Category: NEWS

Picking the Correct Laptop AC Adapter

Choosing a laptop AC adapter replacement is fairly easy, but it is important to understand a few terms to ensure you get the proper replacement that is fully compatible with your laptop model. Using an incompatible adapter could cause damage to both the adapter and to your laptop, so it is imperative that you take a moment to understand the main points that differentiate laptop AC adapters.

An AC adapter converts the AC (alternating current) power coming from a wall outlet into DC (direct current) power that the laptop requires. Virtually all AC adapters will support the correct AC current, so the focus should be on finding an adapter that provides the proper DC current for your laptop’s model.

If you look on the original laptop AC adapter for your laptop you will see a number of specifications for the voltage, polarity, etc. for this adapter. You can sometimes find this information on the laptop itself as well. Look on the sticker at the bottom of the laptop for this info. Sometimes this information is also listed near the DC jack where the AC adapter is plugged into the machine. This will often read something like “DC18V 5A (MAX)”.

The first important number is the voltage. Common voltages are 15V, 16V, 18V, 19V, 20V, 22V, and 24V. The second most important number is the amperage, or amps. Common amp ratings are 6A, 5.6A, 4.7A, 4.5A, and 3.8A. It is important that both of these numbers match to ensure compatibility. Both of these numbers work together to produce the overall wattage of the adapter, which is the voltage multiplied by the amperage. So an 18.5 Volt 4.1 Amp HP AC adapter would end up with a rating of 75 Watts.

Another specific marking is the tip polarity which can be found on the brick portion of the adapter. This is a symbol with a + and – sign and a graphic indicating whether the tip or ring are positive or negative. If the positive circle is connected to the small center dot, for example, the adapter has a positive polarity, meaning that the tip is positive and the barrel is negative. Make sure the polarity of the AC adapter matches the laptop; most laptop AC adapters are center positive.

The last important factor of an AC adapter is the size of the tip. If the tip is too small or too large, it will not fit the connection point on your laptop. The tip is most often expressed as a measurement, such as the 6.3mm x 3.0mm tip used on some common Toshiba laptop AC adapters. Generally if you use your model number or the original part number you should not have to be concerned with the tip size.

To simplify the process, you may consider using an online parts supplier which can help you find compatible parts for your laptop model. Armed with the information above, however, you can make a very informed decision and know the part you are purchasing is compatible with your laptop.

Graphene – The Next Laptop Battery Innovation?

Laptop and battery manufacturers are constantly working to improve battery life and cut down on the time it takes to recharge a battery. A new material known as Graphene could help manufacturers improve both.

Graphene is a material being developed by a company called Vorbeck. They say it could result in laptop batteries that charge more quickly and also have a longer life than current lithium-ion technology used in batteries for HP laptops as well as others. As an example, a cell phone battery which uses Graphene could potentially charge in around 10 minutes instead of two hours.

Since current lithium-ion batteries transfer ions between electrodes, for power, it can take a long time for them to charge, and they are not necessarily efficient at storing power. Graphene could potentially improve on these points. It can store more ions, which could greatly increase battery life, and its high conductivity makes it easier and faster to move ions, which accounts for its faster recharge times.

Safety and overall battery life may be improved as well. Since Graphene is more conductive, it produces less heat, and batteries operate at lower temperatures. This is good for the battery and the device, promoting safer operation and is less likely to cause damage from excessive heat. The lack of heat is also what allows the batteries to charge more quickly, as current batteries are often limited to recharge rates to avoid creating too much heat. For most laptop batteries, like those used in Compaq laptops, it is standard to have a thermal sensor to read the internal battery pack temperature and adjust the charging voltage accordingly for safety.

Graphene batteries are potentially more rugged than current lithium-ion batteries. The materials are able to swell and flex without breaking down, unlike current technologies, which slowly lose capacity. This could lead to a much longer usable battery life before the battery needs to be replaced.

As better technologies continue to improve, companies like Vorbeck have the potential to revolutionize battery technologies with better materials that offer multiple improvements. Only time will tell if laptop manufacturers and retailers will adopt Graphene as the standard for future battery technology. It certainly shows promise in an area that is in need of improvement for laptop usability.

Pros and Cons of High Capacity Laptop Batteries

Outside of actual machine performance, battery life of a laptop is a huge selling point. After all, what is the machine worth if it lasts less than an hour off the charger? One way to increase the battery life of your notebook is to simply well, increase the size of the battery itself. However, size isn’t the only factor when it comes to buying a new battery.

