I have a Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 (model 82EY) with a Ryzen 7 4800H, GTX 1650, and 16GB of RAM. Its original Lenovo charger is rated at 135W (20V, 6.75A). The first 135W adapter eventually stopped working, and a replacement began showing the same behavior after about a year.
During normal tasks such as browsing, copying files, or downloading, charging is stable. As soon as I launch a demanding game, the charger repeatedly connects and disconnects. The game then stutters because the laptop switches to battery power. The CPU also reaches roughly 107°C, so cooling may need attention.
I tested a borrowed Lenovo 170W Legion charger, and gaming worked normally without charging interruptions. I did not originally buy a 170W adapter because the laptop shipped with a 135W one, and the official compatibility information I found lists only 135W for this model.
Does the 170W result indicate that my 135W charger is failing, or could the laptop be drawing more power than the adapter can reliably provide? If a genuine replacement 135W charger works, would that confirm the old adapter is defective? If the same issue returns after another year, should I suspect the DC-in jack, charging circuit, motherboard, or some other condition causing the adapters to fail? Also, is it safe to use the 170W charger temporarily if its voltage, connector, polarity, and Lenovo identification are compatible?
3 Answers
The symptom is more consistent with the 135W adapter hitting its limit or failing under load than with a simple Windows charging issue. Gaming increases power demand, and the laptop appears to switch entirely to battery when the adapter drops out, which explains the sudden FPS loss. A genuine, correctly specified 135W Lenovo replacement would be a useful test, but make sure it has the exact connector and correct Lenovo adapter identification rather than relying only on the plug fitting.
Check the charging plug and DC jack for looseness, heat, discoloration, bent contacts, or movement when the cable is touched. Also monitor temperatures and clean the cooling system, replace old thermal paste if appropriate, and make sure the fans are working. A CPU temperature around 107°C is excessive and can increase total power draw or cause throttling, although it would not normally make a healthy charger disconnect by itself. Testing with a known-good genuine 135W adapter while watching battery percentage and charger status is the clearest next step.
A higher-wattage adapter is generally fine for a laptop designed for the same voltage, provided the connector, polarity, pin arrangement, and adapter identification all match. The laptop only draws the power it needs; the extra wattage is available capacity, not forced output. However, the 170W unit should be treated as a test or temporary solution unless Lenovo specifically lists it as compatible with this model. Do not use an adapter with merely a physically compatible plug.
The fact that the 170W unit works does not prove that the laptop requires 170W. It may simply have more headroom, or your original 135W adapter may have degraded and now sag under gaming load.
If a new 135W adapter works reliably, that strongly implicates the old adapter. If multiple genuine adapters develop the same fault, then the laptop's input jack, cable connection, charging MOSFETs, or board-level power circuit should be inspected.