m16 R1, 360W GAN power adapter compatibility issue

Are you certain the issue is the power supply?  Note that the CPU and GPU won't draw max power all the time -- they will rise and fall in power consumption as the load on the system varies.

Though Dell may not have it, you can obtain the adapter you're looking for elsewhere.

https://www.newegg.com/p/3C6-00UE-00185?srsltid=AfmBOoqF9JiKOpK8nbtLWoMFb3v0puJpmPt7ZuYnhfanG3vpA82GnSfa

Hi, thanks for your reply @ejn63​ 

Yes, I am certain the issue is related to the power adapter. The power limits I mentioned (CPU stuck around 20W, GPU around 60W) are not normal variations — they occur even under full load during sustained benchmarks, where with the original 330W adapter the CPU would reach ~95W and the GPU ~125W consistently.

I have run multiple tests using OCCT (Power test), and every single time the test starts with the 360W GaN connected, the system is capped to those lower power values within the first few seconds. With the 330W (non-GaN) adapter, this does not happen — the stress test immediately pushes both CPU and GPU to their full power limits within seconds, as shown in the attached screenshots.

OCCT Power Test - AW M16 R1 with 330w (non-GaN) adapter:

OCCT Power Test - AW M16 R1 with 360W GaN Adapter:

Additionally, in games that normally run above 100 FPS, performance drops to below 40 FPS (and in some cases even around 20) when the 360W adapter is connected. The system behaves as if it were running on battery.

Also, I’m aware that third-party sellers like Newegg list the 330W GaN, but since I’m in Brazil, importing is not always straightforward — there are high import taxes, shipping delays, and warranty concerns. That’s why I am trying to get Dell Brazil to supply the correct model directly.

Thanks for the link, though — I’ll keep it as a backup option.

Right now, I am also trying to find reports from other users who have experienced the same issue with the 360W GaN adapter, or, on the other hand, have successfully used a GaN model without performance loss. My concern is that Dell Brazil might not be able to resolve my problem, since the only GaN adapter available locally is the 360W version.

At this point, I honestly don’t know what to do — if my original charger fails, I will simply have no option to charge my AW M16 R1 in Brazil, and would have to travel abroad to buy a charger that actually solves the problem, which could be very inconvenient.

Thanks in advance for any help or advice.

Your safest bet is to replace the existing adapter with another of the same model.  Unfortunately, conventional AC adapters capable of producing 330W are heavy -- but gaming notebooks aren't optimized for portability.

@ejn63​ 

I completely agree!  Ideally, my best option would be to purchase the same original adapter that came with my M16 R1.

However, surprisingly, in Brazil the only option Dell currently offers is the 360W GaN adapter, which is incompatible. This is officially listed by Dell Brazil as the replacement part, even though Dell support confirmed it does not fully support my laptop.

The original 330W adapter — the exact one that came with my machine — despite being bulky and having a subpar build quality, works perfectly for full CPU and GPU performance. Unfortunately, it is no longer sold in Brazil, so I really don’t have a choice. My only option here is to purchase the incompatible 360W adapter through official channels.

This model is compatible with your system.

https://www.parts-people.com/index.php?action=item&id=42768

@ejn63​ 

From what I can see, this model looks very similar to the 360W unit I received, but I noticed that the code/model number is different. While this one is HA360PM230, mine is LA360PM230. Could this indicate anything?

Photo of my model:

Additionally, I’ll try one last alternative by restoring the system from scratch using the OS Recovery Tool, with the Windows version modified by Alienware (I’m not sure of the exact term, but I mean the version of Windows that comes pre-installed with Alienware’s factory modifications, not a plain Windows installation).

I believe the first letter corresponds to the manufacturer -- Dell uses a pool of adapter manufacturers (Delta, Lite-on, etc.).

The specs should be the same. 

If the system functions correctly on the original adapter, it's unlikely a reinstall will help.  I suspect you may have a defective adapter - if it came with a warranty, try having the seller replace it.

I’m going to try a full system reinstall and will also check with Dell if I can get a new unit of the same charger model to perform some tests and verify if this is indeed the cause of the issue.

In the meantime, I’m also waiting for an official response from Dell Brazil, as they promised to evaluate an alternative compatible model that could be provided to solve the problem. Once I have all the feedback, both from Dell Brazil and from my own tests with the full system reinstall, I’ll share the results here so that anyone facing the same issue can be informed.

I’ve also noticed that there are around four other users reporting exactly the same issue with the same charger and computer model. Unfortunately, they didn’t receive satisfactory solutions beyond a simple return and refund of the charger. However, since I’m being more persistent and requesting a solid resolution from Dell, I hope to uncover the real cause of this problem and possibly identify any incompatibility with the M16 R1 units distributed in Brazil.

