Hey everyone, I work in IT for a remote team and recently had a situation where an ex-employee returned their MacBook Pro. However, it looks like they sent it back with the wrong charger. The charger doesn't even fit properly in the box, which makes me suspect this wasn't just an accident. So, I've been using the charger that came with it; it's a model A1947 rated at 61W, while another user has the same model MacBook Pro (a Nov 2024 model) with a charger model A2743 that's rated for 70W. I wanted to ask if using this lower watt charger could cause any problems aside from possibly slower charging. I noticed the output amps are different too; the ex-employee's charger says 3A at different voltages, while the one the other user has states 3.4A. Is this a significant difference? Thanks in advance!
3 Answers
In most cases, Apple designs their chargers to handle a bit of variability, so as long as the charger fits and works, you should be okay. Just make sure to keep using the original charger when you can!
Using a lower watt charger like the A1947 (61W) with a MacBook Pro that ideally needs a higher wattage charger (like the A2743, 70W) isn't usually a big issue. Your laptop may charge slower, especially under heavy use, but it shouldn't cause any damage or problems. Just keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't overheat while charging!
As for the amperage difference, while it’s always better to use the recommended specs, the 0.4A difference is generally negligible. Your MacBook should still run fine. Just don't push it too hard while charging with the lower watt charger!
So it won't fry my laptop or anything? That's good to hear!