Computer Related > Laptop chargers Computing Issues
Thread Author: zippy Replies: 8

 Laptop chargers - zippy
Three questions (or a mini rant)...

1. Why do laptop chargers seem to last only 5 minutes after the guarantee runs out - mainly Dell ones but a Samsung one failed intermittently and initially they refused to do anything until it started to smoke and then their courier turned up that morning to collect it!

2. Why is it almost impossible to find an exact replacement. Even by typing the service tag number in to the Dell website it comes up with a totally different and therefore potentially incompatible model!

3. Why are they so expensive - I can't believe they are really supposed to be £65.99!
 Laptop chargers - devonite
According to "Fake Britain" programme only last week, the Country is busting with counterfeit chargers! - some are so good a copy that it is impossible to tell them apart from the outside, only when Trading Standards had some examined was the truth known, and some of the "Electrics" inside were absolutely horrendous, if yours was "smokin" sounds like you may be an unfortunate casualty of such scam. I never leave one on all night like I often did, just in case...
 Laptop chargers - zippy
>>if yours was "smokin" sounds like you may be an unfortunate casualty of such scam.

Appreciate the comment, but it was the original that came with the laptop. I think it was just faulty.

 Laptop chargers - VxFan
>> 1. Why do laptop chargers seem to last only 5 minutes after the guarantee runs
>> out

My HP laptop is 5yrs+ old. Still on it's original charger. As are a lot of laptops at work that are several yrs old.

Whatever are you doing to shorten its life?
 Laptop chargers - Stuartli
>>Whatever are you doing to shorten its life?>>

Perhaps leaving it connected to the mains? Apparently they still use some electricity if left plugged in.
 Laptop chargers - zippy
>>Perhaps leaving it connected to the mains? Apparently they still use some electricity if left plugged in.

Good point but I would have thought the thermal changes in switching them on an off would cause more problems than just leaving them on?

 Laptop chargers - Manatee
I have never had a laptop charger fail (about 4 x Compaqs, Sony, Fujitsu Siemens, Lenovo, 2 x Samsung netbooks). They have for the most part been plugged in to the main all the time.
 Laptop chargers - Zero
I have had one charger fail in some 20 years of laptop use. but that failed in a spectacular manner, with a violent bang, burning shrapnel, and much flames and smoke.

by far the most common failure has been Laptop power sockets disengaging from the motherboard.
 Laptop chargers - R.P.
The charger failed on my MacBookPro (the 2009 version) - it was a mechanical failure in 2011ish..the wiring around the transformer failed, in that it became frayed. I bought a replacement OE one and that has worked perfectly (obviously a revised design). The other two later MacBooks I own have completely different design again and the older (2012) is still fine.
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