You’ve probably been in the situation where you’ve taken your laptop with you on the road and the battery has run out, but you’ve forgotten your charging cable or there’s simply no power socket nearby. What now? Nowadays, this is not such a big problem, because it is now possible to charge the laptop via USB-C. In this article, we explain to you what USB-C actually is and what you need to look out for when you want to charge your laptop via USB-C.
What is USB-C?
USB-C is a USB connector format that was introduced at the end of 2014. USB-C is gradually replacing the usual USB plugs and is becoming the new standard. The new USB-C format has various advantages and, as an all-rounder, enables the transfer of power, data, videos and audio data in the highest quality. Advantages are, for example, that the top and bottom of the plug are identical and the connection between devices is directionless. In addition, performance has improved considerably with the USB-C variant, which makes it possible to charge laptops or other larger devices via USB-C in the first place. Via the so-called alternate mode, USB-C even enables different data lines such as HDMI or display port to be covered via a USB-C cable.
The size of the USB-C plug is comparable to the micro USB plug. The sides are round and the middle is open. The USB-C differs from the micro-USB plug by its conical shape. USB-C is often confused with Apple’s Lightning connector. However, the Lightning connector is closed in the middle and the contacts are on the outside. With USB-C, all contacts are on the inside.
How to charge your laptop via USB-C
There are two different options for charging your laptop via USB-C. The prerequisite for charging your laptop via USB-C is, of course, a USB-C connection on the laptop. Next to the USB-C interface, a lightning symbol or a battery is usually displayed to indicate that charging is also possible.
USB Power Delivery
If you’ve forgotten your charger, USB Power Delivery (USB PD) can help. A USB Power Delivery power supply and a USB-C cable are all you need to charge your laptop on the go. USB Power Delivery power supplies can provide a voltage of up to 20 volts at 5 amps and generate up to 100 watts of power. However, this also charges the laptop more slowly than usual.
Powerbank as an alternative
If there is no power socket in sight, a power bank can also help to charge your laptop via USB-C. However, you should know a few things. How many milliampere hours does your laptop have? How much capacity does the powerbank have? A powerbank with a capacity of 20,000 to 50,000 milliampere hours is perfectly adequate. The laptop can now be charged with a power bank via the USB-C interface of your laptop.
Conclusion
As you can see, the laptop can actually be charged via USB-C if you don’t have a power socket in sight or you have simply forgotten the laptop’s charging cable. A USB power delivery adapter or a powerful power bank can be the perfect solution to ensure you still have enough battery power when you’re on the road. An empty laptop is annoying, especially online. Thanks to USB-C, however, this no longer happens so easily.
