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Is 20w adapter enough to charge and operate M1 MacBook Air?

FreeWoRLD83

FreeWoRLD83

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jan 6, 2013
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Does anyone know what maximum watts needed is at full performance?

I have the original adapter with 30w power however I was just wondering if 20w usb-c adapter is used while using the MacBook Air, whether it would be enough to operate it from adapter alone without needing to consume from battery..
 
Last edited:
2019 Air works fine for mosts tasks from 18W charger. FCPX also works, but when rendering, battery starts to go down slowly.

For m1 Air I assume 20W should be just perfect also.
 
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TreRep said:
i need to charge it with 20w adapter.. is it enough? i think yes, it will be only slower...
Click to expand...
It will charge slower and might not charge much at all if you are using the notebook while connected to power.
 
TreRep said:
i need to charge it with 20w adapter.. is it enough? i think yes, it will be only slower...
Click to expand...
It will charge just fine.

2019 Macbook Air, 18W charger:
- Will slowly charge with normal tasks (Safari, Pages, Keynote).
- Won't charge when using apps that use a lot of resources (like FCPX editing).
- Will slowly lose battery percentage when pushing the laptop (like FCPX rendering)

With M1 Air and 20W charger it will be only better than this.
 
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The M1 MBA will only charge at a max of 41W. Anything larger is a waste. The link has been posted so I am not going to repeat the posting.
 
537635 said:
Still... it looks like an ancient power brick. You can get 2-3 port high W chargers in much smaller packages now (GaN chargers). The rest you can charge via your MacBook.
Click to expand...
USB-C outputs
  • 60W
  • 18W
USB-A outputs
  • 12W
  • 12W
within 75W
 
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acidfast7_redux said:
People proposing huge bricks have lost the plot entirely.
Click to expand...

Let me do the opposite. Here's the absolute smallest USB-C charger I've found that still works with the M1 MacBook Pro:
www.amazon.com

Anker 30W PIQ 3.0 & GaN Tech Power Delivery USB C Charger, PowerPort Atom III Slim Compact Type-C Charger for iPhone 11/11 Pro / 11 Pro Max/XR/XS/Max, Galaxy, Pixel, MacBook and More

PowerPort Atom III Slim The Ultra-Slim Wall Charger with PowerIQ 3.0 Slim and Compact: At only 0.63 inches thick, PowerPort Atom III Slim is small enough to fit into those awkward spaces behind furniture. If you’re on the go, it’ll fit effortlessly into any bag or even pocket for easy portability...
www.amazon.com

Charges fine even at max performance (fan full blast). Also will charge your Nintendo Switch, and even work with the Switch dock (if you own a Switch, you know this ability is not that easy to come by).

They also sell a 45W version if anyone wants a bit more juice, but honestly... I think 30W is enough.

P.S.: alternatively, if you require multiple outputs and 60W capability, this fits the bill, but it's quite a bit larger (still smaller than stock 61W charger that Apple ships with the M1 Pro):
www.amazon.com

Nekmit USB C Charger, 60W Slim Fast Wall Charger Foldable for Travel, Thin Flat Dual Port with PD 3.0 & GaN Tech for Laptops, MacBook, iPad Pro, iPhone 14/14 Pro / 14 Pro Max, Pixel, Galaxy

Nekmit USB C Charger, 60W Slim Fast Wall Charger Foldable for Travel, Thin Flat Dual Port with PD 3.0 & GaN Tech for Laptops, MacBook, iPad Pro, iPhone 14/14 Pro / 14 Pro Max, Pixel, Galaxy
www.amazon.com

^ it does either 60W standalone or 45W + 15W.
 
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bill-p said:
Let me do the opposite. Here's the absolute smallest USB-C charger I've found that still works with the M1 MacBook Pro:
www.amazon.com

Anker 30W PIQ 3.0 & GaN Tech Power Delivery USB C Charger, PowerPort Atom III Slim Compact Type-C Charger for iPhone 11/11 Pro / 11 Pro Max/XR/XS/Max, Galaxy, Pixel, MacBook and More

PowerPort Atom III Slim The Ultra-Slim Wall Charger with PowerIQ 3.0 Slim and Compact: At only 0.63 inches thick, PowerPort Atom III Slim is small enough to fit into those awkward spaces behind furniture. If you’re on the go, it’ll fit effortlessly into any bag or even pocket for easy portability...
www.amazon.com

Charges fine even at max performance (fan full blast). Also will charge your Nintendo Switch, and even work with the Switch dock (if you own a Switch, you know this ability is not that easy to come by).

They also sell a 45W version if anyone wants a bit more juice, but honestly... I think 30W is enough.
Click to expand...
I don't see the reason to carry a power brick at all ... the machine will charge overnight with a phone charger and for me at least, lasts at least 10h screen on time. When I start travelling again (COVID), I'll just carry a USB to USB-C cable with me and charge at USB ports if I need to. But like I said, I'd have to be travelling at least 10-12h to need any kind of charging brick.

