It is critical to know the amperage your laptop uses, especially when you want to buy a power supply or charging kit for your laptop. Using a charger with a lower amp rating than your laptop requires causes slow charging of your device and might prevent you from working while charging as the battery drains faster than the charging speed.
The amount of amps a laptop uses varies depending on factors like the battery capacity, type of laptop, and usage. Generally, gaming laptops consume more power and use more amperage than a laptop you use for simple tasks like browsing and word processing. On average, normal laptops use between 0.1 amps and 2 amps.
This article will discuss the factors determining how many amps your laptop uses. We will also show you how to calculate the amperage for your laptop. Finally, we will provide valuable tips on reducing power consumption in your laptop to save money on electricity.
Factors That Determine Your Laptop’s Amp Usage
The amp usage of every laptop varies based on several factors. Let’s take a look at each one.
Type and Specifications of Laptop
The type and specifications of your laptop are critical factors in determining your device’s amp usage. The power and amperage usage differ based on the manufacturer. For example, a MacBook is a power-efficient laptop that lasts longer than many other laptops on a single charge.
Similarly, the specifications of your device also influence its amp usage. Suppose your device has powerful processors, high-quality graphics cards, high-resolution screens, and a lot of RAM to run several robust programs. In that case, it will have a higher amp usage than a device that can only run basic tasks.
Peripherals Connected to Your Laptop
The more external components you connect to your laptop, the more power your device consumes. Connecting peripherals—like printers, external monitors, hard drives, etc.—to your laptop increases power consumption and amp usage.
Laptop Usage
The tasks and processes you run on your laptop influence amp usage and power consumption. If you use a gaming laptop, you will use more amps. Similarly, if you use your laptop as a workstation for video editing and mobile app development, your amp usage will be much higher than someone who runs basic tasks on their laptop.
Battery Capacity and Age
Suppose your laptop has a strong battery and does not require several daily charges. In that case, your amp usage will be significantly lower than a laptop with a smaller capacity requiring frequent charging.
The age of your battery also plays a vital role in determining amp usage. It is common knowledge that battery power diminishes with time. The more you use your battery, the less reliable it is in holding your charge effectively. At first, the effect is minimal, but with time, it deteriorates and leads to increased amp usage.
How To Calculate How Many Amps Your Laptop Uses
You can easily calculate any device’s power consumption or amp usage using Ohm’s law formula.
Power (Watts) = Voltage used (Volts) * Current (Amps)
To calculate the amps usage of your laptop, you will need to find the wattage and the voltage used by the laptop.
The wattage is the power consumed by the laptop. The wattage can be found on the laptop’s user manual or the manufacturer’s website. The voltage rating is also provided on the user manual or the website.
For example, if the wattage of your laptop is 60W and the voltage is 110V, you can derive the amperage by dividing the wattage by the voltage (60/110). Your laptop’s amp rating is 0.545 amps.
On average, the wattage of most non-gaming laptops is between 50 – 70 watts, with an amp usage in the range of 0.1 – 2 amps. For gaming laptops, however, the wattage can be as high as 150W with an amp usage of about 12 amps.
How To Reduce Power Consumption in Your Laptop
When your laptop consumes a lot of power, the electricity usage in your home increases, and you have to pay significantly higher. Here are some valuable tips to help you reduce the power your laptop consumes and save money on electricity.
Close Browser Tabs
We understand that leaving browser tabs open allows you to continue where you left off instead of reopening each webpage. However, leaving browser tabs open drains your laptop’s battery and consumes more power. Therefore, avoid leaving browser tabs open for too long to reduce power consumption.
Close Apps and Programs
Go to your task manager and close unnecessary background apps and programs that run on a lot of power. Also, close the regular apps and programs if you’re not using them at that moment and avoid multitasking with several robust apps and programs.
Adjust the Power Option to Power Saver
Your laptop’s power option is set to “Balanced” by default. If you want to sacrifice battery power for performance, you can choose the “High-Performance” option. However, select the “Power Saver” option to reduce power consumption.
Use a Laptop Cooler
Running several operations on your laptop generates a lot of heat which could impact performance and power consumption. To ensure your laptop is running optimally, get a laptop cooler to improve the performance of the laptop and prevent it from overheating.
Shut Down Laptop Occasionally
If you’re fond of putting your laptop to sleep or hibernating it, you should know that your laptop still uses amps and consumes power in those states. Although the power consumed is minimal, it can still add up after a long period. To close all loopholes, shutting down is your best option to conserve power.
Free Up Space on Your Laptop
Delete unnecessary files on your hard drive and free up space to allow your laptop to reduce power consumption.
Conclusion
Using the formula provided in the article and the information on your laptop’s user manual or the manufacturer’s website, you can accurately calculate the number of amps your laptop uses.
