voltage in your car.Output power range: The modern mainstream laptops use at least 65W power. Check the label on the AC adapter that came with the laptop at the time of purchase. Here, you should be able to find the power level your laptop consumes.Output voltage range: Different laptop vendors use different DC input voltage. For example, the HP laptop needs to operate at either 19V or 15V. The auto adapter needs to output a voltage which matches the required input voltage of the laptop.Output plug size: Different laptop vendors use different DC power jacks on the laptop. For example, the HP laptop utilizes a 3-pin, round plug. The auto adapter needs to be equipped with the correct size plug to work with the laptop.Can function as an Air adapter or not: if you are a frequent air traveler and need to power the laptop on a long haul flight via an Empower adapter, you need to look for an Auto / Air adapter which has the capability to convert the input cigarette lighter plug to an empower plug.Conclusion: It is not difficult to find an alternative auto adapter for your laptop. Following the guidelines above will help you find a more budget friendly laptop car charger which can perform just like the branded one.
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