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Power supply

February 18th, 2010 |

Author: Alexkunk

power jack

The power supply is the device that changes the electricity into the power needed to run the Laptop/MAC/PC. When the power supply starts to malfunction, the Laptop/MAC/PC won’t turn on. If the Laptop/MAC/PC that is running at the time the power supply fails, the Laptop/MAC/PC will shut off and won’t turn on again until the power supply is replaced.

Users might initially freak out and exclaim “OH MY GOD! My Laptop/MAC/PC died on me with all my documents, programs, pictures and music that I bought on iTunes (around $500!!!).” The user has every right to panic, however, it isn’t necessary to do so. Unless the user is extremely unlucky and other computer components failed or malfunctions at the same time as the power supply, the information stored on the hard drive inside the Laptop/MAC/PC is safe. The user will get back these files once the power supply is replaced.

A user can mostly like figure out if the power supply is the computer component that fail. For MAC/PCs, the power supply will make a zapping sound followed by a scent of something burning (if the user can’t hear the zapping sound, then the user will most definitely smell the burning power supply). Hopefully, you had quickly unplugged the computer. At this point the user can either bring the MAC/PC to a local repair shop (like New York Laptop Repair) to replace the power supply or DIY. If the option is the latter, then do the research on buying the right power supply and take precautions when installing the new power supply into your MAC/PC. The last thing your aiming for is causing some type of electricity surge to go through the MAC/PC and damaging the various computer components.

When researching for the right power supply, the user needs to review the specification of how many watts each computer component needs. For MAC/PCs, many parts need to be considered such as, the monitor, the motherboard, the CPU, the graphics card, and other components that add to the overall watts used (such as extra cooling fans withing the tower). The user will also have to look for the correct connectors needed to plug into the computer components. It’s important to note that certain manufactures produce proprietary parts for their computers. This means that their products are not likely available to buy at retail stores. If your power supply turns out to be proprietary, then the user will have to contact the manufacture either to get it repair there or to buy the part. (Proprietary parts have the disadvantage of not upgrading parts).

The laptop power supply plugs into the power cord. If the power supply for a laptop fails, it’s usually a case of wear and tear. The parts of the power supply for laptops most likely to fail is the DC plug (the part that goes into the laptop) or the power supply. Some power supplies made by certain manufactures are known for being poorly design. The DC plug end is constantly bent and pulled. Eventually the wires of DC plug will fray and the connection won’t work. Even the best designed power supply/power cord are vulnerable. It could snap in some kind of accident or get chewed on by the family pet. Once the wires are expose, the user should just get a replacement power supply to avoid weird surges of electricity that could damage the laptop.

If the laptop power supply fails or malfunctions (for the most part) it is easily replaceable. However, the cost will vary depending on where the power supply is bought from. New York Laptop Repair recommend that any laptop power supply replacement should be genuine (made by the same manufacture as your laptop and is specified for use with the exact same laptop). The risk in buying any random power supply for the laptop are the following. The voltage needed for the laptop and the voltage produced by the power supply have to match. If the user buys a replacement power supply without doing their research could end up with the wrong type of voltage. For instance, if the laptop needs 19 volts and the power supply only produces 16 volts, the laptop will not receive the correct amount of power it needs to run properly. This will cause damage to the laptop in the long run. However, its very likely that the user won’t even get to that stage because power supply’s with different voltage have different DC plugs. A 16 volt power supply won’t fit into the power jack meant for a 19 volt power supply. Thus you have just wasted money.

New York Laptop Repair can’t stress enough how fundamental it is to buy quality products. Remember, never purchase questionable replacement parts. Power supplies for MAC/PCs need the correct amount of watts for all the computer components to run smoothly. MAC/PCs also need the correct connectors for the computer components otherwise, it won’t run. For laptops, always buy genuine replacements. Put the time in researching for Laptop/MAC/PC replacement parts. You don’t want to end up with products that won’t work correctly.

If you have any questions, give us an email or call 646-368-8307. If your Laptop/MAC/PC has further problems that wasn’t fixed by replacing the power supply, stop by New York Laptop Repair’s office to get your Laptop/MAC/PC diagnosed.

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