Thinkpads Forum

I have bought 2 different A/C adapters that the sellers insist are genuine O.E.M for my T60 and Both look the same but
are different than my original adapters that came with my T60 and T61.
I know There are 4 O.E.M suppliers and the Jet label from china that is sold on ebay or other sellers does not seem to be
one of them,So is there a definitive guide to spot the fake ones.

They are so easy to fake that I adhere to three rules when buying on ebay:
1. US sellers only
2. Only used AC adapters
3. Must have a two-prong AC plug (no ground)

Not foolproof but, to my knowledge, have bought 20+ with no obvious fakes.

John

In my experience, the followings are the signs of a fake adapter:
- Lighter weight
- "Thinkpad" string instead of "Lenovo" on top
- 3-prong AC cable (not necessarily)

Binh wrote:"Thinkpad" string instead of "Lenovo" on top

afaik, most of the early t60 adapters only had the 'thinkpad' string.
Been using one of these, that came with a new t60, for 5 years now.

This is not OEM but gets very good reviews on Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/Anker-Adapter-Thi ... geNumber=2

I'd definitely try to stay OEM, and go for 90W even if you don't think you need it. At least three vendors made the 65W and 90W versions, and I had the lowest-end 65W of the three. It was hot even while idling. I went 90W, and never looked back. It runs rather cool.

Radioguy wrote:I'd definitely try to stay OEM, and go for 90W even if you don't think you need it. At least three vendors made the 65W and 90W versions, and I had the lowest-end 65W of the three. It was hot even while idling. I went 90W, and never looked back. It runs rather cool.

Does it use the same juice? i.e. watts? The one in my link above is not OEM but it is 90W.

Of course, this thread begs the question (need I start another thread?), "why is it a good idea to stick to the OEM adapters?"

91011 wrote:3. Must have a two-prong AC plug (no ground)

You know, this always drives me nuts. For what reason do they still ship the American power adapters with two-prong plugs? This means that if I want to use one of these American adapters here in Israel (or in most European countries), I have to get a two-prong local cable without grounding, which sucks and is prone to interference.

The American 2-prong units are double-insulated and do NOT require a ground/earth pin.
They have a symbol of a small square within a larger square.

This is known as Class II construction.
See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appliance_classes#Class_II

Yes, I know the theory.

I still get interference and mild electric shocks using them here, that I don't get with the 3-prongs.

Maybe the grid here is lousy, maybe it's just a matter of stronger interference from being on 230V, but it seems like a shame not to simply ship proper 3-prong grounded adapters to all countries, if only for the sake of standard.

For instance, any desktop power supply connector I've ever seen comes with 3 prongs, as do actually many of the laptops (HP/Compaq AFAIK uses 3-prongs even in the US).

dr_st wrote:For instance, any desktop power supply connector I've ever seen comes with 3 prongs, as do actually many of the laptops (HP/Compaq AFAIK uses 3-prongs even in the US).

Also, Dell and Panasonic. But the original 3-prong AC adapter for my CF-Y5 was so bulky and heavy that I replaced it with a "fake" 2-prong Thinkpad adapter that's much lighter. IMO, AC adapters are simple, easy-to-make devices and so it's safe to use "fake" ones. Batteries, on the other hand, are much more complicated and it's important to use authentic ones.

pianowizard wrote: IMO, AC adapters are simple, easy-to-make devices and so it's safe to use "fake" ones. Batteries, on the other hand, are much more complicated and it's important to use authentic ones.

Yes, it seems to me that you are unlikely to regret a particular adapter. I did buy a cheaper one (not OEM and not all that cheap... $24.99 on ebay shipped from China and only $10 cheaper than the extra adapter I bought directly from Lenovo when I bought my first T60 end of 2006). It was considerably larger than the ones I got from Lenovo, but actually used less electricity. However, it apparently developed a discontinuity because my T60 would sporadically blow out of it's state of suspension and I had to discard the adapter. The 3 _authentic_ adapters I have are all still functioning OK AFAIK.

pianowizard wrote: For instance, any desktop power supply connector I've ever seen comes with 3 prongs, as do actually many of the laptops (HP/Compaq AFAIK uses 3-prongs even in the US).

Also, Dell and Panasonic. But the original 3-prong AC adapter for my CF-Y5 was so bulky and heavy that I replaced it with a "fake" 2-prong Thinkpad adapter that's much lighter. IMO, AC adapters are simple, easy-to-make devices and so it's safe to use "fake" ones. Batteries, on the other hand, are much more complicated and it's important to use authentic ones.

There is only one brand of after market battery I will buy,They actually build battery's for computer manufactures and there 9 cell 7200 ah Toshiba battery runs cooler than the factory 6 cell. I have both the 9 cell 7200ah AGPTEK and 6 cell factory lenovo battery and the AGPTEK is a tighter fit than the lenovo stock one and it was only $39.99 for a 9 cell! The factory 9 cells are close to $200.00 and most computercompany's sub contact the manufacture of there battery's anyway.

I have gotten the AGPTEK battery's from one seller on ebay (novapcs)
The fit and build quality of these after market battery's is outstanding and they offer a 1 year warranty.
As for power adapters I only buy stock replacements.
After markets can destroy your battery or burn it up.

Excellent luck with these:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6834995860

Sparkle/FSP builds budget PSU's with high quality. This adapter works well in every situation I've tried, including with TP's.

The adjustable voltage and multiple adapters are the key to its success. It's durable and stable.

I'd buy another in a heartbeat. 90w, adjustable from 15-17v to 18-21v to match the input on your laptop. You just install the matching tip, find the required voltage on the bottom of the unit and twist the inline switch to adjust it. Takes less than a minute and you're running.

Clean power, no excessive heat. Really like these units.

On sale today, I see. (not here to sell stuff, I'm a tech who talks about what has worked well for me over the years)

I've had generic adapters overheat and catch on fire before so I like to avoid them. I've also seen genuine lenovo replacement adapters that look exactly like some generics and are lighter than the originals. I suspect lenovo simply rebrands them. The best adapters to get are the originals. I usually have some available for $16 plus shipping if anyone wants one. I may still have some NOS originals that were never used for $25. These are just as they shipped with the laptop when new and never used. Many corporations reissue old adapters and batteries with new laptops and keep the new parts in inventory until needed and I've been fortunate to get some original panasonic batteries as well as the ac adapters mentioned. These original parts are usually higher quality than the replacements that lenovo sells.

2 prong vs 3 prong

Some countries have an outdated law requiring the 3prong cord, but usa now requires double insulated so the separate ground is redundant and the 2prong cords are much easier to stow and use, but lenovo can't sell them in some countries so most laptops sold outside the usa came with 3prong. Most generics are also 3prong.

Generic vs Genuine vs Fake

Generics vary in quality so if you get one, pay close attention to it's operation and make sure it doesn't get hot to the point where it's painful to hold firmly, if it does, return it or trash it. Genuine originals are best, but if you get a genuine replacement the quality can vary. Fakes should always be avoided. If someone is going to put a fake Lenovo logo on a product they certainly aren't going to submit it to UL Labs or RoHS for testing, so you can be sure those logos are fake too.

Fake batteries have become a big problem lately with new free-trade laws that allow private person to person shipments that bypass most inspections so any private person in china can buy the fake parts and sell them on sites like ebay, then ship them as a personal parcel and the buyer is none-the-wiser.