Precision M6400 Owner's Lounge *Part 2*

Hi, I have a Dell M6400 and no AC adapter and I was wondering if this adapter would work with my laptop. Its an Alienware M18x 330 watt adapter model # ADP-330AB B / DA330PM111

Thank you

 

The power brick that came with the M6400 puts out 19.5 V at 10.8 A. The model you listed above (ADP-330AB B) also put out 19.5 V but at higher amperage. I think you should be fine since the output voltage is the same

On a side note: I also have a power brick for an Alienware that put out 19.5 V but higher amp than stock. I use that sometimes when I travel because it's half the thickness of the M6400 power brick (less weight and easier to pack). Occasionally, the M6400 will throw up an error message (something about power supply; sorry I don't remember) but it works fine (no throttling, misbehave, nor heat issue).

 

Same voltage, equal or higher amperage: yeah it'll work.

 

Thank you for the help, the 330 watt adapter powers the laptop but unfortunately it wont charge the laptops battery. The Dell Power Manager application says "Your notebook power adapter is not recognized by your Dell notebook. As a result your adapter may not provide sufficient power to run the system, your battery will not charge, your system will run slowly. Please insert a 150 watt Dell approved power adapter."

Talk about being picky!

 

Will the power adapter charge the battery when the computer is off?
When powered on, does the computer behave at full speed even after the warning? It tells you to use 150 W power adapter? The one for my computer is 210 W.
If I remember right, there is something in the BIOS that you can set to warn or not if the right power brick is plugged in. Try fiddling with that and see if it makes any difference. I may be completely off.

 

Hey guys, newbie here. Found this forum from google and I must say it has brought me up to speed!

Was given a M6400 recently and I am trying to learn more about it. Pretty nifty machine but the power brick is not up to scratch as my friend lost the original one he had and gave me a 130W PA-4E instead. Being a noob, I went and bought an OEM power brick rated for 230W, from eBay, that is suitable for the M6400/M6500. Still waiting for it to turn up. Hopefully, it will work ok. In the meantime, I had zeroed in on a Dell PA-9E as a backup.

Was just wondering if any of you have tried a 5000m from a M6500 in a M6400? I know from reading this thread that a few of the members got the M7820 working in the M6400.

I am now in two minds, wondering if I should max out this M6400 or get a cheap M6500 and max it out instead.

I will appreciate any advice!

 

IIRC, somebody did use the FX5000M in M6400, the problem is that they are harder to find. If you need it for gaming purposes only (no Quadro drivers needed), I think you're better off with M7820 because of the lower power consumption. I replaced my FX3700M with M7820 (to max it out) and the lower power consumption is quite noticeable in fan speeds and temperatures.

Regarding the M6400 vs. M6500, IIRC, the RGB LED screen on M6500 was better (Samsung) and it also comes with USB 3.0 plus stronger CPUs, so it all depends on your needs. If you look at it that way, you could also search for a cheaper M6600 and upgrade the GPU perhaps (if conversion to 16:9 is not a problem).

 

That's another way to look at it I suppose. I can locate several M6500s within my budget and is in my country as well. As for M6600, I can't locate any in my country and the shipping would be crazy. Plus customs will be very happy to tax me for it!

 

It wont charge even when powered off. Tried the battery settings in BIOS and I updated the BIOS to the new A13 and still nothing. CPU meter says clock: 1584 MHz, I guess that means its not running at the full speed of a P8400 which is 2.4 GHz?

I will be looking for a Flextronics or Delta adapter.

 

You are giving me the jitters for the OEM power brick I bought off eBay... I hope the 240W power brick works as advertised, if not time to refund!