Dell Hybrid Adapter + Power Bank Usb-c - Ph45w17-ca Review
Dell makes a broad range of accessories for its lineup of laptops, and to extend battery life in devices that go along getting slimmer, there'south a corner carved out for a decent selection of external power banks. The one I have here (model number PH45W17-CA) is a hybrid piece, with a 45W adapter fastened to a 43Wh battery pack designed to accuse laptops with USB-C.
For this review, I put it through a number of different tests to determine how well it will work for you lot, how well it will agree up with regular use, and ultimately whether or not it's worth the $140 cost tag.
Adapter and battery
Dell PH45W17-CA hybrid ability bank
Starts at virtually $140
Bottom line: It'll friction match your Dell laptop's branding while it delivers about six extra hours of life, but the toll doesn't seem to match the production.
Pros
- Smart modular design.
- Comes with adapter included.
- One-year warranty.
Cons
- Questionable quality.
- But i USB-A port.
- Relatively expensive.
What you'll beloved well-nigh Dell's hybrid power depository financial institution
The whole idea of adding a ability pack to your laptop's repertoire is to extend the overall life of your device when away from whatsoever outlets, and in that sense, the PH45W17 succeeds. I used Dell's Latitude 7390 two-in-one business organization laptop for most of my testing (the power bank came with the review unit), which has inside a sizeable 60Wh battery that nets about 10 hours of regular use, including video streaming, web browsing, and word processing. The power depository financial institution comes depleted, and it took near iii hours to completely charge. If you're in a time crunch situation, you can get upwards to nearly 75 percent in one-half that time.
Starting with the laptop completely dead, I plugged in the fully-charged ability bank and went to work. It took almost an hour and 15 minutes for the 12,800mAh power bank to completely deplete, delivering an boilerplate of most 30W with the Latitude 7390'south ExpressCharge enabled (otherwise you're looking at an boilerplate of about 17W). With the power bank depleted, the Latitude 7390 had charged to about 50 pct. Retrieve, I was using the laptop during the entire time information technology was charging, with brightness at 60 percent and performance at the halfway mark. In this sense, having the power pack with you for emergencies should get you enough time to hit a borderline.
| Category | Spec |
|---|---|
| Bombardment type | Lithium-ion (four-cell) |
| Chapters | 12,800 mAh (43Wh) |
| Power delivery | nineteen.5V (2.iii amps) |
| Weight | one.54 pounds (0.seven kg) |
| Dimensions | 3.i in 10 six.eight in x 0.nine in (78.74 mm x 172.72 mm x 22.86) |
For the next test, I took the fully-charged power bank and fully-charged laptop to meet how long I could work in an airplane situation where I don't take access to whatever sort of plug. The laptop draws off of the ability bank get-go when both batteries are full, and streaming video at maximum brightness and maximum operation (while likewise occasionally browsing and writing) tuckered the ability bank in about 5.5 hours. If I'd had brightness downwardly and wasn't constantly streaming video, I could no doubt hit and surpass the six-60 minutes marking. With the Latitude 7390, that means altogether about 16 or 17 hours of battery life.
The hybrid attribute of the power bank is the detachable 45W power adapter. It's used to charge the battery pack itself, but thanks to the smart modular design of the USB-C cable (and really the whole production), it can also be used as a charger straight into your laptop. Dell'due south idea hither is that the added weight of the ability bank won't make every bit big of a departure when you can leave your regular adapter behind. It'south compact, lightweight, and at 45W information technology can deliver a good amount of juice even if yous're used to the benefits of a larger adapter when you're at dwelling house or at the office.
Batteries can be finicky things, so you want to brand certain you're getting a decent warranty to cover any failures. Hither, Dell offers one-year limited coverage. As long as you don't run over or stab the bombardment with a knife, Dell should repair or supersede information technology if you get a dud.
What you'll detest about Dell's hybrid power banking concern
The power bank is designed to be well-nigh as slim as possible, with rounded sides that allow it to easily slip in and out of the pockets of your laptop bag. Because it all comes apart, it easy to stow away wherever you lot accept space, and since you have the option to exit your standard adapter behind, it will overall have upward less space. Yet, build quality is questionable. The blackness adapter slice has ii pressure points that are intended to release it from the battery, but they're useless. You lot can pull the 2 pieces apart quite easily without pressing anything, and I can imagine a scenario where you're running out of time and realize that the battery hasn't been charging considering the 2 pieces came apart.
On the lesser of the battery are v small LEDs that testify remaining power, a button to display the LEDs and to "wake" the battery pack, and a single USB-A port with 10W of charging ability. Yeah, yous tin charge your telephone while as well charging your laptop — though capacity will be split up — but it would be nice to encounter 2 USB-A ports, especially when most people have more than than i extra gadget when traveling.
The cost of the PH45W17 must exist taken into consideration, especially when upward against some of the competition. Yes, you're likewise getting a 45W USB-C adapter with the battery pack, only you could technically get something like the 26,800mAh Anker PowerCore+ with three USB-A ports for almost $seventy and bring your original adapter forth with you. This scenario would only work if the laptop y'all're using is uniform, which is another whole dilemma on its ain.
Dell'south product folio has a list of devices that the PH45W17 is compatible with, including the XPS 13 and some Latitude and Inspiron models. Though information technology'south probable simply a thing of non updating every page with refreshed laptops, the Latitude 7390 I tested with is not listed. I also plugged the power bank into Lenovo'due south ThinkPad X280 and received a depression charge power alarm. The battery pack kept the X280'due south internal battery from discharging, but it wouldn't charge at the same time. Before buying, be 100 percent sure the power pack is uniform with your specific laptop.
Dell PH45W17-CA hybrid power bank bottom line
Other than the fact that the power bank tin can pull autonomously from the adapter at only about any fourth dimension (information technology'due south snug, merely not secure), this is a smart piece of hardware. The attached adapter ways you don't have to behave all your cables with you when y'all're on the go, and the modular pattern allows you to pack everything down into the nooks and crannies of your bag. It does evangelize a decent amount of power, perfect if you lot're on a long-haul flight, but information technology does take just over three hours to go a total recharge. Besides, having only one USB-A port on the bottom kind of limits your use, particularly in a scenario where your laptop doesn't actually demand any extra power.
When you start comparison to the contest, the cost seems out of whack, especially upwards against power packs with near double the capacity. But, if you're buying for utilise with a laptop listed on Dell's website (which will hopefully be updated soon), you lot don't have to worry about it non being compatible. If y'all dear Dell and want accessories to friction match, this is probable near the superlative of your list, just be certain to put some extra fourth dimension into inquiry earlier making a final decision.
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Source: https://www.windowscentral.com/dell-ph45w17-ca-hybrid-power-bank
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