N00b question- replacement power cord

The power cord for my 17 is starting to come apart and I want to get a replacement.

1. Has anyone found a quality 3rd party replacement? There are a million of them on Amazon but they all have mixed reviews with some people saying they work/some saying they don't.

2. I have been using the power cord bag that came with my alienware backpack and I think folding it to put it in there may have been whats causing it to come apart. How do other people fold/store their cord if they carry their computer around in a backpack frequently?

 

Also the cord from dell says it takes 3-5 weeks to ship

 

Hi Scotty

No question is a n00b question! With that in mind, are we talking about the lead that goes from the socket into the PSU. Or the lead that comes out of the PSU into the laptop?

 

I presume your running into the same problem I keep having....so more then likely the adapter to laptop portion of the cord. If not, then your in luck and it can be replaced with any 125v computer power cable, like the one you would use on your tower. I actually use server grade power cables to run from the wall to the adapter because I can get them a lot longer then the stock cord. If it is the end I think it is, your not in the best of luck. Where I find mine keep going is right as they come out of the adapter, the cabling seems to break down and then you start getting adapter not recognized issues, and if you wiggle that point then the adapter starts working again? The worst part about trying to find a replacement is that Dell chips all their adapters to send a signal to the computer and if that signal isn't found then the computer goes into a low power low performance state which isn't very nice for gaming or much else aside from internet browsing. Most 3rd party cords will not have said chip so the laptop won't recognize them.

I think your best bet is ebay, look up the part number and buy new off of their and it will save you money although you will still probably have to wait. I am actually quite shocked at how fragile the power cords are as I have gone through 4 of them in 2 years , but I also move my laptop around at least twice a day so the cord is getting wound up and put in a bag all the time. The best practice I have found is to coil it loosely and avoid putting any pressure on the stem where it comes out of the adapter making sure not to bend it to much.

 

I have bought some from amazon before and they have been identical to the one Dell gives with the laptop (Flextronics is the one of the acutal company which makes the 240W Slim supply).

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003QQJ5BK/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 They have been fine for me (Silicon Connect) but the price has gone up since, (my old order was £31).

They are genuine and have the chip in it so no power supply issues, just make sure you get the 240W supply if your laptop needs it.

 

Yes - it is the part from the brick to the computer that is coming apart. I will check ebay and see if I can find the same part number- thanks!

 

Any Dell 240W adapter should work, even those meant for Precisions. So if you can't find one for an AW, look for one of those.

 

This is true, you can look for original replacements on Amazon as well. They are just a little more expensive.