Unsolved
This post is more than 5 years old
2 Posts
0
21115
TB16 240W BIOS undersized power adapter warning with Precision 5520
I have a TB16 docking station with 240W power supply connecting to a Dell Precision 5520 laptop. The laptop is powered via the TB16 through the thunderbolt connector. About once a week, I get a BIOS warning that states: "Alert! You have attached an undersized 100W power adapter to your system, which is less than the recommended 130W power adapter..."
All I have connected to the TB16 are two displays, an ethernet cable, a USB keyboard/mouse, and speakers via the audio out.
I've also had problems getting enough juice out of the USB port to charge my phone.
Several co-workers have the exact same setup, and are having the exact same issues. Is the power supply or TB16 defective, or just incapable of supporting this configuration? If so, that is disappointing. I ran a lot more with a 90W power adapter on my old Dell laptop/docking station configuration.
WadeLed
2 Posts
0
December 7th, 2017 09:00
jphughan
4 Operator
4 Operator
•
14K Posts
0
December 7th, 2017 11:00
That system is explicitly listed as supported on the TB16's FAQ page here as long as you have a 240W adapter, so that definitely shouldn't be happening.
Just to eliminate some easy things right off the bat, make sure your systems are running the latest BIOS, then install the latest Thunderbolt firmware update (which won't install until the BIOS is updated). If that doesn't fix it, just to make sure, you're not using any aftermarket Thunderbolt cables or extension cables, are you? Those can cut the maximum deliverable power down, in fact even 130W exceeds the maximum 100W specified in the spec, so Dell is doing something proprietary there (and it only works with Dell systems; everything else is limited to 60W). If you've got 100% Dell equipment all the way through, if you have ANY people nearby who have working setups, the next step would be to narrow down the variables between the AC adapter, the dock, and the system itself, so try swapping known good components out to see which change breaks something. Technically the Thunderbolt cable built into the dock is replaceable as well if you pull up some rubber and unscrew a plate if you're feeling extra adventurous, and that technically could be a weak point. Or of course if this equipment is under warranty, you can simply arrange an exchange of the whole thing.