Q&A - Laptop AC Adapter
1. How hot should my laptop ac adapter get?
2. What is the maximum watt-hour power that I can use for my laptop?

How hot should my laptop ac adapter get?
Laptop AC adapters during normal use will get warm and sometimes very warm. While the older Pentium 3 laptops that use 60 watt adapters get fairly warm, the 90 watt adapters for Pentium 4 laptops will get very warm to the touch. As a rule of thumb, it is normal for the laptop AC adapter to get very warm. However, if you smell any burning of plastic or metal and/or you can see melting in the adapter casing or line, immediately unplug your cord from the power outlet and take your adapter and laptop in for immediate servicing..
 
What is the maximum watt-hour power that I can use for my laptop?
Simply multiply the input voltage and amperage of your laptop to get your watt hours. You can usually find the power specifications on the bottom of your laptop. If you your calculations result in 56 watt hours for instance, you should use an Laptop AC adapter with maximum wattage of 60 watts. You can still use a laptop ac adapter that is rated at 90 watts max that has the same DC output voltage as your original Laptop AC adapter. Your laptop will only use the watt that it needs. Using a higher watt-hour rated laptop ac adapter will not damage your computer. However, if you have a 90 watt Pentium 4 laptop, you will not be able to use the 60 watt laptop ac adapter that was designed for the Pentium 3 or Centrino models.