Glossary
USB Power Delivery (USB-PD)
An open standard for negotiating high-wattage charging over USB-C. PD 3.0 covers 5–100 W; PD 3.1 EPR extends to 240 W. The universal alternative to proprietary fast-charge protocols.
USB-PD lets a charger and device negotiate higher voltages (5, 9, 12, 15, 20, 28, 36, 48 V) and currents up to 5 A.
Tiers
- PD 3.0 — 100 W max.
- PD 3.1 EPR — Extended Power Range, up to 240 W (48 V × 5 A). Used by gaming laptops and some 16" pros.
- PPS (Programmable Power Supply) — fine-grained voltage control. Required by Samsung Super Fast Charging and other phone protocols.
In practice
A 65 W PD GaN charger is the right pocket charger for almost any modern phone, tablet, or ultrabook. For a 15" laptop, 90–100 W. For a 16" RTX-equipped laptop, 140 W+ PD EPR or the original barrel adapter.
Where this matters
Categories that use usb power delivery (usb-pd)
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