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SD Card and USB C Cord Suggestions for Switch
- Thread starter casey_contra
- Start date
Minsc
Gold Member
Sounds about right, 10,000 mAh * .6 = 6,000 mAh / 4,310 = 1.39 charges.
1 charge at full brightness etc = ~3 hours * 1.39 = 4.17 hours, which is basically what they said, 4 hours and 13 minutes.
So looks like I've been right all along more or less, a normal non-PD power bank can charge the Switch while in use, just like an iPhone or iPad and increase the charge. You just need to avoid weird power banks that only have Qualcomm Quick Charge ports that would drop the charge to .5A instead of 2A or more.
So the ~20,000 mAh power banks commonly linked (Anker / RAVPower) would give an additional 8 1/2 hours, and then with the switch's battery close to 12 hours total. That's on max brightness though, on normal brightness it should definitely be over 12 hours.
1 charge at full brightness etc = ~3 hours * 1.39 = 4.17 hours, which is basically what they said, 4 hours and 13 minutes.
So looks like I've been right all along more or less, a normal non-PD power bank can charge the Switch while in use, just like an iPhone or iPad and increase the charge. You just need to avoid weird power banks that only have Qualcomm Quick Charge ports that would drop the charge to .5A instead of 2A or more.
So the ~20,000 mAh power banks commonly linked (Anker / RAVPower) would give an additional 8 1/2 hours, and then with the switch's battery close to 12 hours total. That's on max brightness though, on normal brightness it should definitely be over 12 hours.
Ah, not bad for an extra 4 hours full settings on Zelda. I guess I'll get the 5v/3a power bank then.
True, and going to lower settings will give a boost of 20% to additional power bank battery life, so that should put the number over 5 hours extra (+3 hours on the Switch itself) for a 10000 mah. Really happy with that number myself, I have a 10000 mah power bank lying around, so I am set already in that regard.
enbred
Banned
Warranties aren't supposed to cover user error, and manufacturers explicitly state that warranties are void if you use non-licensed accessories. I think returning a product because you tested a non-officially endorsed accessory while knowing that there is a chance it could damage the product is a douche move, and possibly illegal. Unless you're buying one of those no-questions-asked 3rd party warranties.
Anyway, this reddit thread might interest some here: https://www.reddit.com/r/NintendoSw...o_not_charge_your_switch_with_a_powerbank_or/
enbred
Banned
Switch doesn't ship with an SD card, and a card is not required to use the system. The firmware is on the internal memory.
Marty Chinn
Member
Wait, why is it 60% of the 10,000 mAH? Just trying to understand the calculation.
andthebeatgoeson
Junior Member
So, how do you charge the switch if your dock is at home? There is no extra cable? Or I can just use an extra USB-C cord and power brick from the many phones in my past?
Except for long flights/trips away from an outlet. I would need to use a power brick? I may grab one after I open the switch.
Except for long flights/trips away from an outlet. I would need to use a power brick? I may grab one after I open the switch.
DarthButcher
Member
Any USB-C chord and a power brick would work. I have a retina MacBook, so I could use my charger for that.
Minsc
Gold Member
Oh I don't mean manufacturer warranties. I couldn't care less about Nintendo's warranty. I just mean store warranties. Just about any store will replace a defective product without questions within a month for store credit or a replacement. Sure it's crappy, but if you claim ignorance, I don't have a problem. They should have put in safe guards in to the device to prevent it imo, rather than leaving it to the user to figure out.
Edit: Also regarding your link, keep in mind we already know what happens if you use a Qualcomm QC USB-A port to charge your Switch, it just charges at around 5V / .5A instead of the regular 2A+ rate, as per the Ars preview. I expect every normal USB-A and especially USB-C power bank on the market to work fine with the Switch, so that thread is of little use (doubly so because following information in a reddit thread is super annoying with the same few posts always going to the top and everything else being buried away in some random order underneath), at least as far as power banks.
My basic understanding of it is the transfer of energy from the power bank to device you're charging (the Switch) isn't 100% efficient. Hence not 1:1; it tends to be around 60% efficient.
Not exactly true. It depends on how efficient the power controller/circuits used in the power banks are. 60% is really really awful, they should actually be around 85% min. Most quality power banks stated capacity are actually lower than its actual capacity. A 10000mAh bank can actually be a 12000+mAh bank. A good battery bank will have a controller to keep the actual battery capacity like 80-85% full at most and never go below 15-20% when it completely "drains".
D'oh, that's my power bank.
So basically if I'm on a long flight, plug it in right away and hope it keeps the power from draining before the flight ends?
