USB-C in principle allows charging at 240W and yet gaming laptops continue to offer a proprietary charging connector. We now know why.
In 2021, the USB-C standard was updated to offer charging up to 240W, which far exceeds the consumption limits of our most demanding laptops.
However, three years later, while ultraportables do offer USB-C charging, larger laptops, often designed for video games, continue to include a proprietary charging port.
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We asked one of the expert brands on the subject: Asus, and more specifically the question of ROG and TUF PCs.
A complex industrial subject
We must first return to the definition of power (the number expressed in watts) in the case of direct current: it is the result of multiplying the voltage (in volts) by the intensity of the current (in amperes).
To increase the charging power up to 240W, you must either increase the number of volts or increase the number of amps.
We must immediately exclude increasing the intensity (in amperes), this is a solution which very quickly leads to risks for the user. The Asus representative told us about an electric arc caused by bringing a cable close to its port while testing this solution. There is also talk of greater fire risks.
What then remains is the increase in tension, which is the solution proposed in the USB-C standard. The 100W charging of our laptops is done with a current of 20V at 5A. To go to 240W, the standard suggests going up to voltages of 28V (140W), 36V (180W) and 48V (240W).
The problem here is that laptops have long been designed to receive a voltage of 20V. Thus, Asus explains to us that the internal components of our laptops are designed to operate on 20V.
To adapt laptop PCs to higher voltages, it would therefore be necessary to review an entire chain of components, which involves numerous intermediaries. It is therefore an entire industry that needs to evolve towards new standards. A momentum that the PC does not seem to be taking at the moment.
A question of user experience
Especially since there is another issue, raised by Asus: the question of the port dedicated to charging.
If a PC offers charging via USB-C at 240W, it will only be able to do so on a single port, otherwise it would amount to adapting the circuit behind each USB-C port offered on the machine.
You therefore have to imagine a port capable of charging and not the others, but in all cases they are USB-C ports. A subject of great potential confusion for PC users.
This also means a USB-C port occupied during charging while the integration of a proprietary port allows it to be dedicated to this task.
And the law?
When we put all these arguments together, we understand better why manufacturers do not seem to be rushing to adopt all USB-C on gaming machines. We will probably have to wait several more years to imagine a migration to USB-C.
What about regulations, particularly in the European Union? The arrival of USB-C as a single charger for our smartphones, consoles, headphones, headsets and other peripherals only concerns products under 100 watts. Gaming laptops are therefore not affected if they need more than 100W for charging.
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