Things you should know when you charge your laptop using USB Type-C

USB Type-C ports are widely popular ports today. From smartphones to tablets, almost everything uses the technology for charging and data transfer. Due to their excessive availibility, it makes sense to try and use them to charge your laptops as well.

Laptops now come with USB Type-C ports for faster data transfer. The compact design of these ports saves a lot of space for the system architects to design an efficient layout for the device's body.

However, laptops mostly come with their own dedicated chargers and charging ports. This means that if you lose the charger, then you'll have to dish out an extra expense to get a new one of the exact model. This is where USB Type-C ports come in handy, provided you have a power adapter to suit the laptop's wattage.

So, it makes sense to check with your manufacturer or the manual to see if your laptop supports the same.

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Important details before using USB Type-C port to charge your laptop

Most Type-C ports can be used to charge devices that support it, and laptops often have lightning symbols next to their Type-C ports. These are Thunderbolt ports that produce impressive data transfer speeds and support charging.

So, here are a few points to remember if you find yourself without a laptop charger and are planning to use your smartphone's charger.

1) Power adapter: Power Adapters do the job of stabilizing the voltage from an AC output and safely converting it to DC for charging and powering electronic appliances. Laptops require a power adapter to charge via Type-C ports just like their own chargers. Without it, the cable itself is not of much use in terms of charging.

2) Type-C plug ending: In recent years, most new laptops come with Type-C chargers as the primary option. This means that the plug end has appropriate connectivity and is well-suited for charging.

3) Variable power outputs: Laptops with a Type-C charger often have variable power output. This means that not only can they charge your laptop but can also be used to charge other appliances that support the same.

4) Charging power: It is good practice to check the charging power of the adapters you are planning to use before plugging them in for charging. While laptops require certain power levels and newer Type-C chargers are capable of producing just that, it's a good step to check and make sure all the same.

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USB Type-C and Thunderbolt

There is another version of USB Type-C that uses Thunderbolt technology. These ports provide higher transfer speeds than basic USBs by up to two times.

Thunderbolt 3 and 4 are the most popular ones in this regard and can offer up to 100 watts for charging purposes. Even though they do not come integrated into most devices, they have been gaining a lot of traction in high-end models in recent years.

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It is worthwhile to note that USB Type-C chargers often charge laptop devices slowly and don't allow powering if the devices have run out of juice. That is, they can only charge the laptops when they are idle as their power output can't keep up with the level of requirements that come in from active use.