Amps & Laptops

[JBR]

Does anyone know approx how many amps a laptop will consume when used aboard as a chart plotter.

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[MedMan]

It varies according to make and model; whether or not it has a proper mobile chip or a desk-top chip (mobile chips are designed to be more energy efficient); the energy setting you have selected in Control Panel; how much hard disk use is required; the brightness setting; and quite a lot of other factors too. Having said all that, even with all of the above tuned to your advantage, the current drain is still high enough to be a serious issue when sailing. My laptop uses somewhere between 4 and 5 amps depending upon what I am doing which is as much as the fridge when it's running. It's definitely a figure you have to sit up and take notice of!

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[Tekkie]

Have a look on the mains PSU you'll find a rating plate, normally the DC output is on there, 4-5 sounds excessive, my to are both rated @ 2.5A


Regards

Brian


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[Jools_of_Top_Cat]

My IBM '300MHz' draws up to 4 amps while booting and then settles down to about 2.5A once you have reached the desktop. By turning the screen off it dropped to a little over 1A.

I measured it when trying to see what the lowest voltage I could run it off, about 14v in reality which means having a laptop PS fitted to my 12v system. I have not measured the current draw through this, but would not expect terribly different results.

The brightness of the screen also makes a very great difference, if I remember rightly almost .75A end to end.


<hr width=100% size=1>Julian

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[Guest]

Most chargers state 50 - 60W useage .... but that includes charging and all boot-up etc.

If you have the noterbook charged fully before going on boat and connecting and use power saving .... you should get significantly lower wattage useage.

I actually have a notebook that the battery pack is isolated from the contacts - its shot and stops the NB from booting if actually in contact - it draws very little ... about max 1amp when in use, about 2.5 amp when booting .......


<hr width=100% size=1>Nigel ...
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[tony_brighton]

my laptop's power port has "90w" written on it.

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[tr7v8]

Just as an aside Dell are about to make available a PSU for their laptops that accepts any input AC or DC. This means that you'll be able to plug in the same supply to the 12V as the 240VAC mains. This will be available on new units and retrofitable for the others. No idea of price yet.

And before anyone asks yes I work for DELL.

<hr width=100% size=1>Jim

Draco 2500

 

[extravert]

Just so that you can compare, I stuck an ammeter on my Raymarine 530 chartplotter at the weekend. At a lighting level of 20%, which is enough for daytime interior use, it was drawing 580 milliAmps.

<hr width=100% size=1>One day, I hope to own a real boat.

 

[gunnarsilins]

Dell \'super supply\'

Will it work on 24 V dc (24 - 29 V) as well, and will it be usable for Inspiron 8100?

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