# Would a US laptop work in Ireland (different electricity)



## Betsy Og (13 Dec 2010)

A relation of mine told me she was holding off buying a new laptop in the US as she didnt think it would work when she brought it home due to the difference in electricity (think we're 220V, 50hz, they're something different).

I said I didnt think it would be a problem, as far as I know the leads scale up or down the power to suit the machine. So while you might need an Irish (European?) lead the unit itself should work fine.

Anyone any views on this? Am I right in priciple about the laptop leads transforming the electricity to suit the machine?, maybe she'd only need a new plug on the US lead?


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## sustanon (13 Dec 2010)

This year I sent my mother in law home from the US with a new laptop from Sam's Club. great deal. it works fine. the overwhelming majority of power adapters for laptops in the US are dual voltage, they run 110V in the US and handle 220V in Europe. the only main difference will be the physical wall plug. you can cut the US plug off and wire in your own UK/Ireland plug. so no problems, shop away.


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## SparkRite (13 Dec 2010)

Betsy Og said:


> A relation of mine told me she was holding off buying a new laptop in the US as she didnt think it would work when she brought it home due to the difference in electricity (think we're 220V, 50hz, they're something different).
> 
> I said I didnt think it would be a problem, as far as I know the leads scale up or down the power to suit the machine. So while you might need an Irish (European?) lead the unit itself should work fine.
> 
> Anyone any views on this? Am I right in priciple about the laptop leads transforming the electricity to suit the machine?, maybe she'd only need a new plug on the US lead?



No problem using it here.

USA use 110VAC at 60Hz whereas we have 230VAC at 50Hz, but the charger should handle this.


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## Mpsox (13 Dec 2010)

I don't know about a laptop but I've bought cameras and a PSP in the US before and they've all worked fine, just need an adaptor for charging.


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## gianni (13 Dec 2010)

Am using a US laptop (in Ireland) right now. Had to buy an adaptor to fit the socket in the wall but no tranformers required...


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## jhegarty (13 Dec 2010)

Haven't seen a laptop charger that wasn't dual voltage in many years.


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## sustanon (13 Dec 2010)

jhegarty said:


> Haven't seen a laptop charger that wasn't dual voltage in many years.



I have seen the odd brick adapter here in the US that was only 110v, sometimes on a router etc, but I think they figured that people travel with laptops!


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## eamo (13 Dec 2010)

*us laptop*

brought mine from usa just replace plug with our three pin , works fine,eamo


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## Bob_tg (14 Dec 2010)

Betsy Og said:


> Am I right in priciple about the laptop leads transforming the electricity to suit the machine?, maybe she'd only need a new plug on the US lead?


 
Correct


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## AlbacoreA (15 Dec 2010)

Latops are DC not AC. Its got nothing to do with the laptop. 

However they all come with a AC adapter/charger, which converts from AC power to DC. They can usually handle US and IRL/UK power. 

Its not the lead itself. Thats just a cable. Many adapters you can simply use a different lead.


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## 26cb (15 Dec 2010)

And as a matter of fact they also work in the opposite direction....European laptops work in the states. A travel plug converter is all you should need.


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## AlbacoreA (15 Dec 2010)

Don't Laptops work everywhere? They use batteries which are DC.


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## huskerdu (15 Dec 2010)

AlbacoreA said:


> Don't Laptops work everywhere? They use batteries which are DC.




Yes, but the mains transformer that plugs in to charge the battery will only work if it is rated for the mains supply. 
As has been said, for may years now, laptop mains transformers are univerally dual voltage. 

If it wasn't it would be easy to buy a new transformer.


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## AlbacoreA (15 Dec 2010)

I kinda meant a laptop that didn't work when you traveled wouldn't be much good.


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## huskerdu (16 Dec 2010)

AlbacoreA said:


> I kinda meant a laptop that didn't work when you traveled wouldn't be much good.



Yes. But the battery only lasts about 4 hours. A laptop that you cant charge would be similarly useless.


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## AlbacoreA (16 Dec 2010)

I would have thought that was obvious.


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