what APC UPS to get?

[Talcite]

The APC Backups-RS series also has line conditioning. I don't know if it outputs pure sinewave, but computers with good PSUs don't really mind anyways.

You should look at the APC trade-in program. I got mine for 50 bucks off, plus it was brand new. I traded in a dead 9 year old UPS.

The one I got was the back-ups RS900. I got that one for 112 cdn shipped. Great deal if you ask me. It included RJ45 and phoneline protection, and also USB connectivity.

 

[Rubycon]

Yes PC power supplies can run on modified sine wave as well as stepped equivalent to sine wave. Audio equipment particularly with linear power supplies will run erratic and make strange noises when run off this kind of power.

 

[nwrigley]

Originally posted by: Talcite
The APC Backups-RS series also has line conditioning. I don't know if it outputs pure sinewave, but computers with good PSUs don't really mind anyways.

You should look at the APC trade-in program. I got mine for 50 bucks off, plus it was brand new. I traded in a dead 9 year old UPS.

The one I got was the back-ups RS900. I got that one for 112 cdn shipped. Great deal if you ask me. It included RJ45 and phoneline protection, and also USB connectivity.

But do I need to spend that much extra over the APC Back-UPS LS? The new/retail price for the LS 500VA is actually higher than the 500VA RS series, so I assume that the quality is the same.

Do I really need more than 500VA?

 

[nwrigley]

I took a look at the trade in program and it was offering me $13 off of the APC Back-UPS LS 500VA, not exactly a great deal. Especially if I have to pay to ship an old UPS to them.

 

[HGC]

Originally posted by: nwrigley Using the APC selector tool it recommends a UPS 500VA or higher. I really don't care about how long it can run off the battery since I would just shut it down as soon as it kicked on. I do want a model with Automatic Voltage Regulation (AVR), as this is as important to me as the battery backup feature.

Are higher priced models with the same VA rating better at powering that same system (my thinking is along the lines of how not every PSU with the same wattage rating is the same)?

Do I need to connect a UPS directly to my computer (USB or serial) or can I configure the computer to shut down automatically with a low battery under XP Pro (such as with a laptop)?

I'm no expert but I couldn't see an advantage for my home PCs in shelling out more for SmartUps vs Backups LS. The LS has AVR, I'm pretty sure. I don't think there is any quality difference between 500 and 700 in the LS series. I've found though, that like hard drive size my needs only grow over time as i add more peripherals, monitors, etc. that I had not planned.

I don't know about configuring Windows to shut down automatically, but the APC units come with software that that connects the UPS to the PC with USB. It's a nice program that you can configure to shtdown your computer 5 minutes after power goes down, 10 minutes, etc., and it keeps a log so you can see if there were short lived power events when you weren't around.

I bought on LS unit with the Trade-ups program and another in a special 2 for 1 deal they had at the time. They are often available refurb, too and I wouldn't have a problem with that, personally.

 

[Talcite]

For the trade-in program, you don't have to pay for it to be shipped. Shipping is included with your order.

I don't think you get much of a discount unless you tradein an APC UPS. Or maybe one with a decent battery. Beats me, I got 60 off the price of my UPS though. And it was being shipped for like 9 bucks.

 

[Makaveli]

I know this is an old thread, but figured i'd post instead of making a new one.

I just bought this from futureshop today
APC Battery Back-Up (BX1200-CN)

Its on sale till Oct 5,2006

Regular price is $199 got it for $149.

The sales on this model only comes around once every couple months.

So if u live in canada, or see it available state side. I suggest u check it out, if u haven't bought one already.

I was choosing between this model APC BACK-UPS 900VA and APC BACK-UPS 1200VA
First model is rated for 540 watts, and this one 780watts. and the 900VA was selling for $116 Cdn price. so for like 40 bucks extra your getting 200+ watts. so I think it was worth it. If it wasn't for the sale price tho I wouldn't have gotten the 1200VA model.

 

[stuman74]

I'm sure this is a simple question:

If my PC power supply is 350W, can I use an APC BE500R which says it has only 300W output, but 500VA?

Thanks!

 

[networkman]

Since I didn't see it mentioned, APC does have a nice online selector tool so you can just plug in the parameters of your system and get some adequate product options.

 

[Rubycon]

Originally posted by: stuman74
I'm sure this is a simple question:

If my PC power supply is 350W, can I use an APC BE500R which says it has only 300W output, but 500VA?

Thanks!

The PC power supply does not dictate what your draw is; it's the peripherals connected. That said, a 500VA unit most definitely can protect a single PC with a 17" LCD (or smaller) effectively. Runtime won't be great, but most rely on a UPS to prevent their PC from freezing or rebooting during frequent power abberations that exceed the power supply's hold time. These happen more often than most people think. Connect the USB cable and enable hibernate. Set the PC to hibernate after 5 minutes on battery power. This way if the power goes out when you're away you won't lose anything.

 

[Link19]

Delete this message. I accidentally clicked on the reply button. Why does it allow you to reply without typing in anything. It shouldn't to prevent that kind of mistake.

 

[Maluno]

 

[Talcite]

whoa, this is a really old thread. nvm, I just realized I already replied.