Laptop Power Supply

[trickyrick]

Will I damage my laptop if I use a power supply rated at 16 volts
rather than the 20 volts (same amp) that came with it. IBM have
changed the power supplys for the newer laptops. I would like to use
the old one I have from time to time as a second power supply.
Thanks
Rick

 

[Meat Plow]

On Mon, 17 Sep 2007 08:33:09 -0700, trickyrick wrote:

Will I damage my laptop if I use a power supply rated at 16 volts
rather than the 20 volts (same amp) that came with it. IBM have
changed the power supplys for the newer laptops. I would like to use
the old one I have from time to time as a second power supply.
Thanks
Rick

Could damage one or the other or both. Or it might not. Why risk it?

 

[Charles]

"trickyrick" <rickj@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
news:1190043189.807909.45380@19g2000hsx.googlegroups.com...

Will I damage my laptop if I use a power supply rated at 16 volts
rather than the 20 volts (same amp) that came with it. IBM have
changed the power supplys for the newer laptops. I would like to use
the old one I have from time to time as a second power supply.
Thanks
Rick

I would not risk it.

 

[JANA]

The lower voltage supply will probably cause the computer hardware to be
unstable. This can lead to damage, most likely to the hard drive to begin
with.

Call IBM support and find out where to order an original supply.

--

JANA
_____


"trickyrick" <rickj@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
news:1190043189.807909.45380@19g2000hsx.googlegroups.com...
Will I damage my laptop if I use a power supply rated at 16 volts
rather than the 20 volts (same amp) that came with it. IBM have
changed the power supplys for the newer laptops. I would like to use
the old one I have from time to time as a second power supply.
Thanks
Rick

 

[w_tom]

On Sep 17, 11:33 am, trickyrick <ri...@sympatico.ca> wrote:

Will I damage my laptop if I use apower supplyrated at 16 volts
rather than the 20 volts (same amp) that came with it. IBM have
changed the power supplys for the newer laptops. I would like to use
the old one I have from time to time as a secondpower supply.

Undervoltage does not damage electronics. A common myth found where
people see electric motors damaged by low voltage; then automatically
assume same applies to electronics.

Either the system will power on and be unstable, or system will not
start. Threat is not to electronics. Threat would be to other things
such as data integrity. Either way, nothing good is expected by using
a power supply with insufficient power.

Not just voltage is important. Also important are current or watts
numbers. Supply voltage probably increased because a newer computer
needed more power.