A surging trend in the notebook market has been the growth of third party AC adapters. If one wanted a replacement AC adapter a few years ago, it was necessary to turn to the manufacturer of one’s notebook. Today many are turning to the dozens of AC adapters designed by third party providers, especially because of more competitive pricing. One of those providers is FSP Group.
Founded in 1993 FSP Group has risen to become the sixth largest producer of PSU’s (Power Supply Units) in the world. They have develop and designed power conversion adapters for servers, flat screen TV’s and notebooks. Today, we will be looking at one of their notebook AC adapters, the NB65 CEC.
Specifications
Dimensions: 108 x 46 x 30 mm
Estimated Maximum Weight: 17.6 Ounces (500g)
Material(s): Plastic and Metal
AC Input: 100V ~ 240V – 1.5A – 50/60Hz
DC Output: 19V – 3.42A
Color(s): Black
Price: MSRP $44.99 ->$40.49 @ ShopFSP
Design, Durability, Compatibility and Reliability
As the name insinuates the NB65 is a 65Watt notebook power adapter. Since it is safe to say that a majority of consumer notebooks use 65Watt AC Adapters, the NB65 CEC is therefore, a good option for most notebook owners in need of a new adapter. Also for those who have notebooks with more powerful graphics cards and processors FSP Group has a 90Watt and 120Watt variant available.
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When we opened up the box, everything unfolded nicely. We found the adapter itself and its cable, the 9 tips, an instruction manual and a bag. The bag was a pleasant surprise: hauling an AC Adapter around can be a pain to say the least, with cables being at least 8 feet long it can turn into a rats nest in your backpack. This is where the back comes in: you can simply put the ac adapter in the bag and chuck the bag into your backpack.
Continuing with the adapter itself, an advantage of the NB65 CEC can clearly be found in the compact nature of the rectangular brick. As you can see in the photo (above) it is only larger than a 65W adapter for a netbook whilst, as concluded through various comparisons, the adapter itself is smaller than many stock adapters. This makes it lighter, easier to pack and competitive.
From a design perspective the adapter is nothing special. The quality of the plastic used for the brick is average, but is reinforced by a tightly packed interior. Similar to the majority of the adapters the cable that connects to the notebook is permanently attached to the brick. The cable that runs between the brick and the outlet detaches.
We tried the NB65 with a few dozen notebooks and brands from HP Compaq, Toshiba and Asus to Sony. Over the past three months we carried the adapter daily and tried to find a different notebook and user each day. We did hit a few notebooks where the manufacture was listed in the table below but the adapter did not fit, though overall we are quite satisfied with the compatibility of the NB65.
As indicated earlier, there is a total of 9 tips that come in various sizes. Attaching the tip to the cable is simple and effective. By effective we mean that it holds strongly and each tip worked without a hitch. It is simply a plug and play system, each bit fits on the end by inserting the two prongs.
*Note that there is a 9th adapter for the latest HP notebookds
Over the three month period, the adapter saw minimal wear and tear. Clearly the bag provided it with shelter, but also whilst on the floor charging a notebook the adapter held up to scuffs and marks.
Conclusion
Although the FSP NB65 is nothing special it still has shown its worth. Unlike some other adapters which have a more “unique” design the NB65 is so simple in design it is not only an easy replacement but can match any notebook. The bottom line is, if looking for a replacement adapter that is well built and gets the job done the NB65 is just what you are looking for.
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