Buy yourself a goddamned UPS, NOW!

[apoppin]

what's the purpose of 60-80 minutes UPS battery life? You might as well get a generator if you have mission critical server needs.

i use mine just to save and shut down. . . . 1 or 2 minutes is all you need and if it is somehow unattended, SW will do it in the same minute or two.

 

[minerman]

Originally posted by: apoppin
what's the purpose of 60-80 minutes UPS battery life? You might as well get a generator if you have mission critical server needs.

i use mine just to save and shut down. . . . 1 or 2 minutes is all you need and if it is somehow unattended, SW will do it in the same minute or two.

If the power drops out while I am using it then I can keep on, keeping on until the power returns,who knows you may be in the middle of burning a DVD, finishing a presentation for work, or kicking a** in a frag match, then the last thing you want is for your monitor to go black and your PS fan to quit spinning. I guess its like a 1st aid kit, I would rather have it and not use it, as I would to need it and not have it. And besides a generator doesn't give any of the power benefits that the UPS does.

 

[Tman52]

lets put it this way. I have had this happen to me and I had to reformat.

Now all 4 of my Pcs are connected to there own (if they are main) or share (if they dont get used alot) a surge protector and then to a backup battery/surge protector. (beileve me spend the $60 to $200 for one of these things becasue there is nothing better then typing somthing for school the next day and your power goes out!!!! and you cant do anything about it)

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: minerman
If the power drops out while I am using it then I can keep on, keeping on until the power returns,who knows you may be in the middle of burning a DVD, finishing a presentation for work, or kicking a** in a frag match, then the last thing you want is for your monitor to go black and your PS fan to quit spinning. I guess its like a 1st aid kit, I would rather have it and not use it, as I would to need it and not have it. And besides a generator doesn't give any of the power benefits that the UPS does.

sure it does . . . when get tired of fragging, you can run your refrigerator.



if i am in the middle of something, i just shut it down - big deal on the DVD burn [i haven't paid for DL yet] . . . and when i felt the need to nef during an extended power-outtage, i'd use my notebook AND a UPS.

EDIT: i really DO believe in using a UPS . . . i have TWO small ones - one for my rig and one for my CRT which have enough poweer for a few minutes.

i just don't see the reason for 1-1/2 HOURS of backup time . . . if so, then get a generator.

 

[ProviaFan]

Originally posted by: apoppin
i just don't see the reason for 1-1/2 HOURS of backup time . . . if so, then get a generator.

I do see the point of 1 hour or more backup time, when it's possible to have without spending an arm, leg, and kidney. I haven't timed my Belkin 1100VA UPS yet, but it does give plenty more than a couple of minutes of run time during an outage, and it cost only slightly north of US$100. Sure, I could have got some cheap junk for $30 that would give me barely enough time to save and shut down, but I wasn't on the world's tightest budget, and the peace of mind and no-rush attitude that I can have during power outages was well worth it, IMHO.

 

[IamTHEsnake]

Are CyberPower UPSs any good? More specifically these two?
This one
or

that one

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: ProviaFan

Originally posted by: apoppin
i just don't see the reason for 1-1/2 HOURS of backup time . . . if so, then get a generator.

I do see the point of 1 hour or more backup time, when it's possible to have without spending an arm, leg, and kidney. I haven't timed my Belkin 1100VA UPS yet, but it does give plenty more than a couple of minutes of run time during an outage, and it cost only slightly north of US$100. Sure, I could have got some cheap junk for $30 that would give me barely enough time to save and shut down, but I wasn't on the world's tightest budget, and the peace of mind and no-rush attitude that I can have during power outages was well worth it, IMHO.

$100 is cheap 'insurance' for a nice rig. And "cheap junk" is never wise for any build.

i do doubt you have an hour of back-up time, but probably plenty fo leisurely finish a DVD burn. my only point was that it is not NECESSARY to have so much time. 'Save"
'Save' 'Save' and 'Shutdown' will suffice for most of us. Figuring a BIOS Flash as 'worst case' i'd say 5-10 minutes of reliable up time is enough.

