Just checking out with my DIY build. Can I use a 96W USB C Mac charger (A2166) with the Framework Laptop without any issues? I don’t want to damage the battery or even make it last a shorter amount of time. I’ve looked at some other threads, but they all seem to be asking about using other 65W chargers.
I don’t have one myself, but it should work fine - it uses USB PD so it’ll negotiate how much the laptop needs.
You can always use a larger charger than necessary, the device will only draw as much as it requires. In fact a larger charger is better, it provides a larger safety margin and should run cooler because it’s under less load.
The Framework laptop will negotiate up to 20V and can draw up to 3A at that voltage (20V X 3A = 60W).
With USB PD, a charger will not just put out dangerous voltage levels to anything plugged into it, the device must specifically ask for it. If it’s a dumb non-PD device the charger will just default to 5V which all USB devices are designed to take.
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The Apple 96W charger only goes to 20V, delivering that at 4.8A for its 96W. Specs via Sweetwater, an online store that sells Apple products.
The only Apple charger to date that goes above 20V is the 140W charger for the new MacBook Pro models. That one delivers 28V at 5A. Specs again via Sweetwater.
Either of those will happily deliver 20V at 3A to your Framework, reaching its maximum charge rate of 60W. Any USB-PD charger that can deliver 60W or more should be just fine. I have used an 85W charger from Monoprice with no issues; it charges the Framework at the same speed as the Framework charger. (I’ve also used that to charge Pixel and Galaxy phones, for which it’s even more overkill.)
A word of warning tried to use a 61W USB-PD Apple charger which did not charge the laptop and may have cause an issue for me. [IN TICKET] Piece of mainboard partially melted - #55 by Usernames)
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