By device · HP Spectre x360
HP Spectre x360: 65W over USB-C, unless yours has the blue barrel.
Recent Spectre x360 convertibles charge entirely over USB-C Power Delivery, and HP ships a 65W adapter with the 13.5″ and 14″ machines. Bigger 16″ configurations ship higher — and Spectres from the barrel-connector era cannot use a USB-C charger at all.
Two generations, two different answers
USB-C era (roughly 2020 onward). The Spectre x360 charges through its Thunderbolt/USB-C ports using standard PD. HP's in-box adapter for the 13.5″/14″ models is a 65W USB-C unit. The 16″ configurations — especially those with discrete or Arc graphics — ship a higher-rated brick in the 90–135W class, and that figure is the one to match.
Barrel era. Spectres from the late 2010s use HP's 4.5mm blue barrel connector with a centre pin. There is no USB-C charging path on those machines, at any wattage, with any dongle sold as universal. Buy an HP-spec barrel adapter instead.
Which do you have? Look at the plug on your existing charger, then read its OUTPUT line: 20V ⎓ 3.25A is 65W, 19.5V ⎓ 4.62A is 90W. Multiply volts by amps and buy at or above the result.
Charger → what you get
| Charger | Spectre x360 13.5″/14″ | Spectre x360 16″ |
|---|---|---|
| 30W phone brick | Charges when asleep | Drains in use |
| 45W | Light-duty daily use | Not enough |
| 65W | OEM equivalent | Holds, charges slowly |
| 100W | Same, with ports to spare | The practical replacement |
| 140W PD 3.1 | No benefit | Headroom only if the laptop asks for it |
Above 60W the cable matters: a 5A e-marked USB-C cable is required to carry more than 60W to the laptop. HP includes one; a bargain 3A cable silently caps you at 60W (e-marker cables).
Three USB-C picks
- 70W
Spigen ArcStation Pro 70W
Compact two-port GaN that covers a 13.5″ Spectre at full speed with a phone alongside.
- Output
- 70W total
- Ports
- 2× USB-C
- Build
- GaN
- 100W
UGREEN Nexode 100W 4-Port
Best all-round Spectre answer, including the 16″: 100W to the laptop or split four ways on a desk.
- Output
- 100W total
- Ports
- 3× C, 1× A
- Build
- GaN
- 65W
Anker 735 Charger (Nano II 65W)
Travel brick: folding plug, three ports, laptop-class output in a body the size of the old 30W cube.
- Output
- 65W total
- Ports
- 2× C, 1× A
- Build
- GaN II
Don't waste money on
A universal laptop charger with a tip kit. On a USB-C Spectre it is strictly worse than a GaN PD brick; on a barrel Spectre the tip fit and the ID pin are what decide whether it works at all.
240W desk units for an ultrabook. Nothing in a Spectre asks for it. Put the money into ports: multi-port chargers.
A replacement adapter when the real symptom is the cable. Check cable ratings and slow charging fixes before buying.
Also see Dell XPS, ThinkPad, ranked laptop chargers and the device index.
FAQ
Does the HP Spectre x360 charge over USB-C?
Models from roughly 2020 onward charge entirely over USB-C Power Delivery through their Thunderbolt ports. Older Spectres use HP's 4.5mm blue barrel connector and cannot.
Is a 65W charger enough for a Spectre x360 16?
It keeps the machine running and charges it slowly, but configurations that ship a 90W or higher brick will lose ground under sustained load. Match the printed wattage.
Why does HP warn about the AC adapter at startup?
The firmware could not identify the adapter or read enough wattage from it, and it usually applies reduced power limits until a matching supply is connected.
Can I use a MacBook charger on a Spectre?
Yes. Apple's USB-C bricks are standard PD adapters, so a 67W or 96W Apple unit charges a USB-C Spectre normally.