Minsc
Gold Member
There's always the chance the Ars preview got it wrong, or used a crappy cable or something I guess. But it sounds like it, yeah. If the Qualcomm stuff gets in the way of the power bank delivering the proper amps to the Switch, it's going to lose power while on, but maybe it lasts 7 hours instead of 3.5, or maybe it lasts 10, or maybe 5... you'll probably need to give it a test at home and see. Or take a break and do some reading / sleeping on the flight to give the switch a chance to recharge.
Jerm411
Member
Assuming the wall brick what comes with iPads would work too....?
Rerez got a 30,000mAh battery from Aukey. They drained the Switch completely, then played it while charging, and after about an hour it had only added 8% to the battery during that hour. With the system off, it took about 2 hours to fully charge the last 92%: https://youtu.be/Dn72uuvnSUY?t=247
Marty Chinn
Member
c to c.
Minsc
Gold Member
Still, that's all that matters, is that it increases charge while in use. Means you can avoid the battery pack until necessary, and then you'll be fine for another 8+ hours after that until until the pack runs out (you'll actually even have a 70% charge at that point, so you're probably good for another 2 hours still).
And if you're playing something like Shovel Knight, I imagine it will charge up a lot more than 8% per hour while in use, because I doubt Shovel Knight drains the Switch in 3 hours like BotW.
And if you're playing something like Shovel Knight, I imagine it will charge up a lot more than 8% per hour while in use, because I doubt Shovel Knight drains the Switch in 3 hours like BotW.
Ended up picking up this 128GB SanDisk microSD card. The Nindie showcase really convinced me.
I've been using this Anker PowerCore+ 20100 for the past few weeks with my Nexus 6P and I'm really impressed by it. There's a USB-C to USB-C charging mode you activate by pressing the button and it surprisingly charges my phone faster than the USB-C wall adapter that comes with it. There are only a handful of instances where I'll be charging the Switch while also playing it at the same time so we'll see how good it is at that but I'm not too concerned. Really excited for Friday and beyond!
This thread was really helpful for me, so thanks
I've been using this Anker PowerCore+ 20100 for the past few weeks with my Nexus 6P and I'm really impressed by it. There's a USB-C to USB-C charging mode you activate by pressing the button and it surprisingly charges my phone faster than the USB-C wall adapter that comes with it. There are only a handful of instances where I'll be charging the Switch while also playing it at the same time so we'll see how good it is at that but I'm not too concerned. Really excited for Friday and beyond!
This thread was really helpful for me, so thanks
Shrike Alvaron
Member
Oh, this is very good news. Dunno why he act as if 8% charge WHILE playing is a bad thing; of course it charges slower while playing a game as intensive as Zelda. That it charges at all is great, and 2 hours to near fully charge when turned off is good. It's also worth noting that he uses a USB C to C cable to charge it.
The Ars Technica article must've had something else going on to get such poor results. I'm starting to believe they used an A to C cable with a Quickcharge port and that keeps it charging slower, so you'll want to use a USB-C port or a non-QC USB-A port to charge.
Marty Chinn
Member
I think he's just saying that if your battery is low on the Switch itself, if you use the portable battery, it's not going to leave you with a charged system by the time the portable is depleted. That's all. I had to relisten to that spot a second time to understand what he was getting at.
JStein0222
Member
Hey knowledgeable-on-this-complicated-stuff gaf! Quick question. I was hoping to score a second AC adapter for the Switch and saw the extra one is $30 on Amazon. My question is, is this alternative cord and brick combo by Nyko effectively the same thing, or should I spring for the Nintendo one? I just like the idea of a cable/brick combo more, especially if I ever get a powerbank or anything like that in the future, thanks!
Mudron
Member
That's weird - didn't the 3DS ship with an SD card already nestled in the system?
Zeyphersan
Banned
The official one is for the Switch in the dock and out of it. The Nyko one can't power the dock, only the console itself
Yes, but it doesn't have any native onboard storage. At least available to the user.
Soakedjunk
Member
Is there any reason I couldn't use my newer MacBook Pro power supply (USB-C) to charge the switch when it's away from the dock?
Zeyphersan
Banned
Should be able to. I'll be testing it on Friday but there's really no reason why it wouldn't work
If anyone is interested in my recommended wall charger for the Switch itself, I would get:
https://store.google.com/product/usb_type_c_18w_power_adapter
Or
https://store.google.com/product/usb_c_dual_port_charger
Both are good 15W charger, I'm almost 100% sure its compatible.
https://store.google.com/product/usb_type_c_18w_power_adapter
Or
https://store.google.com/product/usb_c_dual_port_charger
Both are good 15W charger, I'm almost 100% sure its compatible.