Finally, I’d like to thank @ejn63 for their help and for taking the time to care about my case here on the forum, it’s much appreciated.

I’m facing the same issue. My original 330 W adapter was replaced with a 360 W one, and although the BIOS correctly detects it as a 360 W AC adapter, the system performance has dropped a lot — both the CPU and GPU are running at much lower wattages during gaming.

I’ve already tried all performance and thermal settings in BIOS and Alienware Command Center (Performance mode, Full-speed fans, Hybrid Power, etc.), but the system still seems to throttle. It looks like the firmware or EC isn’t letting the CPU/GPU draw their full power even though the adapter provides more than enough.

Has anyone else experienced this after switching adapters, or found a way to restore full performance when the new charger is properly detected but the system still underperforms?

If the system is more than a year or two old, it may be dusty inside and the the thermal compound/pad may be deteriorating.  Has the system had a thorough internal cleaning and thermal pad replacement?  If not, that maintenance is due.

I recently went through the exact same issue. After my laptop was serviced for a hardware problem, Dell replaced my original 330W adapter with a 360W one. Even though the BIOS correctly detected it as a 360W AC adapter, the system performance dropped dramatically.

With the 360W adapter, the system became heavily power-limited:

• CPU: 10–25W

• GPU: 50–80W

• Total system draw: 90–120W

This resulted in extremely poor performance during gaming and other high-load tasks.

I later purchased a 330W adapter on my own, and the performance returned to normal immediately. For example, in Rainbow Six Siege I now get:

• CPU: ~88–92W

• GPU: ~130–150W

So despite the higher wattage rating, the 360W replacement adapter caused severe throttling, while the standard 330W adapter restored proper CPU/GPU power levels. It seems the system simply doesn’t deliver full performance when running on the 360W unit.

The internal Dell SPMD (Spare Parts Master Database) tool for the m16 R1 does not show a 360W AC adapter. It shows six 330W AC adapters =

8K4F9 330W, 19.5V, 3 pin, 7.4mm, Chicony
HJCCJ 330W, 19.5V, 3 pin, 7.4mm, Chicony version 2

5P90C 330W, 19.5V, 3 pin, 7.4mm, Delta
GMT0M 330W, 19.5V, 3 pin, 7.4mm, Delta version 2

C6PGW 330W, 19.5V, 3 pin, 7.4mm, Liteon
1MDV8 330W, 19.5V, 3 pin, 7.4mm, Liteon version 2

The online m16 R1 Setup and Specifications PDF states =

@DELL-ChrisM2​

Thank you for confirming the compatibility issue.

However, this raises a very important question: why on earth did Dell offer (or at least previously offer) the 360W GaN power adapter on its own website as a compatible replacement for this Alienware model, if it is in fact not suitable?

That is exactly what happened in my case, and the reason I opened this thread. In the replacement parts list for my Alienware M16 R1, the only power adapter available for purchase and recommended by Dell was the 360W GaN unit (Dell Brazil). I purchased it, and that led to all the incompatibility issues discussed here.

To summarize, after extensive complaints, Dell eventually provided me with another adapter, the original 330W model that came with the laptop (fat unit without Alienware logo). So now I finally have a working solution. However, this is the older, large and heavy adapter, while at the time of purchase I had specifically chosen a newer GaN-based adapter for better portability.

In practice, I ended up keeping the 360W adapter as a useless extra, and effectively paid for the 330W replacement that should have been properly indicated from the beginning.

Although my personal issue is now resolved, a major concern remains: what happens if this adapter fails again? Where am I supposed to buy a proper replacement?

Currently, Dell no longer lists any compatible power adapter for this model on its website (at least in Dell Brazil). The 360W option has been removed as a M16 R1 repleacement PSU list, but no correct alternative has been provided. This means Dell is no longer offering a critical replacement part required for the proper operation of the device.

At least here in Brazil, this situation may violate consumer protection laws, as a product has been sold without ensuring the availability of essential replacement parts within a reasonable period.

I would appreciate clarification from Dell on how customers are supposed to obtain a compatible power adapter for this model going forward.

Dell essentially pushed the 330W “fat” adapter on me without proper explanation. It took around 40 days for them to reach this resolution, and they even issued an invoice for this replacement at a value about four times lower than the 360W GaN adapter I originally purchased. Despite that, there was an attempt to charge me the higher price, which I had to dispute until they finally accepted the lower, invoiced amount.

While this resolved my case, the way it was handled felt like a clear lack of care. It seemed more like an attempt to silence the issue rather than properly address it. Dell removed the 360W GaN adapter from the compatibility list, which makes sense since it’s not actually compatible, but did not provide any proper alternative for other users.

So my concern remains: what about other customers with the same Alienware M16 R1? If their 330W adapter fails, how are they supposed to find a compatible replacement, given that none is currently listed on Dell Brazil’s website?