The first thing you should look at is actually not the laptop’s battery. Take stock of your machine. Are you using a netbook, a notebook, or a desktop replacement PC? A netbook will usually have a fairly miniature screen, approximately 10 inches. A notebook will have a 14-15 inch screen, and entertainment notebooks or desktop replacement PCs will generally have 17 inch or larger screens. This is not conclusive, as the type is more defined by specifications and hardware, but it is a good general rule as it applies to power consumption. Smaller screens take less electricity to power, and a smaller machine also generally has smaller, less energy demanding hardware. A netbook battery like the Toshiba NB205 6 cell battery can last three times as long on the same capacity battery in a standard notebook under the right conditions; this is mainly due to the scaling down of the parts in the Toshiba NB205 versus that of a full sized notebook. Some entertainment notebooks and the like are not made to function for extended periods on batteries, rather they are meant to spend most of their time on their adapters, only functioning on backup power rarely as needed.

Once you know what you’re working with, assess where you need to take it. If you’re just typing papers for school on the machine, chances are you can find an outlet in your library or somewhere at home or on campus. However if you’re taking notes throughout all your classes, you may have less reliable access to outlets, and you will potentially be on battery power for a few hours at a time.

When purchasing an upgraded or replacement battery for your machine, the cells will be what indicate potential longevity. Three cell batteries aren’t widely used as they last for nearly negligible amounts of time off AC power. Six cell batteries and nine cell batteries are progressively more expensive, but they will power your machine two and three times longer than a three cell battery, respectively. They are also the most common sizes of battery purchased by consumers. Twelve cell batteries are available for heavy users, but can become sizably more expensive than others.

Keep in mind also that nine and twelve cell parts become progressively larger, adding bulk and weight to your machine and making it that much less portable or easy to take with you on the go. In these cases, you may want to consider simply carrying a second battery. Whichever choice you make on your laptop battery purchase, use a knowledgeable and high quality laptop battery supplier to be sure you get a fully compatible battery.

Common Issues that can Occur with a Laptop AC Adapter

As a crucial part of any laptop setup, laptop AC adapters supply power to the laptop battery, recharging it for portability. While problems with AC adapters are generally rare, there are a few issues that can crop up from time to time. Here we will examine some of the most common issues that can cause and AC adapter to fail.

  1. Physical Damage

Since the Laptop AC adapter is an external component of a laptop setup, it can sometimes take more abuse than the machine itself. Adapters that are dropped, stepped on, or sustain other kinds of physical damage may stop functioning correctly and need to be replaced. It is important to care for your AC adapter just as you would the laptop itself, as it is a necessary part of your computer.

  1. Cable Damage

While it could be grouped under the heading of physical damage, cable damage is perhaps the most common cause of an AC adapter malfunction, so it deserves its own category. Cables that have begun to wear out or have been bent too sharply may begin to fail and need to be replaced. Avoid wrapping cables too tightly or bending them to avoid these problems.

  1. Overvoltage or Power Spike

Another common cause of AC adapter damage is a power outlet that temporarily supplies too much or too little voltage. This could be caused by a lightning strike, a power surge, or a brownout. While most AC adapters can adapt to these problems without damage, there is still a possibility they will fail. A surge protector will usually protect against surges and even lightning strikes, while an uninterruptible power supply with a battery backup can often protect against brownouts.

If your AC adapter needs replacing, you can find replacements online from laptop parts stores like Spareparts Warehouse. They carry a large assortment of Toshiba Laptop AC Adapters and Toshiba Laptop Parts as well as parts and accessories from other major manufacturers.

Troubleshooting a Laptop Battery issue

Laptop batteries have a limited life. Even in the best of conditions, a laptop battery eventually begins to lose some of its capacity, and will need to be replaced. If you suspect your laptop battery may be failing, there are a few troubleshooting steps you can take to assess the problem.

  1. Run from AC power only

Most laptops will run fine from the AC adapter with a defective battery. If your laptop will not boot or will not run on battery power only, but runs fine on AC power, you could possibly have a bad battery which needs to be replaced.

  1. Charge battery overnight with laptop off

Sometimes a weak battery can have trouble charging while the laptop is running. Try shutting down the laptop, connecting the AC adapter, and charging the battery overnight with the laptop off. If the battery still won’t charge, it probably needs to be replaced.

