Meanwhile, the USB-C power supply is becoming well established and especially popular among laptop owners. With a maximum output of 100 watts, many Ultrabooks can be charged without any problems. Additionally, Dell has upgraded the standard and delivers a whopping 130 watts however the aforementioned 100 watts is not sufficient for various devices. For this reason, the USB-IF Standardization Committee has ensured that, in the future, 240 watts will be more than twice the power available.
In detail, this means that the “USB Type-C cable and connector specification” and “USB power delivery specification” have been adapted. Revisions 2.1 and 3.1 also pave the way for new EPR voltage levels (Extended Power Range). As a result, voltages 24, 36 and 48 volts can now be used. The current is limited to 5 A in all phases.
What does this mean concretely for the end user? First of all, USB-C cables don’t get thicker or stiffer. However, the old cables can no longer be used. In order to achieve an output of 240 watts, other capacitors are required in the plugs. Otherwise, the contacts may be damaged. So that the new cables are more easily recognized, they are labeled accordingly and are suitable for 5A and 50V.
Thanks to increased performance, completely new application scenarios open up. However, it remains to be seen when these things will actually appear in the wild. Thanks to an output of up to 240W, the Alienware m17 gaming laptop can be charged, among other things, without any problems. Of course a suitable power source is required here.
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