UPS Suggestions

[Arinoth]

It seems I may not have the most reliable power when it comes to storms where I'm living right now. Second time in a month I've had what I'd almost consider a brown out. Most appliances went off, lights dimmed but didn't turn off then everything went back up a second or two later. This however caused my server and other PCs in the same area to lose enough power to force them to restart.

What I'm looking for, UPS to supply 5-10 mins power to the following:
Home Server
Modem, Router, Switch
My Home PC
2 Monitors
1 TV

Now not all of this is on at the same time, just want people to know what I'll have plugged into it to protect it from brown/black outs.

[francisw19]

I've had many APC UPSs and all have treated me well. The 'Back-UPS' line should work. But, if your budget allows and you want a true sine-wave UPS (instead of a simulated sine-wave on the Back-UPS) you can look at the APC Smart-UPS as another option.

No matter which UPS you get, always check out the warranty offered for damage to your equipment if the UPS fails to work. Most reputable companies will cover damage to connected equipment up to a certain cost.

[botat29]

You need to know the total consummation in Watts, don't forget UPS are rated in VA some will give it in VA and Watts. Depending on the Power Factors , you have to multiply the VA rating from .55 to .75 to have the watts, Good companies like APC and Tripp Lite will give you the ratin in watts.

[JD]

I would go with 2 units. They are only controlled from a single PC, so it's not really ideal to have 2 PCs plugged into it. It won't be able to shut both down properly.

I have my server plugged into one of these: PFC Sinewave Series - CP850PFCLCD and it seems to work well enough. It has kicked in a few times during thunderstorms and obviously during power outages. Doesn't make my PSU whine either, the previous cheap APC I had did, but it wasn't advertised as having pure sine wave output.

[Arinoth]

VA is technically correct in a lot of aspects as it is Voltage Amperage, which is the same thing as Watts however Wattage only deals with Real power, whereas Voltage Amperage deals with imaginary power as well (won't get into it on here). Your power factor comes into play to try to equate the two.

Anywho, right now just looking for a cheaperish one. Again, only looking for a safe 5mins, none of this 30+ mins loading it constantly, just give me enough time to safely shut down my systems if the power continues to be out for more then a minute.

[Arinoth]

Can you plug a surge protector/power bar into one of those if you need an extra outlet or two?

[MacGyver]

Anyone who frequents HC should be looking at the CyberPower PFC series for their desktop PCs. In my research, they are the most economical choice for most HC members that need a true sine wave UPS, but don't want to put down $300+ for an APC Smart-UPS. APC's popular Back-UPS series will not work reliably with PFC power supplies that are used in just about every custom build these days. As much as I respect APC quality and reliability, they have not been upfront about this very important issue on their website, although they will be honest if you call them in persion. In my opinion CyberPower has them beat in this department.

Alternatively you may be able to find an older refurb Smart-UPS.

Also, the UPS warranty will likely be voided if you plug a surge suppressor into one of it's outlets. But you should be able to use a plain-jane power bar with it without issues. But the PFCLCD1000 I bought has 10 outlets on the back, which is more than plenty for the load it's designed to serve.

[3.0charlie]

Would you cheap out on a PSU? I knew you would not. Then don't cheap out on a UPS as well, for the same reason: if power goes out, you want clean power and an orderly shutdown.
I use APC, Belkin and Cyberpower for my rigs and servers.

APC comes first because of their name and reliability, and their software is top notch. My server is connected to a XS1300.

And I don't think you can daisy-chain using an extention / power bar / surge protection. I remember reading this at APC's site.

[Arinoth]

That's not overly helpful if you can't daisy chain them as for the amount of equipment I'd want on there 8 plugs wouldn't be enough.

[3.0charlie]

All on 1 UPS? Nope, looking at your list, 2-3 are required. And depending on the load under battery, you do not need the same VA for both.

Server / router / modem / switch: very low power equipment, the server can handle the shut-down automatically without the need of a monitor. (that's how my server is set up).
Main PC? The big cohones are required, if you are under full load when power goes out. If not, same automatic shut down occurs.

A TV? I have no idea how much Watts it can pull, and check out the APC / Cyberpower sites. They may say that TVs are not recommended.