  1. Use a battery diagnostic tool

An internet search for Battery Health will yield many results for tools that can assess the health of your laptop battery. In most cases, it can tell you the initial capacity of the batter as well as the current capacity. If the current capacity is less than half of the original, the battery likely needs to be replaced.

  1. If possible, try another battery

This step may be more difficult, but if a friend or a repair shop has a battery that is compatible with your laptop, try installing this battery and see if the issues are still present. If installing the new battery makes the problem or problems go away, the battery needs to be replaced.

Batteries are one of the most likely parts to fail in any laptop, as they only have a limited life. When shopping for a replacement laptop battery, use a parts locator tool to find a battery that is compatible with your specific laptop model to ensure the best performance.

Replacing a laptop CMOS battery

When you begin receiving errors that your system doesn’t match the configuration, or you getting a warning in the BIOS that your battery is dead, you most likely need to replace your CMOS battery. The CMOS battery provides the motherboard just enough power to retain the CMOS settings for your laptop. If this battery dies, your machine will likely still function, but some of the stored parameters such as time and date will not be correct and any BIOS settings that are stored in CMOS would be lost also each time the computer is powered down.

Replacing the CMOS battery is not usually difficult, but the procedure can vary greatly depending on the laptop’s model. The easiest way to find specific instructions is to do an internet search for the term “service manual” and your laptop’s manufacturer and model. Often, you can find a PDF version of the service manual for your specific laptop, which will give you detailed instructions for repairs and upgrades.

Most CMOS batteries are located under the keyboard, which can require removing the keyboard. Other common locations are under the touchpad, behind the battery, and some are accessible from the bottom of the machine via a small plastic cover. While it is difficult to give detailed instructions for the multitude of laptop models on the market, here are a few guidelines for replacing the laptop CMOS battery.

  1. Wear an anti-static wrist strap when disassembling any laptop. This reduces the risk of damage from static electricity.
  2. Remove the battery completely and disconnect all power cables to avoid the risk of electric shock or damage to the laptop or notebook.
  3. Remove the Keyboard or associated cover to expose the CMOS Battery and remove. Carefully keep track of all screws removed. Group and label them to avoid confusion when reassembling.
  4. When prying ribbon cables or plastic parts apart, be gentle to avoid damaging sensitive components.

With some preparation and planning, replacing the CMOS battery should be possible for most users. If you cannot find a suitable service manual or you don’t feel confident in your abilities, it is a good idea to take it to a repair center.

Signs That It Is Time for a New Laptop Battery

Laptop batteries do not last forever. Even under the best conditions, a laptop battery loses some of its capacity over time, and eventually will need to be replaced. In addition, a number of problems such as over-voltage or under-voltage can cause a battery to fail prematurely. Here are most common signs that it may be time to replace your laptop battery.

If your battery is giving less than 50% of the battery life it was giving when it was new, it is probably time for a new battery. All batteries lose their capacity over time due to corrosion within the battery. Once this begins to affect capacity to a large degree, the battery should be replaced.

Windows and most operating systems will give an indication if there is a problem with the battery, assuming the manufacturer has designed the laptop to communicate with the battery. In many cases, you will get a warning message telling you to check or replace the battery.

Many batteries are equipped with one or more lights that indicate when it is charging and when it is finished charging. Some also give an indication of problems with these lights. Check your manual if your battery is flashing or blinking in a way you don’t recognize.

In some cases, even when the operating system or the battery doesn’t indicate a problem, the laptop will not run on battery power alone, but only when the AC adapter is connected. In this case, it is a good idea to replace the battery.

One of the surest ways to know if a battery is functioning correctly is to use battery health monitoring software. This will give an indication of the capacity left in the battery, and an indication of the battery’s overall health.

If you suspect your laptop’s battery is failing it is often a good idea to purchase a replacement. You can find an OEM or a compatible replacement by visiting an online parts store. Cases of a faulty battery causing damage to a laptop are very rare, but it is hardly worth the risk for a relatively inexpensive replacement.

Laptop Battery problems

While laptop battery technology is constantly improving, offering longer battery life and lighter laptops, all laptop batteries still have a limited life. Here we will look at some signs that it is time to replace your laptop battery.

Reduced Battery Life

The most common problem for laptop batteries is reduced battery life. It is an inevitable fact that laptop batteries eventually lose some of their capacity, and therefore, the amount of time they can supply power on a single charge. Even a battery that is used correctly will eventually begin to lose some of its capacity. The typical life for a lithium ion battery is around 2 years.

