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Lower Wattage Charging okay for MacBook Pro Battery?

mr.anthonyramos

mr.anthonyramos

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Apr 25, 2015
524
380
Hong Kong
So I recently received my second HyperDrive (HyperDrive 7.5W Wireless Charger USB-C Hub)
today (and I noticed that like their smaller hubs,) and I am getting a max of 49W of charging power heading to my 2018 MacBook Pro when I send power through the hub via USB-C from my 87W Apple Charger.

I have a few questions:

1. I assume this is normal for most hubs and actually maybe even better than most (I've thrown away a hub which gives me no more than 25W charging) but are there any better options?

2. Is this okay for my battery? Or will this cause battery damage in the long run?

Thanks for reading and hope to get some insight into this.
 
maflynn said:
IT will just charge slower, it won't damage the computer
Click to expand...

Thanks for the answer.

I think my biggest issue now is that when I have hub connected with USB-C Power through, during heavy tasks, it seems to not be able to charge my MBP. It says charging but then the number actually dwindles down slowly. Which is a pity honestly.
 
Yeah that’s to be expected. If it’s occasional heavy loads then it will obviously recouperate and will usually be a non-issue. If it’s more consistent and sustained loads you need to think about a more robust power solution.
 
When my charger wasn't with me I used my USB C phone charger... it works but as mafflynn mentioned, it jut charges slooooow, and you can't really use the MacBook while charging, otherwise it'll drain faster then it's charging.
 
I use a 30w Anker charger for my Macbook Pro 2017. Sure, if I'm doing high intensive CPU related things it will drain the battery a bit, but for most everything it keeps the Macbook charged (albeit at a much slower rate). But just sitting there idling, it will keep the MBP charging.

Do note that if you're eye balling it, even if your MBP is 90%> it may drain to 90% then charge back to 100% again whereas the Apple charger will usually keep it at 95%+. I've gotten used to it.
 
You should also consider the cable you are using. Some cable are rated 40W 60W & 100W. I am looking into a second charger for my MBP and many only output 30W so it might not be an issue. But if you moved to a more powerful charger then the bottleneck could end up being the cable.

60W example.
https://www.anker.com/products/variant/powerline-usb-c-to-usb-c-3-1/A8183011

100W example
https://www.anker.com/products/variant/powerline-ii-3ft-usb-c-to-usb-c-3-1/A8485011
[doublepost=1534876171][/doublepost]
mr.anthonyramos said:
So I recently received my second HyperDrive (HyperDrive 7.5W Wireless Charger USB-C Hub)
today (and I noticed that like their smaller hubs,) and I am getting a max of 49W of charging power heading to my 2018 MacBook Pro when I send power through the hub via USB-C from my 87W Apple Charger.

I have a few questions:

1. I assume this is normal for most hubs and actually maybe even better than most (I've thrown away a hub which gives me no more than 25W charging) but are there any better options?

2. Is this okay for my battery? Or will this cause battery damage in the long run?

Thanks for reading and hope to get some insight into this.
Click to expand...

Id be interested to know how are you measuring the charging power Watts?
 
Chairman.Jobbie said:
You should also consider the cable you are using. Some cable are rated 40W 60W & 100W. I am looking into a second charger for my MBP and many only output 30W so it might not be an issue. But if you moved to a more powerful charger then the bottleneck could end up being the cable.

60W example.
https://www.anker.com/products/variant/powerline-usb-c-to-usb-c-3-1/A8183011

100W example
https://www.anker.com/products/variant/powerline-ii-3ft-usb-c-to-usb-c-3-1/A8485011
[doublepost=1534876171][/doublepost]

Id be interested to know how are you measuring the charging power Watts?
Click to expand...

I'm using some good quality cables. I've tested them as well with directly charging from my Apple Charger. So I'm pretty sure they are capable of the full 86W charge.

To check how much wattage is running into your MacBook Pro, go to system information and then power and somewhere in the bottom you should find how much charge is going into your MacBook Pro.
 
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I always advocate that you only use higher wattage chargers for high wattage use cases. The chemical health of a lithium ion battery is pretty complicated, but there are some pretty simple things you can change to help it. Use lower amp chargers every time you can. "Fast chargers" are the entire reason people complain Apple is intentionally slowing their phones down. A lithium ion cell is under the most stress at the very low and very high percentages (hence why it's a good rule of thumb to keep devices between 20% and 80%). Temperature and the number of charge cycles matter for the longevity of a battery as well.

Mac's differ by model and their corresponding charging ports, so I can't speak much to that other than suggest you buy AlDente. Its a battery managing software that monitors temperature, sets max charge limits, and much more. I think it's very worth it.

The way I charge my M2 Air macbook is by putting it on a USB-A to USB-C cable with a 12w port. I also have this port on a USB splitter that goes up to 4 ways. I only charge overnight with the 80% limiter turned on. I use the splitter to also charge my iPhone and Apple Watch if they need it overnight. The mac rests on a laptop stand with the screen open to help with temperatures. I know this is extremely overkill and straight up not necessary, but I do however want the laptop to last me through college if it can. I only use the MagSafe+high wattage stuff if I really need it. lol
 
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