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.
How to use USB Power Delivery (USB-PD) in a real comparison
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. In practice, this is most useful as one part of a decision rather than a standalone quality badge. Compare it alongside the workload, room, ecosystem, budget, and ownership constraints that apply to you; the strongest published figure is not automatically the best outcome for every buyer.
What to check next
On vsMars, read together so the value has product-specific context. It is especially relevant in .
Avoid the one-number trap
Manufacturers can describe the same capability under different conditions. Compare like-for-like variants, check the unit and test condition where available, and use a head-to-head page to see whether a measurable difference is material for your own use.
vsMars presents structured catalog values to make trade-offs legible. The linked product and spec pages are the right place to inspect the underlying values before buying.