When most people think of a laptop power supply, usually all they think of is the cord and the battery. The fact of the matter is that your laptops power supply consists of several different elements. If you ever have problems, there are a variety of issues that may be contributing to the fact that your laptop won’t power on the way it should.
Starting from the wall socket, and moving into your computer, your power supply begins with what you are plugging into the wall. You should be starting with a surge protector. If you have ever lost an expensive electronic device due to a power surge, this is a no brainer. If you don’t use a power strip, get one. Simple as that. A surge protector will protect your laptop from getting fried due to power spikes, it will also begin to regulate the amount of power that is getting sent to your computer. While it will protect you from most jumps in power that occur naturally, don’t expect it to protect your computer on the off chance that your house gets struck by lightning in a thunder storm. You should always unplug valuable electronic devices when there is lightning out no matter what type of surge protector you have inline.
From there, you plug in your laptop power cord which should have an AC power adapter inline as it plugs into your computer. What the AC adapter does is regulates the power coming into your laptop. Not all laptops utilize the same amount of power. This adapter takes the alternating current from the wall socket and turns it into direct current (DC) for use by your computer. Most AC adapters will have a light on them so you can tell if the adapter is recieving power from the wall. This is an important feature to have as it will help you troubleshoot laptop power problems if your computer won’t power on correctly.
Once the power has been regulated and turned into direct current, it enters your laptop via the female power adapter which accepts the male adapter of the laptop power cord. From here, the power goes to the power board which may or may not be attached to the motherboard of your laptop. The powerboard is another point that handles power conversion and also handles the task of charging the battery in your laptop.
Another unrecognised component of the power supply for your laptop is the computer cooling fan. This will prevent your computer from overheating. The processor on your computer is usually the component that gives off the most heat. If you ever decide to upgrade the processesor in your laptop, it is always a good idea to check and make sure the computer fan that is currently installed is up to the task to prevent overheating. If you don’t, you may find that your laptop powers down at odd times, this usually happens right before you intend to save important documents. Don’t make this mistake!
Another thing you want to pay attention to with computer cooling fans is that fact that they need to stay clean an well oiled. If you find that your laptop or notebook computer is making weird or unusual noises, the first thing you may want to check is that the fan is clean and free of debris. Hair and dirt can clog the intake or the computer fan filter in older laptops. This can cause overheating as well as shut your computer down if the fan sucks too much power because it can’t function the way it is supposed to. If clearing the intake and filter don’t stop the noise, the next step is to make sure that the fan is properly oiled. If you aren’t handy with disassembling laptops, it would be advisable to take your computer into a professional.
Starting at the power socket at the wall, your laptop power supply consists of the power strip or surge protector, followed by the AC adapter which plugs into the female adapter on your laptop. From there, the power is routed to the power board which channels power to your motherboard as well as charging the battery in your laptop. The computer cooling fan is also an essential element to the power supply for your laptop. Knowing the components of the power supply as well as their function can save a lot of headaches when it comes to troubleshooting power issues as well as when it comes time to replace an old power supply. Having this kind of knowledge not only helps you to maintain your computer better, it helps you make more intelligent decisions when it comes time to replace your old laptop power supply.
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