Changed my mind about expensive laptop chargers after almost losing my files

I always used cheap $15 chargers off Amazon for my Dell, figured a charger is a charger right? Then last week my power brick literally started smoking during a zoom meeting in my kitchen. I took it to a repair shop in Austin and the guy showed me how the cheap one was sending uneven voltage to my battery. He said I was a few weeks away from frying my motherboard and losing everything. Has anyone else had a cheap accessory almost destroy their laptop?

2 comments

2 Comments

baker.riley14h ago

Whoa, @the_joseph, scorch marks on a USB port?

the_joseph17h ago

I had a buddy who used a cheap USB hub and it ended up shorting out his whole motherboard on a brand new MacBook. The repair guy showed him the scorch marks on the port where it melted. A few extra bucks for a decent charger is nothing compared to replacing a whole laptop.

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