3.42 amps for a 3.95 amps power adapter?

Question

I have an Acer aspire 5000. When I turn it on, the ambwer power LED blinks 6 or 7 times, and no booting happens. From my googling, it seems to be a power issue.

I tried swapping out for a different power supply from another acer. The pos/neg charge is the same, the output voltage is 19V, but the amperage is different. The original is 3.42 amps, while the new one is 3.95 amps.

Can I use this new one with my laptop, or will I need to find one that matches better?

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Edit: Ah! I got this mixed up. The old one is 3.95, while the new one is 3.42. So it sounds like from the answers so far, I shouldn't be using this new one.

Answer 1

You should be able to use this adapter.

Current ratings on the PS are maximum allowable draw.

That is, you shouldn't connect a 3.95amp powersupply to a device that will pull 5 amps.

However, connecting a 5amp powersupply to a device that only needs 3 amps is fine (assuming the voltage ratings are the same).

Edit:

When selecting power supplies: Match the voltage exactly. You can use a power supply with a higher rating on current (amps) or total power (current * voltage, so directly related anyway).

Do not use a power supply with a lower current rating or power rating than the original.

Answer 2

Background:

According to Joule's Law:

Power = Current x Voltage

Calculations:

The old supply provides 3.42 amps x 19 volts = 65 watts of power.

The new supply provides 3.95 amps x 19 volts = 75 watts of power.

Conclusions:

Both adapters provide 19 volts, but the new adapter provides 10 watts more power.

If the laptop was running and charging with the old 65 watt adapter, the new 75 watt adapter will work.

As an added benefit, the battery may charge more quickly with the new adapter.