Charge current for Mac Book Pro 16" M1 Max Processor / 24 GPU

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Charge current for Mac Book Pro 16" M1 Max Processor / 24 GPU

Dear community

I want to run my brand new Mac Book Pro 16 inch with M1 Max processor and 24 GPU cores via a third-party docking station. The use of the orginal power adapter is *not* intended.

The docking station shall deliver all the power to the Mac Book Pro. The original power adapter delivers up to 140 W. Unfortunately, USB-C / Thunderbolt-4 maximum charging current is 100 W and most docking stations deliver even less, i.e. 60 Watt.

My question is: what is the minimum charge current via USB-C to run my computer safely, even under full load? Of course, I don't wanna empty the in-built battery by doing so.

Thanks in advance

Alexander

Posted on Feb 28, 2022 10:43 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Grant Bennet-Alder

Level 10

141,727 points

Feb 28, 2022 6:46 PM in response to PrinceOfDarkness_27

Around 100 Watts will charge and operate a MacBook Pro 16-in model. But to Fast Charge requires the full 140 Watts.

Caution: some Docks and Displays that claim to supply 100 Watts power actually supply "100 watts, LESS whatever they may need to operate", so you may not see the full 100 Watts at the Charge Port.

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Answer 2

ku4hx

Level 7

23,694 points

Feb 28, 2022 1:58 PM in response to PrinceOfDarkness_27

The Mac is going to draw, or attempt to draw, exactly what it needs from the battery. The wattage of the charger/power adapter may affect charging time, but will not effect the design spec speed of your Mac.

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Answer 3

VikingOSX

Level 10

124,124 points

Feb 28, 2022 2:05 PM in response to PrinceOfDarkness_27

You may find that your battery level is dropping faster than the dock can replenish it when not using the original 140W Apple charger.

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Charge current for Mac Book Pro 16" M1 Max Processor / 24 GPU

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