Buyer Beware, Microsoft says Surface Book 2's Power Issues is the product working as intended and will continue to ship inadequate wattage charger

[GoodBytes]

OMG.. shocking news, just like the Surface Pro 3, 4, the new one, Apple MacBook Pro, and any other high performance non-workstation, non-gaming laptop. And no one complained....

 

Let me remind you all:

Surface Pro and Book power adapter: about the size of your palm of your hand. Small, easy to carry:

 

Gaming laptop and workstation power supply:

Bigger than your face, and weights in as much as a big fat rock where you pretty much need 2 hands, and some laptop requires 2 of them:

 

 

 

 

If you want a gaming laptop, buy a gaming laptop. Simple as that.

 

People want small power supplies. Laptops with big ones are highly criticized due to their size and weigth. Heck, the Surface Pro 1 and 2, with its small power supply that was smaller than most laptop, was still criticized that that it was still too big, because Apple one was smaller'ish (and as a result, lower rating). So make up your mind.

[Drak3]

Many laptops do this. No big deal if you aren't maxing the hardware, which I doubt the realistic audience will.

[DrMacintosh]

1 hour ago, GoodBytes said:

, Apple MacBook Pro

Uhh, no.

 

The USB C bricks charge MacBook Pros faster than a mother f*cker under any load. 

[Zodiark1593]

2 hours ago, tsk said:

It wouldn't be a problem for Microsoft to build a very similar port that could deliver 120W, it would porbably be slightly bigger and require some changes to the power circuitry, but that would break backwards compatibility, which I'm assuming is the reason they stuck with the current one.

Edit; The USB-C spec allows for max 5A@20V which gives 100W, so there's no going around that if you wanna call it USB-C.

Qualcomm obviously has no problem breaking spec for Quick Charge 3. Microsoft could probably do so as well if they so choose.

[Drak3]

11 minutes ago, DrMacintosh said:

Uhh, no.

 

The USB C bricks charge MacBook Pros faster than a mother f*cker under any load. 

The 87W brick goes pretty damn slow when I'm playing Slime Rancher. It's not a godsend charger by any means.

[DrMacintosh]

Just now, Drak3 said:

The 87W brick goes pretty damn slow when I'm playing Slime Rancher. It's not a godsend charger by any means.

But it is charging the computer......

 

And when in "normal" use it chargers extremely fast. 

[Drak3]

7 minutes ago, DrMacintosh said:

But it is charging the computer......

 

And when in "normal" use it chargers extremely fast. 

I put my MBP at full load, like what it takes to get the highest spec SB15 to not charge, chances are, it won't charge either.

[DrMacintosh]

1 minute ago, Drak3 said:

I put my MBP at full load, like what it takes to get the highest spec SB15 to not charge, chances are, it won't charge either.

which MBP? 

[79wjd]

4 minutes ago, Drak3 said:

I put my MBP at full load, like what it takes to get the highest spec SB15 to not charge, chances are, it won't charge either.

Not charging is fine, draining the battery on the other hand can be problematic. I can see not including the beefiest charger because that's not what most people want/need, although there should be an option for a better charger (again, assuming it is draining the battery--simply not charging under extremely heavy loads or charging slowly is fine).

 

But regardless it is going to be a niche issue.

[Drak3]

1 minute ago, DrMacintosh said:

which MBP? 

2017, 7700HQ, Radeon Pro 555.

 

Just now, djdwosk97 said:

Not charging is fine, draining the battery on the other hand can be problematic. I can see not including the beefiest charger because that's not what most people want/need, although there should be an option for a better charger (again, assuming it is draining the battery--simply not charging under extremely heavy loads or charging slowly is fine).

Again, under realistic use, the SB15 will see little issue with the charger. It's pushing the machine to its limits that the issue crops up. And it is a problem nit unique to the SB15.

[DrMacintosh]

Just now, Drak3 said:

2017, 7700HQ, Radeon Pro 555.

You should test it not make a hypothetical argument and make a post about it on the Forum. 

[79wjd]

5 minutes ago, Drak3 said:

2017, 7700HQ, Radeon Pro 555.

 

Again, under realistic use, the SB15 will see little issue with the charger. It's pushing the machine to its limits that the issue crops up. And it is a problem nit unique to the SB15.

I understand it's a niche issue, and my comment wasnt specifically targeting the SB15. Any laptop when put under extreme load shouldn't be draining the battery while plugged in -- if it is, then there should be a secondary charging option that you can buy if you fall into that niche category.