My 550va powers my rig and my old 425 my monitor . . . about 15 minutes when they were new . . . . both were free after MIR, if i remember correctly . . . i have even older 350/300vas powering peripherials.

 

[minerman]

"if i am in the middle of something, i just shut it down - big deal on the DVD burn [i haven't paid for DL yet] . . . and when i felt the need to nef during an extended power-outtage, i'd use my notebook AND a UPS.

EDIT: i really DO believe in using a UPS . . . i have TWO small ones - one for my rig and one for my CRT which have enough poweer for a few minutes."

You must never have to meet any deadlines, or have anything really important on your computer, or you wouldn't make such a statement. And why use two UPS's when one will do the job. that is just twice as much to go wrong and double the batteries to replace, if yours is even replaceable.
One of the best things about a good UPS besides battery-up time, is the power regulation, a steady power input to our PC as in a pure Sine wave=PC stability. and you will not find power regulation in the cheap, little UPS's ,that have only a few minutes of battery time. A UPS is like a PSU in the fact that you get what you pay for.

"i'd use my notebook AND a UPS. "

I don't understand why you would want to switch to your notebook and a UPS, when you could just stay at your desktop... and do you not have battery power for your notebook, if so, then no need for the UPS.

And by the way a cheap generator is around $500 and one that will power your home is several $1000, so a $125 investment in a quality UPS w/software included is really a no-brainer.

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: minerman
"if i am in the middle of something, i just shut it down - big deal on the DVD burn [i haven't paid for DL yet] . . . and when i felt the need to nef during an extended power-outtage, i'd use my notebook AND a UPS.

EDIT: i really DO believe in using a UPS . . . i have TWO small ones - one for my rig and one for my CRT which have enough poweer for a few minutes."

You must never have to meet any deadlines, or have anything really important on your computer, or you wouldn't make such a statement. And why use two UPS's when one will do the job. that is just twice as much to go wrong and double the batteries to replace, if yours is even replaceable.
One of the best things about a good UPS besides battery-up time, is the power regulation, a steady power input to our PC as in a pure Sine wave=PC stability. and you will not find power regulation in the cheap, little UPS's ,that have only a few minutes of battery time. A UPS is like a PSU in the fact that you get what you pay for.

"i'd use my notebook AND a UPS. "

I don't understand why you would want to switch to your notebook and a UPS, when you could just stay at your desktop... and do you not have battery power for your notebook, if so, then no need for the UPS.

And by the way a cheap generator is around $500 and one that will power your home is several $1000, so a $125 investment in a quality UPS w/software included is really a no-brainer.

you seem to be taking issues with what i am NOT saying.

First of all, i complimented you on your choice of a nice UPS. Then i offered another POV which IMO is equally valid.
. . . sure i run a business and 15 minutes of battery time is all i have ever needed. . . . and a notebook on a 550va UPS may last for days. . . again, generators are for mission critical or multi-uses . . .
. . . The POINT: IMO an hour is way overkill for just 'finishing up, saving and shutting down' and not enough time to really do some work.

First of all , , , , all of my UPSes came thru older builds . . . . e.g. as my computer outgrew it's 350va i upgraded and upgraded again . . . each time they just happened to be both 'quality' and free after MIR.

When i o/c'd my 2.80c to 3.31Ghz, my old 550va would no longer handle the load. Now i could have got a 750va that would do but it was far more economical to split the load with another smaller and older 400va i already had - it powers my 19" CRT. When either one of these goes out, i will upgrade to a higher rated one as my power usage increases with every upgrade.

EDIT: i see you don't bother to even read my posts carefully and attack what i am not saying . . . read it again - i bolded it in my quote for you.
:roll:

 

[hardwareuser]

I don't see how lower voltages can hurt the system. I don't believe it can. If somebody has a mathematical/physical explanation, please fire away.

 

[lederhosen]

Originally posted by: hardwareuser
I don't see how lower voltages can hurt the system. I don't believe it can. If somebody has a mathematical/physical explanation, please fire away.

Have you been reading this thread?

 

[NavJitsU4]

Does the batter in the UPS have a lifetime?

