Which 17" MBP charger?

[Lauren Louise]

Hello and thanks in advance for helping.

I have a mid 2010 MBP 17" and my charger is on its last toe. Im worried if I get the wrong kind of charger, it may do some damage to the old duck.
Model number wise, its A129'?' < I cant make out the last character which apparently defines what charger I need?
Model identifier = MacBookPro6,1; serial no = C02D901DDC79.

My current charger (which a friend gave me over 8 years ago ~ I didnt even consider it may not be right for my Mac, but it was thankfully) is 60W Magsafe, Input AC 1.5A 100-240V 50/60Hz OUtput +16.5V 3.65A. Please let me know if you need any more info!

kindest,
Lauren

 

[Stephen.R]

That isn’t the right charger for a 17”, you want an 85w charger, specifically this one:

Apple 60W MagSafe Power Adapter for MacBook and 13 inch MacBook Pro - Apple

Apple Store Search Results

www.apple.com

[automerge]1581823648[/automerge]
Ugh, you need to pick 85w from the drop down on that page, I can’t link directly to it.

 

[Lauren Louise]

Thankyou Stephen! Thankyou for helping me, Im aware of how daft I sound with my Qs : I oh right I see from the dropdown menu Ive been using the wrong one. At least it didnt do any harm that I can tell.

More info while I think of it:
Ive had a solid state drive put in and Im running El Capitan 10.11.6.

So Im a full time student, I was wondering if you think itd be ok to get an 85w from ebay? From somewhere like here? https://www.ebay.com.au/i/163310996...nnPicXJe0Btg-ZnUNktBC6wTjl0jwTuAaAk5WEALw_wcB

kindest,
Lauren

 

[Stephen.R]

At least it didnt do any harm that I can tell.

It won't do any harm, it just charges slower, and if you push it hard (i.e. something CPU or GPU intensive) it may drain the battery a bit even with the charger plugged in.

That eBay page shows a drop down too - but it shows the MagSafe 1 (what they call "L Type") as out of stock. What they have is MagSafe 2 (what they call "T Type"), which is incompatible with your MBP.


I can't really comment on the pros or cons of buying from eBay in and of itself. I personally don't use it, but I realise that as a student it's a more appealing option.

 

[chrfr]

Thankyou Stephen! Thankyou for helping me, Im aware of how daft I sound with my Qs : I oh right I see from the dropdown menu Ive been using the wrong one. At least it didnt do any harm that I can tell.

More info while I think of it:
Ive had a solid state drive put in and Im running El Capitan 10.11.6.

So Im a full time student, I was wondering if you think itd be ok to get an 85w from ebay? From somewhere like here? https://www.ebay.com.au/i/163310996...nnPicXJe0Btg-ZnUNktBC6wTjl0jwTuAaAk5WEALw_wcB

kindest,
Lauren

Counterfeit MagSafe chargers are rampant on eBay. I would not buy a charger from there.

 

[Lauren Louise]

Thats all super helpful, thankyou Stephen (and chrfr)! I just bought one, not from ebay but it may as well have been ~ like you said its an appealing option pricewise... Im hoping for the best and Ill have to deal with any bad consequences should they arise. hopefully my charging anxieties will be a thing of the past now. Thanks for patiently answering my Qs!!!

 

[konqerror]

m hoping for the best and Ill have to deal with any bad consequences should they arise.

Just be aware that "bad consequences" to fake and sub-standard chargers include fires and electrocution. When you touch a computer, the only thing that prevents you from being shocked to death by 340 volts is the insulation in the power supply.

There are plenty of teardowns of fake chargers online showing how unsafe they are. This teardown of a fake charger shows that there's a millimeter between you and a fatal shock.

Counterfeit Macbook charger teardown: convincing outside but dangerous inside

What's inside a counterfeit Macbook charger? After my Macbook charger teardown , a reader sent me a charger he suspected was counterfeit. ...

www.righto.com