The MacBook Pro uses a MagSafe power adapter that you plug into the MagSafe 3 port to charge the battery. You can find the MagSafe power adapter in three different Watt capacities, 45-Watt, 60-Watt, and 65-Watt. If you are looking for a new MagSafe power adapter for your MacBook Pro, you might be wondering if you can use the 45W, 60W, or 65W.
You can use a 45W, 60W, or 65W MagSafe with your MacBook Pro, which will not damage your device. All MagSafe adapters are designed to run safely regardless of your MacBook’s Watt specification. If you have a 45W MacBook, you can still use a 65W MagSafe power adapter because your MacBook will draw only 45W from the adapter.
It will also charge at a normal rate; therefore, getting a MagSafe power adapter with a high Watt capacity does not mean your MacBook will charge faster.
When you buy a MacBook Pro or MacBook Air, taking care of the battery is key to ensuring you use the device for a long time. You need to buy the correct charger to charge the battery and power the laptop when you use it.
When you are looking for a new charger for your MacBook Pro, you will find the MagSafe Power Adapter in the Apple Store. Before you purchase it, you will see three different power ratings: 45W, 60W, and 65W or 85W. Before selecting a specific power, you might wonder if your MacBook Pro can use a 45W, 60W, or 65W MagSafe power adapter.
You can use a 45W, 60W, or 65W MagSafe power adapter with your MacBook Pro without damaging it. When you buy a MacBook Pro, it will specify which Wattage adapter you should use to charge the battery.
If your MacBook Pro requires a 45W adapter and you cannot find a 45W MagSafe power adapter, you can still buy the 60W or 65W MagSafe, and it will still work properly. However, buying a MagSafe with a higher Wattage than your MacBook Pro’s specifications does not increase the battery’s charging rate. If you want to charge your MacBook Pro’s battery faster, you should try using specific combinations of power sources and cables.
When you are looking to buy a MacBook Pro, the model you choose comes with a specific power input capacity. The small MacBook Pro usually has a 45W power input, while the large MacBook Pro can have a 65W power input capacity or more.
The power input refers to the maximum power your MacBook Pro can draw when plugged into a power source. For example, if you have purchased a MacBook Pro with a 60W power input capacity, it means that your laptop can only draw in 60W or less. You can use any of the 45W, 60W, or 65W MagSafe power adapters to charge or power your MacBook Pro.
MacBook Charging Protection
You cannot damage your MacBook Pro if you use a MagSafe power adapter with a different power input capacity. You can use a 65W MagSafe to charge a MacBook Pro with a 45W power input capacity without destroying the battery or any part of the laptop.
When you use a 60W or 65W MagSafe power adapter to charge a MacBook Pro with a 45W power input, the laptop will draw in 45W. The laptop’s power unit system is designed to take only 45W or less, and the MagSafe power adapter is designed to deliver the 45W, and the excess power does not affect your device.
You can also use a MagSafe power adapter with low wattage to charge a MacBook with a high-power input capacity. However, your MacBook will be slow depending on the applications you are running, and the battery might take a long time to charge.
For example, if you have a MacBook Pro with a power input capacity of 65W, you can use a 45W MagSafe power adapter to charge it. However, if the charger can only deliver 45W to your laptop, your MacBook Pro will get the rest of the power from the battery.
If you are working on the laptop, it will take longer to charge the battery, and sometimes the laptop will drain the power from the battery and shut down. Therefore, to avoid inconvenience, you should buy a MagSafe power adapter with the same or more Wattage as your MacBook Pro’s power input capacity.
Faster Charging
You should note that buying a MagSafe with extra wattage does not mean a faster charging rate. It is easy to mistake extra Wattage to mean more power supply to the laptop. If your MacBook Pro has a maximum power input of 60W, getting a MagSafe with more Wattage does not mean your laptop will get a full battery within a short time.
If you want to charge your MacBook Pro’s battery faster, you need to find other ways to fast charge. The MacBook Pro 14 Inch, 2021, and the MacBook Pro 16 Inch 2021 support fast charge. With the correct combinations, you can charge your laptop’s battery up to 50% within thirty minutes.
If you have a 2021 MacBook Pro 14 Inch, you can charge its battery quickly by using any of the combinations of power sources and cables as directed by Apple. These combinations include a 140W USB-C Power Adapter plus a USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable or USB-C charge cable.
You can also use 96W USB-C Power Cable plus USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable or USB charge cable. You also use the combinations of an Apple Studio Display plus Thunderbolt cable or Apple Pro Display XDR plus Thunderbolt 3 cable. If you have a 2021 MacBook Pro 16 Inch, you can fast charge it by using the combination of 140w USB-C Power Adapter plus USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable.
If you have a MagSafe power adapter that is not working properly, you should first check the power source. Plug in other devices on that power outlet to see if it is working or not. If it is working, check your MagSafe wattage and confirm it is correct.
If the MagSafe wattage is lower than the wattage recommended for your laptop, that could explain why it is slow. You should also check the AC Plug or cable and ensure it is fitted correctly.
