Can I Use An Alternative Charger With My Dell Laptop?

Written by Paul David Thursday, 02 February 2012 18:00

English - Hardware

During the course of time you will have thought do you always need to use a Dell laptop adapter with your Dell laptop. Perhaps you have had to get another charger and you saw one under another make that was less expensive, or perhaps you just happen to have a charger in the cupboard from an old machine you used at one previous point. Regardless of what the rationale, the question's possibly passed across your mind at least one time if you own a Dell Laptop.

During the course of time you will have thought do you always need to use a Dell laptop adapter with your Dell laptop. Perhaps you have had to get another charger and you saw one under another make that was less expensive, or perhaps you just happen to have a charger in the cupboard from an old machine you used at one previous point. Regardless of what the rationale, the question's possibly passed across your mind at least one time if you own a Dell Laptop.

The answer's a convincing "No!" When you're going to recharge your Dell machine you need to use a real Dell power supply or the results might be terrible.

Now it would be wise to take this advice on board as it's a prediction that will likely come true. Simply using another brand of charger on a dell laptop is dicing with disaster. Users in the past haven't taken notice of this advice, used an alternative charger and paid the price. Here's a list of reasons why you should not do this:

1. Many laptop manufacturers consider using another type of charger to automatically void the warranty.

2. Not all laptops use the same power settings and tip sizes. This is why it's dangerous to use any brand of charger that's not the same as the laptop.

3. Dell has special software in their laptops and chargers which means that a warning sign may show up on your laptop screen if you use a charger that's not made by Dell. Dell also uses it's own specific tip size of charger.

4. Even if the charger fits don't use it. There could be subtle differences in the electrical frequencies which might prevent the charger from charging the laptop's battery. The charger could even end up damaging the laptop.

5: If you utilize a different power supply your battery will not charge because there's a regulator within to stop you from using another brand. It is also there to stop a total collapse of your laptop, as the frequency and current of the electrical power is different for each laptop.

6. By using an alternative laptop adapter you could damage your laptop beyond repair or even worse possibly cause a fire or electricity short out in your home or place of work.

Dell laptops and Dell laptop chargers are engineered to be compatible only with one another, so if you use another sort of power supply you do so at your own risk. When your laptop is spoilt by doing this you've got to have it corrected, or perhaps buy another one out of your own funds, and that is not an inexpensive prospect. Besides, why would you need to go with another make of charger anyway? Dell keeps its chargers cheap and freely available both online and in stores.