I highly recommend getting this: https://www.razerzone.com/gaming-accessories/razer-power-bank
It will run USB C to C with 15v at 3a.
As for a wall charger, I'd look at Google's offering that the poster above linked.
Edit: The Nintendo AC Adapter has higher wattage (forgot about this) and is cheaper. Only perks to the Google one is detachable cable and smaller wall footprint.
It will run USB C to C with 15v at 3a.
As for a wall charger, I'd look at Google's offering that the poster above linked.
Edit: The Nintendo AC Adapter has higher wattage (forgot about this) and is cheaper. Only perks to the Google one is detachable cable and smaller wall footprint.
Minsc
Gold Member
If you want to bankrupt people, sure, Switch only needs 5V / 3A though (to increase charge in use), so that Razer's overkill, unless you're charging laptops with it, and even then the RAVPower PD-USB one is less than 1/2 the price for over 2x the capacity. Any cheap USB-C charger will work fine with the Switch. Probably even the cheaper ~$15 USB A ones too, that cost like 1/10th the price.
Booker.DeWitt
Member
anything to say about this ?
Anker Powerline+ USB-C to USB 3.0 cable (3ft) Red $7.99
$6 OFF, lowest price ever, with code SDUSBC44
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GN0M6NE/?tag=neogaf0e-20
Very good price
Anker Powerline+ USB-C to USB 3.0 cable (3ft) Red $7.99
$6 OFF, lowest price ever, with code SDUSBC44
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GN0M6NE/?tag=neogaf0e-20
Very good price
Flying Toaster
Member
Switch release... go big or go home! Honestly good points made here.
SystemUser
Member
Those are both more expensive than the official charger (Nintendo 39W wall wart is priced at $30) and neither one puts out 39W.
Why would you recommend those over the Nintendo one that is cheaper and can power the Switch in docked mode?
Blackquill
Member
So I post my question again, what's the difference between all these usb cord ?
not sure what you mean by different, but with USB-C you do want to be careful that the cord you're getting is properly manufactured to deliver the right voltage. a lot of them (especially the USB A to C cables) aren't, and could potentially harm either your device or your charger by delivering too much power or trying to draw too much power.
True it will charge it with only 5v, but the charge seems really slow in comparison to 15v. To me to be a good solution for a mobile device of any kind should charge normally while playing. Not at a slow pace. Also, yes you can charge with Type A to Type C, but will be a lot slower than Type C to Type C. I highly recommend Type C to Type C using a reliable cable and wall charger if not getting Nintendo's wall charger.
I only see a few perks, but more of a convenience such as detachable usb cable and smaller footprint on wall it seems. Yes the official nintendo adapter is better deal as far as price and better wattage. I probably will end up getting an additional nintendo ac adapter for home. I forgot the Nintendo adapter was 39W too. I will change my quoted post to reflect that.
Zeyphersan
Banned
I'll also say that even properly built USB-A to USB-C cables cap out at 12W*, while USB-C to USB-C cables at minimum support 15W, and scale up from there. Really useful if you get devices in the future that support Power Delivery
*Qualcomm's Quick Charge will go way higher, but the Switch doesn't support that, nor any non-Qualcomm device so it doesn't matter here. For all intents and purposes, USB-A to USB-C cables stop at 12W
ZeroMaverick
Member
I asked this in another thread, but since the conversation is happening here: So if all I want to do is charge it while the thing is off any old 5v powerbank will do fine? Like even the cheapos?
Any old 5V power bank will work, but it might charge quite slowly (at worst a full charge could theoretically take 6 hours, though that is the absolute worst case scenario).
ZeroMaverick
Member
Is there anything specific I can look for when trying to avoid the slow recharge time you mention?
I've got a long flight coming up (close to 9 hours), and I'm thinking I'll stagger my time: Switch - 3DS - Book - Switch know what I'm saying?
The Digital Foundry showed that a 5v/2.1A power bank can keep the Switch charged at 100% while playing Zelda at max settings, and likely charges it a slow rate, so a 5v/2A power bank should be decently fast. You might want to avoid Qualcomm Quick Charge technology in a power bank, since the Switch doesn't support it, which results in the system not recognising what power draw it can do, and therefore defaulting to the USB port's standard power draw of 5v/0.5A (this is your worst case scenario).
A 10000 mah power bank will give you 4-5 hours of extra Zelda time (depending on your settings) for a total of 6.5-8 hours, so for a 9 hour flight that should go a long way (if not all the way).
ZeroMaverick
Member
Thanks!!
Zeyphersan
Banned
I don't think so, since the eshop isn't open for reviewers so they can't download anything to save to the SD card