Try using another AC plug to check if it is your AC plug that has an issue. Check your MacBook Pro’s power port and ensure no objects or debris are blocking the port. You should also check for software and firmware updates that may improve the communication between your MacBook Pro and your MagSafe power adapter.
If none of the above solutions work, you should set up a service to repair or replace your MagSafe power adapter or purchase a new cable or adapter.
MagSafe with MacBook Air
The MacBook Air is one of the best notebook computers developed and manufactured by Apple Inc. The MacBook Air has a battery that can last several hours before needing to be charged, and you can use a MagSafe power adapter to charge or power your MacBook Air. If you want to buy a new charger for your MacBook Air, you might wonder if your device can use a 45W, 60W, or 65W MagSafe power adapter.
You can use a 45W, 60W, or 65W MagSafe power adapter to charge the MacBook Air without damaging your laptop. The MagSafe power adapter is designed to safely supply power to any compatible MacBook Air without damaging the battery or any other part. When buying a new MagSafe power adapter, you should check the power input recommendation for your MacBook Air.
If your MacBook Air has a power input capacity of 60W, you can use a MagSafe with 60W or more. However, your MacBook Air might have power issues if you buy a MagSafe power adapter with a lower wattage than recommended.
The 45W, 60W, or 65W MagSafe can be used interchangeably as long as they can match or exceed your MacBook Air’s power input capacity. If your MacBook Air requires a 45W power input, you can use any MagSafe adapters and will not have any issues.
However, if your MacBook Air has a high-power input capacity, you can use a lower wattage but with a caveat. For example, if you have a MacBook Air with a 65W power input capacity, you can use a 45W or 60W MagSafe, but your laptop will be slow.
Since the MagSafe supplies power below the recommended input, your MacBook Air will use the battery to supply the extra power. If the battery runs out of charge, the laptop will go to sleep or power down and come back on after it has recharged. Therefore, when buying a new MagSafe, you should not buy one with a low wattage compared to your MacBook Air’s recommended power input capacity.
Charging Issues
If your MacBook Air is not charging, you might want to change the MagSafe power adapter. However, before buying a new charger, try using your MagSafe power adapter on another Mac. If it works properly, then the issue could be on your MacBook Air.
Check your MacBook Air’s power port to ensure nothing is blocking it. Reset the SMC (System Management Controller), which usually controls how your MacBook Air manages power. If your MacBook Air does not charge after resetting SMC, you should set up a service. When you take your MacBook Air for service, include your MagSafe power adapter and have them look at it to ensure it is working properly.
You should note that purchasing a MagSafe power adapter with extra wattage does not increase the charging rate. Your MacBook Air will charge at the same rate because the power input does not draw in more power than recommended. However, if you have a MacBook Air M2, 2022, you can use a fast charge.
The MacBook Air M2, 2022, is the only MacBook Air model that supports a fast charge. To fast charge your 2022 MacBook Air M2, you need to use one of the six combinations of power sources and cables developed by Apple.
The first combination is a 140W USB-C Power Adapter plus USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable or USB-C charge cable. You can also use 96W USB-C Power Adapter plus USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable or USB-C charge cable.
Another combination is a 67W USB-C Power Adapter plus USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable or USB-C charge cable. If you do not have a MagSafe power adapter near you, you can use the following combinations.
Apple Studio Display plus Thunderbolt Cable, Apple Pro Display XDR plus Thunderbolt 3 cable, and External display with 85W power delivery plus Thunderbolt 3 cable or USB-C cable.
When you buy a new MagSafe power adapter, you need to take good care of it to ensure it does not get damaged. The MagSafe power adapter costs 79 USD; hence, it will be very expensive if you have to buy a new one after weeks or months.
The most common damage that occurs on a MagSafe is tearing the insulation around the cord. The insulation usually breaks, exposing the wires inside; if the wires are exposed, they can break at any time.
You can use solder to put the small wires back together and add a shrink wrap to prevent further damage. You should not repair your MagSafe power adapter if it is still plugged into a power source.
Wrap Up
Your MacBook Air or Pro needs sufficient power to function properly. These two devices can work if the batteries have enough power or if you have plugged them directly into a power source.
The MagSafe power adapter is a common accessory on most MacBook laptops, and it usually comes with different wattage to match the laptop’s power input recommendation. You can choose the wattage that matches your MacBook’s power input recommendation. You can choose a MagSafe power adapter with a high wattage, but it will supply power to your laptop without damaging it.
If your MacBook requires a 60W power input, you can get a 140W power adapter, which will work as normal. However, if you select a MagSafe power adapter with a lower wattage, your laptop might malfunction.
It usually takes longer to charge a battery if the power adapter’s wattage is lower than recommended. You might drain the battery faster than normal if you use a MagSafe power adapter with low wattage. To be on the safe side, you should purchase a MagSafe power adapter with the same wattage as recommended for your MacBook or get one with more wattage.
