EU common charger rules come into force for laptops
www.rte.ie
EU rules on common chargers apply to laptops from today. It means that all new laptops sold in the European Union must now support USB-C charging.

EU rules on common chargers apply to laptops from today. It means that all new laptops sold in the European Union must now support USB-C charging.

In December 2024, the rules came into force for mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones, videogame consoles, and portable speakers.

Laptop manufacturers were given a longer lead in time to allow for redesign and transition to the common charging system.

  • ArbitraryValue@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    131·
    10 hours ago

    USB C maxes out at 240 Watts. Is that enough? A modern laptop GPU can use up to 175 Watts on its own…

    Edit: I looked it up and apparently laptops are allowed to have other charging ports and to rely on those for operating at full capacity. As long as they can charge at all from USB C, they’re compliant, even if they run in a reduced-capability low-power mode unless you plug them in via their other charging port.

    • lime!@feddit.nuEnglish
      4·
      10 hours ago

      hp have a couple of really beefy workstation laptops that come with power brick/docking station combo units, and they do this. the connector from the dock is a barrel plug and a usb-c in a single plastic housing, spaced like they are on the machine:

      on the later models of the dock they are separate but held together with magnets, but gen 1 and 2 had that monstrosity on them.

    • Onomatopoeia@lemmy.cafeEnglish
      2·
      10 hours ago

      That’s mostly acceptable.

      Though most laptops today do alright. We have a couple 2019 laptops with C charging and they’re fine.

      My concern is the C port wearing out (which I’ve seen) and having to replace the entire board. This law needs to specify the port be separate from the main board too.