 

[Mrpilot007]

I have one on each of my computers. I hear them click on and off every once in awhile. Got tired of the brownouts long ago!

 

[JDCentral]

Theoretically, a lower DC voltage through your components would just cause less current to flow through them, so it shouldn't harm them (nothing I've ever seen has a minimum wattage associated with it) - however, if your PSU is trying to supply 500 Watts to your computer, and it suddenly only has 100V to do it, it may try and draw more and more current... which may fry the PSU and stuff. Not sure if this is how it works - just how I thought about it from the standpoint of 'if I was a resistor' or 'if I was a PSU'... 'and I saw a voltage drop, this is what I would do...'

 

[Azsen]

I was thinking about a APC UPS, how much Va would I need to power all the stuff in my sig? 700 Va?

 

[EmoshBZ]

As stated already, a UPS is BETTER and different than a surge protector in that a serious power outage or power spike (quick dip in power) can still do damage with a surge protector. A UPS is the way to go!!!


Well, maybe you can plug your UPS into your surge protector hehe!


Anyway, I use to always buy APC models until I found this UPS...........http://www.tripplite.com/products/product.cfm?productID=2668#description


Click the picture to emlarge. I have the same model as that one. It gives me up to 35 minutes of time during a complete power outage which is overkill in my case. But, if you know where I live, then you can understand why I would rather have overkill for piece of mind


I recommend the tripp-lite 750VA but you can buy cheaper ones that will give you 15 or 20 minutes of backup power. Depends on your budget but please get one!!! You never know!!!

 

[imperium95]

Originally posted by: JDCentral
Theoretically, a lower DC voltage through your components would just cause less current to flow through them, so it shouldn't harm them (nothing I've ever seen has a minimum wattage associated with it)

Not quite. If your DC circuit requires 100W to operate and Power is DC Volts*Amps then a drop in voltage would require more amps to keep 100W. You can, for example, generate 100W with 5 amps at 20V, or 20 amps at 5V.

Anyway, of course a brownout is dangerous for electronics. Voltage isn't the only variable; who knows what crazy currents you're getting in your electric lines. Besides that, your computer requires the voltage to be within a certain range. (For US AC, probobly something between 100 and 130V) Anything other than that you might get data corruption because your system's components aren not being supplied the proper voltages.

Also beware, not all surge protectors and UPS's are created equal. Make sure you get a UPS that is capeable of feeding your system with "clean" power. This means it regulates the voltage supplied to your PC (not all UPS's do this). How many of you notice the lights in your house flicker when the refrigerator starts up? This is common since any big motor or compressor and such have huge current draws when they start up. It's devices like these that make grid power so "noisy" which means there are more voltage fluctuations and spikes then there should be. A UPS that regulates voltage will make sure your computer is always getting 120V AC. I can hear my Belkin kick in for a second every time the fridge starts.

As for surge protectors; they do nothing to protect against data corruption. They will only trip off if there is a sudden influx of current. When the voltage fluctuates and your computer goes off in a brown out or black out everything you were working on is lost and files may be corrupted. A UPS on the other hand, makes sure that your computer gets power no matter what, at least until the batteries run out. I have yet to see a new UPS that is not also surge protected.

One other clarification - If your PSU is rated to, say, 350W, that does not mean it is always outputting 350W. That is the maximum power it can supply continuously. Power is only delivered when the system's components require it. An idle system is drawing less power from the grid than a system running at full throttle, even if they have identical PSU's.

 

[imperium95]

Another quick not on UPS's. If you're shopping for one, make sure you know the difference between VA (volt-amp) rating and the wattage rating. Some UPS's havea high storage capacity (VA) but can only ouput a relatively low amount of Watts, just like an inverter is only rated so high. You can't draw 300W from a 250W inverter, no matter how large the batteries are attached to the inverter. If you are powering a lot of devices with a UPS, make sure it isn't overloading or anywhere close to overloading with the power draw you expect from all your devices (monitors, modems, etc)

 

[SrGuapo]

I was looking at the belkin F6C750-AVR. Can anyone comment on it? It is rated at 750VA and 400W. Seems pretty decent to me (belkin is a good name in other electronics, not sure about UPSes). I really only need a few minutes runtime, and this seems decent. Can anyone recommend anything equivalent or better quality for the same or lower price? Thanks!

