What's the risk of using not-the-exact-right power cord?

[unblock]

1. in practice, it's usually not a problem; however, it could be a disaster.

if your device is expecting dc and you give it ac, or vice versa, that could be a disaster. you could fry a board or cause other damage.

if your device is expecting just a few amps and the cord is rated for more, that's no problem.

if your device is expecting more amps than the power cord can handle, that can be a problem.

if the polarity is reversed (+ for -, - for +) that can also be a problem.


in practice, most power cords for laptops are fairly close and largely compatible so it's usually not a problem.

i've mixed and matched plenty, without problem. just know you're taking a chance if you don't look closely at the specs.