Otherwise, I'll buy one and leave it at the office.
 
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bill-p said:
Let me do the opposite. Here's the absolute smallest USB-C charger I've found that still works with the M1 MacBook Pro:
www.amazon.com

Anker 30W PIQ 3.0 & GaN Tech Power Delivery USB C Charger, PowerPort Atom III Slim Compact Type-C Charger for iPhone 11/11 Pro / 11 Pro Max/XR/XS/Max, Galaxy, Pixel, MacBook and More

PowerPort Atom III Slim The Ultra-Slim Wall Charger with PowerIQ 3.0 Slim and Compact: At only 0.63 inches thick, PowerPort Atom III Slim is small enough to fit into those awkward spaces behind furniture. If you’re on the go, it’ll fit effortlessly into any bag or even pocket for easy portability...
www.amazon.com

Charges fine even at max performance (fan full blast). Also will charge your Nintendo Switch, and even work with the Switch dock (if you own a Switch, you know this ability is not that easy to come by).

They also sell a 45W version if anyone wants a bit more juice, but honestly... I think 30W is enough.

P.S.: alternatively, if you require multiple outputs and 60W capability, this fits the bill, but it's quite a bit larger (still smaller than stock 61W charger that Apple ships with the M1 Pro):
www.amazon.com

Nekmit USB C Charger, 60W Slim Fast Wall Charger Foldable for Travel, Thin Flat Dual Port with PD 3.0 & GaN Tech for Laptops, MacBook, iPad Pro, iPhone 14/14 Pro / 14 Pro Max, Pixel, Galaxy

Nekmit USB C Charger, 60W Slim Fast Wall Charger Foldable for Travel, Thin Flat Dual Port with PD 3.0 & GaN Tech for Laptops, MacBook, iPad Pro, iPhone 14/14 Pro / 14 Pro Max, Pixel, Galaxy
www.amazon.com

^ it does either 60W standalone or 45W + 15W.
Click to expand...
For us who bring Macbook, iPad, iPhone and Watch having 1 charger with two USB-C and two USB-A ports are a god send when the room only has 1 outlet or at the airport/station with one outlet.

In the past I've been at **** airports with out public outlet. Having a charger with more than 1 port allows persons like me to share with other passengers the outlet 4 ways.

It being a fast charger allows the up to 50% charging by ~30 mins.
 
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So today I forgot my M1 MBA charge brick at home, but had a cable and a HomePod mini at my office.

Turns out HomePod’s 20W brick is capable to charge M1 MacBook Air from 20% to 100% in around 4 hours, even when using it for work with a 4k monitor.

Hopefully it won’t hurt my laptop battery.
 
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killerdesign said:
So today I forgot my M1 MBA charge brick at home, but had a cable and a HomePod mini at my office.

Turns out HomePod’s 20W brick is capable to charge M1 MacBook Air from 20% to 100% in around 4 hours, even when using it for work with a 4k monitor.

Hopefully it won’t hurt my laptop battery.
Click to expand...
Probably the opposite. Slower charging is always better for batteries, except if the load often exceeds charging capacity and you are actually stressing the battery during charging.
 
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Then instead of spending $50 for Belkin charging brick getting a HomePod mini sounds as a better option to get an extra charger for MacBook Air.

However, I doubt it will charge a MacBook Pro: even though it has more or less same specs and a slightly bigger battery, for some reason Apple ships it with a 61w power adapter.
 
killerdesign said:
Then instead of spending $50 for Belkin charging brick getting a HomePod mini sounds as a better option to get an extra charger for MacBook Air.

However, I doubt it will charge a MacBook Pro: even though it has more or less same specs and a slightly bigger battery, for some reason Apple ships it with a 61w power adapter.
Click to expand...
The 20W charger will charge a MacBook Pro just slowly and probably only if you aren't using the MBP.
 
killerdesign said:
Turns out HomePod’s 20W brick is capable to charge M1 MacBook Air from 20% to 100% in around 4 hours, even when using it for work with a 4k monitor.
Click to expand...
Doesn't the 4k monitor charge the MacBook? My Dell ultrawide does when connected via usb-c.
 
Anker’s got a new offering; 65w total output, or 45/20 if charging two devices..

www.amazon.com

Anker USB C , 726 (Nano II 65W) PPS Fast Charger Adapter, Foldable Compact Charger for MacBook Pro/Air, iPad Pro, Galaxy S20/S10, Dell XPS 13, Note 20/10+, iPhone 13, Pixel, and More

Model Number: A2666
www.amazon.com

the picture to show scale
950F19E4-9A3C-4CC3-80D0-8C42F240CF05.jpeg
 
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Does anyone offer this:
a hub, with a male usb-c lead going to the macbook, with a power cord to a brick, such that the hub can supply enough juice to charge/maintain the book while also providing power to the hub-connected devices that are demanding it (e.g., a trackball or iPhone, but not power for a printer)​


That is what I want.
 
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