 

[ZippyDan]

two UPS questions

1. is getting a UPS for a home theatre system a good idea ? i have two setups id like to put on a UPS, a 53inch widescreen rear projector (with associated receiver, dvd player, 2 sat receivers, 1 cable receiver, computer), would a large UPS like the APC 1500va (800watts i think?) be enough to handle this? similarly i have a 32 inch CRT tv with a bunch of attached devices (receiver, game consoles, sat/cable, computer) that i would like to put on a backup too. im just not familiar with how demanding televsion are, i imagine they are quite demanding

2. a good UPS seems to incorporate three functions in one... battery backup as a main function and as secondary functions: surge protection, clean power (voltage regulation). my question is how do the secondary functions on a UPS compare to dedicated surge protectors, or dedicated clean power systems (in the same price range of course)? for example, i paid something like $150 for my APC 1000va 600watt UPS, but it only claims a rating of 420 joules protection against surges. my $30 surge protector claims something like 3000 joules. similarly, i have like a $150 monster power for my home theatre (yes we all know monster is way overpriced), and i wonder how that compares to the voltage regulation in my APC, not to mention the monster also has about 3000 joules protection. so basically my question is: UPS's are obviously great in their battery backup role and in the role of making up for undercurrent, but how great are they really at protecting from overcurrent (surges) and at providing clean power? is it a good idea to set up equipment with a good surge protector/clean power unit daisy chained with a UPS, or is that overkill?

 

[hardwareuser]

Have you been reading this thread?

uh, yeah, I have. Where's the mathematical/physical proof? Still don't see how it can destroy any components. We have tons of power outtages and spikes here in LA, but none of my computer parts ever broke.

 

[CrimsonChaos]

First let me say to the OP, sorry about your situation. I had a similar (yet different) thing happen to me. I bought this fancy new color laser printer (not inkjet), and plugged it into the same "surge protector" strip as my computer. After a few weeks of using the printer (and turning it on/off), the motherboard on my computer blew. Turns out the printer was drawing too much power and causing fluctuations that ended up damaging the motherboard.

Since then, I bought an APC XS 1500VA (865 Watt) Power-Supply. Every time I turn the printer on, it beeps (letting me know it's kicked in).

In buying a UPS, make sure it delivers "online" power, which means your system is actually drawing its power from the UPS only. The UPS will charge itself from the outlet during periods of non-use (and constantly re-generate itself while being used). Then when you turn your system on, it only draws power from the UPS. The UPS controls and regulates the amount of voltage your system receives, offering your system a much more consistent and reliable source of power.

 

[bearxor]

UPS's are very useful. Where I am (Charlotte, NC area), every winter we have a storm that knocks power out for days. This time, I'm prepared.

I have one UPS, and it is hooked up to my DSL modem, WRT54G Router, and cordless phone. The UPS will run all 3 for 5 hours, and if I disconnect the cordless phone, even longer. I use my notebooks when the power goes out, so if I have work to do, I have my notebook plugged in most of the time, so it usually has a good charge. This way I'll be able to check weather reports and email sporadically during the next power outage. I could always just turn off the UPS when it's not being used.

If you have notebooks (I only have notebooks now, no desktop) and a wireless network, I highly recommend a UPS for the important things like internet access. Heck, my UPS is only a 300.

 

[coomar]

Originally posted by: PerfeK

Originally posted by: angstsoldat
whats a UPS? i thought that was mail service or something

I don't know what UPS stands for but it is a power supply with a battery that you put in between your computer and the wall jack. It runs your computer off of the battery and keeps the battery charged through the wall.

This gives your computer clean power and prevents surges from reaching the things behind the UPS.

Correct me if I'm wrong.

exactly what a UPS is

 

[Jadow]

all you guys who are asking what a UPS is:

1. I hope you're not a network admin somewhere
2. I hope you guys aren't the same ppl who dis the A+ certification!