[Drak3]

Just now, djdwosk97 said:

I understand it's a niche issue, and my comment wasnt specifically targeting the SB15. Any laptop when put under extreme load shouldn't be draining the battery while plugged in -- if it is, then there should be a secondary charging option that you can buy if you fall into that niche category.

Unfortunately, many manufacturers are moving towards USB-C or proprietary, and they hit the limit of the port. If Microsoft figured out a method of implementing a second charge port on just the tablet half of the SB, there would be a viable solution to the 'issue'.

[79wjd]

3 minutes ago, Drak3 said:

Unfortunately, many manufacturers are moving towards USB-C or proprietary, and they hit the limit of the port. If Microsoft figured out a method of implementing a second charge port on just the tablet half of the SB, there would be a viable solution to the 'issue'.

Considering the rmbp can be charged from any of the usb-c ports (albeit one at a time), I can't see why there couldn't be a board/circuit to allow for two chargers and just limit the max power that can be pushed into the battery.

[Drak3]

1 minute ago, djdwosk97 said:

Considering the rmbp can be charged from any of the usb-c ports (albeit one at a time), I can't see why there couldn't be a board/circuit to allow for two chargers and just limit the max power that can be pushed into the battery.

Too complex and large to be built in without some serious R&D. With the port being the limiting factor, can't have an external solution like some gaming laptops.

[DrMacintosh]

8 minutes ago, djdwosk97 said:

Considering the rmbp can be charged from any of the usb-c ports (albeit one at a time), I can't see why there couldn't be a board/circuit to allow for two chargers and just limit the max power that can be pushed into the battery.

Plugging in 2+ chargers will break the ports.....

 

(I think, haven't watched it in a while)

[Suika]

9 minutes ago, DrMacintosh said:

Plugging in 2+ chargers will break the ports.....

 

 

Yes, in a product with no intent or requirement of having more than a single charger, which djd pointed out you can only charge with one port at a time. There are still laptops available which do allow (and requires) more than one power connector, so it’s something that has worked before and can be implemented.

[Sauron]

7 hours ago, VegetableStu said:

"Guys, why not, you know, TURN OFF, YOUR LAPTOP, AND, LET IT, CHARGE. Like what dad used to do for their knockias?"

nokias never had this problem

3 hours ago, tsk said:

The surface charing port maxes out at 100W, they kept it for compatibility. The port is the problem, not the charger.

I can't think of any reason for that. Compatibility with what? Surely a higher tolerance port wouldn't have any problems with a lower power charger?

[warmmilk]

the macbook pro I use for vid capture does the same thing... 

[Doobeedoo]

Yeah this is so odd, like charger being limiting factor like so for no reason. Like come on just why. We get that with just battery you don't want machine running max but with power cable yes. 

Though it's really a great machine and specs are great. This is what I actually expected from Surface Laptop as far as spec wise. I guess we'll see one even better. 

 

[Drak3]

2 minutes ago, Sauron said:

Compatibility with what? Surely a higher tolerance port wouldn't have any problems with a lower power charger?

Chances are that a port that could accept more wattage would be physically different, likely longer or wider. The charger would follow suit with that.

 

[vanished]

Wouldn't be the first time something like this has happened.  Shield tablet could easily suck down more juice than the charger provided leading to it draining while plugged in.

 

Not that the fact it's happened before is in any way an excuse... it's not, this is just stupid.  But it is worth noting imo.

 

======

 

1 hour ago, DrMacintosh said:

Uhh, no.

 

The USB C bricks charge MacBook Pros faster than a mother f*cker under any load. 

 

16 minutes ago, warmmilk said:

the macbook pro I use for vid capture does the same thing... 

 

well obviously someone is wrong

 

=====

 

2 hours ago, GoodBytes said:

[...] People want small power supplies. [...]

As for the size of the bricks, I'm pretty sure they could pack enough power into the size they wanted if they really tried.  @iamdarkyoshi has experienced some very high power density bricks before 

[MiDaBu]

16 hours ago, Zodiark1593 said:

*begins a 3d render overnight*

*wakes up to find laptop is dead and render failed."

 

Me: "Dammit!"

Microsoft did write that it would never die while charging (because it will throttle when at low battery) . Still sucks though 

[bcguru9384]

21 hours ago, AluminiumTech said:

.

 

On Surface devices there's already the issue of not being able to cap CPU usage in Power Management and the inability to create proper power plans.....

because the proper modern multicore cpu technique for cpu power control is thru cpu affinity and cpu priority as with all the OC software floating around windows power management has limited control the same way windows 3d manager is limited control to nvidia/amd/intel 3d managers

so try checking for your mobo thermal and power control software to see if that where power control is