The only accessory your laptop comes with is the power adapter. It’s also the one piece of tech most of us never think twice about, until it fails. My HP Pavilion gaming laptop is still running fine after four years. The charger, however, didn’t make it past one.
I assumed replacing it would be as simple as ordering a new one. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. What followed was a spiral of frustrating purchases that made me realize why going all-in on USB-C makes so much sense. Looking back, I should have seen it coming.
How I burned through five chargers in two years
The frustrating hunt for a replacement that actually works
My HP Pavilion gaming laptop came with a conventional 150W DC barrel jack power adapter, and it worked without any issues for a year. However, just as the laptop passed its warranty period, the charger stopped working abruptly. I thought my laptop was acting up and having problems restarting, but it was the charger that had gone kaput.
Now this wasn’t my first laptop. I’ve used laptops from almost all major brands like Dell, Lenovo, and Asus, and none of those laptops had their charger go bad. So the last thing I anticipated failing was my laptop’s power adapter.
I contacted the HP service center and scoured the internet to find the original charger, only to be told that the manufacturer had stopped making the 150W model. Imagine buying a $1200 computer and the company simply stops selling the one accessory without which the laptop is nothing more than a paperweight.
This is also why I advocate buying laptops with USB-C PD ports on both sides. With USB-C, you can use a universal GAN charger to power your laptop, even if it charges a little slower. With a barrel connector charger, you’re entirely dependent on the proprietary charger made by the manufacturer, who can stop making one on a whim.
So I went through multiple compatible chargers. I got some from online listings and others from offline retailers, everyone quoting their own price for a charger with a six-month warranty at best. Compatible chargers have their own issues. Some charge your laptop, but you can’t use it plugged in because the adapter fails to provide enough power. Other times, the laptop throttles performance when it detects a non-proprietary charger.
My first compatible charger throttled my CPU to 0.6GHz, which meant I couldn’t use the laptop when plugged in. The abysmal battery life of my gaming laptop meant I had to wait until it charged, do my work, and then plug it back in after about two hours when taking a break. I went through five power bricks in the span of two years, each costing around $50 ($100 for a 230W adapter). That’s $350 spent on chargers alone for a laptop that worked perfectly fine otherwise.
Why laptop chargers fail (and why we don’t notice until it’s too late)
The warning signs were there, but I ignored them
Before my laptop charger stopped working, there were signs. Occasionally, the laptop would stop charging even when it was plugged in. Other times, the performance dropped to levels where the laptop became unusable. A quick glance at Task Manager showed the CPU throttled to a crawling speed of 0.6GHz, whereas the base clock for my Ryzen 5 CPU was 3.2GHz. I dismissed these as glitches.
Two things I might have done wrong when caring for my laptop charger were keeping my laptop plugged in all the time, even at night. Leaving your laptop plugged in overnight can affect battery performance, but a bigger issue is that it also affects the charger’s lifespan. The constant heat from prolonged charging stresses the internal components.
The second mistake was not caring for the charger when carrying it in my backpack. I’d toss it in without any protection, letting it get crushed between my laptop and other items. Frequent bending and strain at the connector ends lead to fraying and internal wire damage. Heat, humidity, and physical stress all contribute to the failure. A power brick isn’t exactly a fragile device, but it’s not indestructible either.
Simple habits that could save you hundreds
Prevention is cheaper than replacement
Buying replacement chargers can be an expensive affair, especially when you have a perfectly working PC that you don’t intend to change anytime soon. Manufacturers have little incentive to keep making chargers for older models. They’d rather you buy a new laptop. And they certainly won’t replace chargers that fail after the warranty period, even if they’re prone to issues.
So, it’s best to handle the power brick with a bit of care and follow a few simple habits to extend its lifespan. Always store your cable loosely coiled rather than tightly wound. Keep it away from pets and floor areas where it might get stepped on. Avoid leaving it in hot cars or damp environments. When traveling, pack the charger in a small pouch separate from heavy items so it doesn’t get crushed or bent. At home, keep a dedicated spot for your charger to reduce misplacement and accidental damage.
Power bricks are more delicate than you realize
The laptop charger sitting next to your desk right now deserves more attention than it’s getting. It’s the one accessory that can render your expensive gadget useless, yet most of us treat it as an afterthought until it fails.
And when it does fail, replacing it isn’t always the easiest thing to do, even if you are willing to pay for it. Manufacturers know this, but have little incentive to change. Proprietary barrel pin connectors let them control the replacement market and charge premium prices for what should be an easy replacement. The shift toward USB-C PD charging is promising because it gives consumers choices. If one charger fails, any compatible USB-C charger can keep the lights on.
Needless to say, my next laptop will absolutely have USB-C PD ports. Not only because I expect the conventional chargers to fail, but because I’ve learned the hard way that depending on a single proprietary accessory is a gamble, and I’ll always be on the losing side.
