this post was submitted on 13 Jun 2023
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Technology

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What Is a GaN (gallium nitride) Charger, and Why Should You Buy One? (www.reviewgeek.com)
submitted 1 year ago by GadgeteerZA@beehaw.org to c/technology@beehaw.org
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When you’re on the hunt for a new USB power adaptor, you may come across a few options with gallium nitride (GaN) technology. These charging bricks tend to be a bit expensive. But due to their reduced size and increased charging ability, a GaN charger may be your ideal purchase. It could even help you save money in the long run.

Most USB chargers use silicon semiconductors. Gallium nitride (GaN) is simply a power-efficient alternative to silicon. It allows a charger to achieve small size without a reduction in charging speed or thermal performance. A GaN charger is ideal for travelling or powering several high-wattage devices, such as laptops.

With more and more laptops charging through USB-C, and more phones making use of ultra-fast charging, you'll start to notice that the silicon based chargers can get really hot during charging these devices.

Instead of buying a large silicon-based charger that only has two ports (with a shared throughput), you can buy a GaN charger with four, five, or even six high-speed charging ports.

#technology #chargers #GaN

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[–] GadgeteerZA@beehaw.org 2 points 1 year ago

Well, certainly on phones those ultra-high charging rates are not doing the batteries much good - I keep mine on slow charge. But laptops do max out the USB-C on many chargers (if you have the right cables) and I've felt my USB-C charger get pretty hot.