I took apart this cheap 600W charger to test its claims. What I found inside wasn’t right

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I test dozens of chargers every year. Some are excellent, while others are less so. Here at ZDNET, I only feature the cream of the crop – the best of the best. However, I occasionally receive requests from readers asking for my thoughts or opinions on specific products.

Recently, one product that has been gaining a lot of buzz is the 600W GaN charger.

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So, I bought a pair to test. At $99, they’re not exactly cheap, but compared to Ugreen Nexode 300W The unit, which cost $140, seemed like a cheap deal. After all, it’s an 8-port, 600W charger versus a 5-port, 300W unit.

red flags

The first red flag for me was a no-name brand – a generic name I’d never heard of before. Why does this company have 600W chargers on the market, while the big names – Anker, Ugreen, Belkin, Baseus and others – don’t? I have heard about and worked with these companies extensively, and they have built a reputation for quality and reliability.

But as soon as I plugged it in, things went wrong.

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The first problem I noticed was that the charger was erratic. I was able to get 140W from one of the USB-C ports, but the other 140W port was not cooperating and seemed to be stuck at around 65W. To make matters worse, one of the 100W ports appeared to be completely inoperative.

Another major problem was that plugging or unplugging devices would often damage the charger. Often, it would enter a state where it would stop working completely, requiring me to “reboot” it and unplug the power cable to get it working again.

Not good.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get this charger anywhere near its claimed 600W power rating. To make matters worse, it was irregular and capricious.

Also: The best GaN chargers you can buy

So, I decided to open it and take a look inside.

Maybe ballast?

The first thing that greeted me was… a piece of something. At first glance, it looked like a thermal compound, but it smelled and felt like window glazing compound, leaving an oily residue behind. It was also surprisingly heavy, almost as if it was added to give the charger some artificial weight. Without it, the remains of the Charger felt incredibly light.

Definitely not what I expect from a 600W charger.

serious security threat

A quick check of the circuitry revealed it to be a poor piece of equipment. Without getting too technical, the separation between the mains voltage and low-voltage sections of the charger is inadequate.

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This poor design means that a malfunction could potentially result in the charger generating mains voltage – a serious safety hazard. Additionally, the transformer and voltage regulator used do not appear to be capable of delivering the advertised 600W.

Another concern was how easily the case opened and exposed the internal components. If this charger falls off the desk while plugged in, the side cover may detach, exposing high-voltage components. This creates a dangerous situation where someone could accidentally come into contact with mains voltage while retrieving the charger.

bottom line

This charger doesn’t cut it. It doesn’t even come close.

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That’s why I extensively test everything from power banks and chargers to power stations. Manufacturers can easily make big claims on the spec sheet, the packaging, or even the product itself, but making a device that actually delivers on those promises is a far greater challenge.

Need a powerful charger? go for something like this Ugreen Nexode 300W Or Anker Prime 250WThese are quality products that deliver the goods from companies with a track record of delivering the goods,