Why Your MacBook Charges Slowly | Generated by AI
Let me break down your setup:
What you have:
- Baseus GaN3 Lite — a GaN charger, likely 30W-67W USB-C output. This is a solid third-party charger, not junk.
- Romoss power strip — 1 input, 3 output (USB hub/splitter)
- Phone cable (likely USB-A to USB-C) — charging a MacBook
The bottleneck is the cable and routing:
If you’re going: Wall → Baseus GaN3 Lite → Romoss → phone cable → MacBook
The problem is the phone cable. Here’s why:
- USB-A cables cannot negotiate USB-C Power Delivery (PD), which is what MacBooks need
- A USB-A to USB-C cable will cap at 5V × 2.4A = ~12W max, regardless of how powerful the charger is
- Your MacBook’s official charger is 30W-140W depending on model
- At 12W, your MacBook will charge very slowly — maybe 10-15% per hour, or might even drain while using it
What to check:
-
Does the Baseus GaN3 Lite have a USB-C port? If yes, use a USB-C to USB-C cable directly from the charger to the Mac — skip the Romoss entirely. This will get you proper PD charging at 30W+.
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If you must use the Romoss, check if it has a USB-C output port (not just USB-A). Use a USB-C to USB-C cable from that port.
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Phone cable = the real problem. Even a cheap USB-C to USB-C cable will outperform a phone cable for laptop charging.
Bottom line: It’ll work — your MacBook won’t be damaged — but it’ll charge painfully slowly. If you can get any USB-C to USB-C cable, even a cheap one, plug it directly into the Baseus charger’s USB-C port and skip the Romoss. That alone could 3-5x your charging speed.