Very Short Battery Life

A typical laptop battery loses a certain amount of capacity over a period of time. If your laptop battery has lost a significant amount of capacity in a short period of time, it may be damaged, or may be exhibiting the “memory effect” that causes some older battery technologies to lose a large amount of capacity. Unfortunately, this often requires a new battery.

Battery Won’t Charge

If a laptop battery won’t charge or charges much slower than normal, it is most likely damaged. This damage can be caused be extreme heat or other problems, but a battery that won’t charge usually needs to be replaced. If the laptop won’t run on either battery power or its AC adapter, however, the problem is most likely not the battery, but the AC adapter or power supply.

If you suspect your laptop battery needs to be replaced, it may be helpful to use a battery diagnostic tool to check the status of your battery. Do an internet search for the term battery diagnostic tool. These tools can give you information on the life, capacity, and health of your battery. If your battery needs replacing, it is recommended that you replace it as soon as possible to avoid damaging your laptop or other safety risks posed by a bad battery. You can check with an online parts locator, to determine your appropriate battery replacement.

Does My Laptop Need a Battery to Work?

If your laptop has a dead or malfunctioning battery you may have found that a replacement battery is expensive. If you use your laptop at home and have it plugged into a wall outlet most of the time, you may have wondered whether the laptop will function without a battery, and whether or not it is safe to operate it without one. This article will address some of these questions.

Most laptops are able to run without a battery. The simplest way to find out if your laptop will run without a battery is to try running it without one. Before you do, however, take a few simple precautions. First, save any open documents or files and shut down the computer completely. Second, make sure the AC adapter is connected and the laptop is receiving AC power. Windows will often show a power indicator in the taskbar in the lower right of the screen that shows the battery status and whether the AC adapter is connected.

Now you can shut down the laptop completely and remove the battery. Make sure the AC adapter is firmly connected and plugged into the wall and press the power button on your laptop. If the laptop starts up and seems to run normally, it will most likely operate without a battery.

There are a few concerns that you should be aware of before you operate your laptop without a battery in the long term, however. Some laptops, such as the MacBook Pro, have been shown to have degraded performance when running only on AC power without a battery. You could test this by running performance tests with and without the battery to see if your system is affected. The other concern is that AC power cables are meant to be removed from the laptop easily, and could get knocked out by accident. With no battery to keep the machine running, it will shut down suddenly, possibly losing your open documents and other important information.

You are unlikely to encounter major problems running your laptop without a battery, strictly on AC power. However, consider buying a replacement battery for emergencies or for the extra peace of mind of not having to worry about a disconnected power cable. Compatible batteries are available for most laptops for a fraction of the cost of OEM batteries and still provide the same charge.

Main Factors That Affect A Laptop Battery’s Life

There are many factors that affect battery life. Some, users have control over, and some they do not. Let us look at a few of the main factors that affect laptop battery life.

Hardware

Laptops have many components, and though they are all designed to use as little power as possible, some still require a large amount of power. The component that requires the most power is the display monitor, followed by the hard drive. This is the reason power settings center around dimming and turning off the display and shutting down the hard drive when not in use.

Temperature

Another major factor that affects laptop battery life is temperature. Lithium-ion batteries, the most common type of laptop battery, are susceptible to problems caused by extreme heat. Excess heat can cause the batteries to malfunction, have a shorter battery life, lose capacity, or in the most extreme cases, catch fire or explode. Leaving a laptop in a hot car or keeping it in an area with poor ventilation, therefore, is not recommended.

Laptop Design

When it comes to laptop battery life, one of the largest factors to affect it is the laptop design itself. For example, laptops and notebooks designed for high-end video editing or other processor-intensive tasks will use more battery power than small netbooks designed for web surfing and email. Laptops that consume the most power will need to recharge the battery more often, shortening its laptop battery life. Also, the physical design of the laptop can affect laptop battery life. Laptops that are designed to stay cooler when running will also keep the battery cooler, and as mentioned above, heat is the enemy of a notebook or laptop battery.

Age

Lastly, all laptop batteries have a limited life. Even a battery that sits on the shelf will begin to degrade. Having to replace a laptop battery at some point is inevitable, but make sure to recycle any old laptop batteries, and keep them from ending up in a landfill, where they can leak toxic chemicals into the air or water.