American laptop power supply

dawballz

I bought a laptop from america there last thursday and it's at home now(i don't have it yet though) and obviously i need a step up transformer cos it has an american plug(obviously). I'm lookin to maplin cos there's one just down the road but they have two types:
45W UK to USA Voltage Convertor
100W UK to USA Voltage Convertor
I thought it should USA to UK but thats the way they have it in catalog(page 598 if anyone has it).
So which one do I get, or does it depend on the laptop?
btw the laptop is the acer ferrari 3200 ( http://www.pcconnection.com/ProductDetail?sku=5075765 )

Blackjack

Is the lead a simple lead or does it have a Box (I think it's just called a power supply - sorry don't have the technical name) on it?. The Box should convert the voltage from whatever you plug it into to whatever the voltage required by the laptop.
In this case all you would need is a plug, not necessarily a voltage converter. Most travel shops will have either anyway.

dawballz

I think it has a power supply alright but as I said, I don't have it in my possession yet. But American voltage is 110v and irish is -230 - +230(*i think*). Would it not like.. fry the power supply if I went to plug it in?

duridian

Before you go investing in the step down transformer check the power supply box of the laptop. If it says something like 110V-240V then you don't need the step down as it can be used with either American voltage or Irish. A cousin of mine brought a Dell laptop back from the States like that that a few years ago and after buying a transformer he found out that he didn't actually need one.

Tom Dunne

It's extremely unlikely you will need any kind of transformer. Think about it - laptops are made to travel - 99.9% of them will have dual voltage power supplies, meaning all you will have to do is change the plug.

I bought a laptop in the US in August and didn't need any kind of transformer (despite the documentation saying it was only 110V). Same deal with my work laptop - I've travelled a bit with it, only need to change the shape of the plug, not the power supply itself.

logistic

I was in the same situation awhile back with my laptop power adapter. All i had to buy was a plug convertor which i picked up from roches stores for few yoyos.

dawballz

Well I got the laptop and on the back of the power supply it says 100-240V so I'm assuming this is ok to stick into an adapter and into the socket. Now my next question.. where would one get an adapter of this sort in Kilkenny?
I know they're in Maplin in Galway anyway but I'm in KK at the moment.. I presume an electrical shop, but anyone found em anywhere before I go rooting all over town?
Like would they be in ESB shops//Dunnes Stores//Compustore etc???
thanks.

Tom Dunne

You may not need an adapter - you have two options.

1: If the power supply is a brick, with one thinner wire going to the laptop, and another thicker wire going to the wall, see if you can unplug the latter, thicker one from the brick. Then all you need to do is "steal" a similar cable/plug from an Irish electrical device and plug it in.

2: The other option is simply cut off the American plug and put on an Irish plug. I know most (if not all) American plugs are moulded on, so you can't unscrew them like an Irish plug, but I also brought back a DVD player from the US, cut off the American plug and put on a normal Irish plug and it worked fine.