looking for a good UPS ($200-300)

APC XS 1300 LCD is less than $200 and it can power my machine for about 10 minutes.

load-1.jpg


 
For that price range you won't get anything much more powerful than what you already have and from your specs I would say that you shouldn't need a new one unless you want to run your machine for more than 10 minutes. Also if you adjust your power settings you can set the computer to throttle back when the battery kicks in (at least you can in Vista, I don't know about XP). My PC is about the same power as yours and I have a 1285VA/750W UPS and I can go at least 10 minutes which is plenty of time to save everything and power down which is all UPSs are designed to do. Note that I use about 200W idle and 300W at full load including a ~30W monitor. If you want to run for longer lengths of time then I would suggest to get a generator.
 
[21CW]killerofall;1033706538 said:
For that price range you won't get anything much more powerful than what you already have and from your specs I would say that you shouldn't need a new one unless you want to run your machine for more than 10 minutes. Also if you adjust your power settings you can set the computer to throttle back when the battery kicks in (at least you can in Vista, I don't know about XP). My PC is about the same power as yours and I have a 1285VA/750W UPS and I can go at least 10 minutes which is plenty of time to save everything and power down which is all UPSs are designed to do. Note that I use about 200W idle and 300W at full load including a ~30W monitor. If you want to run for longer lengths of time then I would suggest to get a generator.
Click to expand...

I don't care about running it for a long time after the power goes out. All I really need is a few minutes, for the power to either turn back on or for the computer to shut down. Just looking for a higher quality UPS.
My current UPS will still be used with my old computer and some other things.
 
500VA is a little light for modern gaming systems plus all of the stuff around them, don't you think?

Go refurb, like Sockman! suggests, and get way more UPS for your buck.
 
Like I said I don't need it to stay on for long, but I'll look into the refurbs
 
Check provantage.com for UPSs. I just bought a few rackmount (and yes they sell non rackmount as well) and their prices are SIGNIFICANTLY lower than the 'egg.
 
thoses upses are probably passive versions, I would recommend active ones, so that the computer gets always the power from the batteries . helps against power drops / spikes
 
capreppy said:
Check provantage.com for UPSs. I just bought a few rackmount (and yes they sell non rackmount as well) and their prices are SIGNIFICANTLY lower than the 'egg.
Click to expand...

Ditto. Check out the CyberPower UPSs at Staples.com and officedepot.com

Newegg charges way too much for UPSs.
 
Caine Thanatos said:
thoses upses are probably passive versions, I would recommend active ones, so that the computer gets always the power from the batteries . helps against power drops / spikes
Click to expand...

Double/delta conversion UPSes cost a lot more money than line interactive ones. With a $200-300 budget, I wouldn't even bother looking at them. Not to mention that it's overkill for almost all home users.
 
ChingChang said:
Like I said I don't need it to stay on for long, but I'll look into the refurbs
Click to expand...

Your comment makes me afraid that you don't actually know what you're shopping for.

Run time and the VA rating of the UPS are related in marketing only. (yes, higher VA UPSs generally have larger batteries, but that doesn't make the relationship absolute).

If your gaming system pulls more than about 90% of 500VA, it won't run at all as soon as the power goes off. You need a UPS with an inverter powerful enough (the VA rating) to run your system with some margin of error (ie. not at 100% load on the inverter).

You then need a network of batteries capable of supplying that load for however long you wish it to run. I've found the "sweet spot" is to buy a UPS rated twice your typical load. Battery capacity is usually good in most real UPSs (20min), it won't take too long to charge, you have enough power for "startup surges" (what if everything is coming back on just as the power fails again) and you aren't stressing the inverter components by only running ~50%.

Most consumer-grade UPSs on the market seem to have a 2-3min runtime at 100% load but more like 20min at 50%. Most provide full and 50% rating too so its easy to shop for what you want. Runtime doesn't decrease linearly with load because inefficiencies creep in - notice a 2-3min @ 100% isn't 4-6min @ 50%.
 
Occasionally one misses the old days where magazines were insanely profitable. UPS reviews are poorly lacking in general. The consensus view is stick with a well known brand and they are relatively equal. SO basically considering what you have and that you want an upgrade, look at the lcd units made by tripp lite, apc and cyberpower. Marketing on the cyberpower is at least interesting compared o the other units. Not sure how much the difference would be compared to other lcd units.(Greenpower)


Cyberpower CP1500AVRLCD 129 from frys, less if you factor in rebates(109).
http://shop3.frys.com/product/4944071

Newegg seems to have free shipping and reasonable prices on the 1350.

APC BR1500LCD not sure where the best price might be at the moment. Dell had a minor sale the other day, making the unit ~150 but it seems to be over. Circuit city liquidation price 109.

The annoying part about buying a new ups is simply waiting for a reasonable sale. Considering the slow economy and time of year, it should be a good time to buy a ups. If you can not find a sale and need a unit as soon as possible, consider stepping down to a CP1350AVRLCD/BR1300LCD.
 
I'm also looking at buying one of these two UPS's. Amazon currently seems to have the best price for the APC at $186 with free shipping. The APC is looking better than the Cyberpower because you can stack it, has an additional battery backup plug, and uses a true sinewave (I don't know what this means exactly but I know it's better than simulated from reading reviews), also you can add additional batteries to the APC, where you cannot with the Cyberpower. The Cyberpower seems to handle a higher wattage, but I'm curious to if they rounded their number to the closest hundred. The APC's rated wattage seems like a more specific number.
 
I stand corrected, but the APC still seems more complete, for lack of a better word, than the Cyberpower would be.
 
silent hero said:
I stand corrected, but the APC still seems more complete, for lack of a better word, than the Cyberpower would be.
Click to expand...

I'm sure APC has made less-than-perfect units and I hesitate to say that they're ALWAYS superior but...

I've been pretty familiar with the APC line for 15+ years and I've always found them trustworthy in this class of UPS. I might look at Liebert, Tripplite, and some other big POWER names instead but I would definitely buy an APC over no-names or off-brand stuff. Even when it comes time to replace batteries you'll have much better luck finding a battery for an APC.

If one's budget can't swing an APC, I'd look at used/refurb from a reliable place before getting a new cheapie.... In fact, that's what I've always done - bought used...
 
You can find all kinds of used APC units on ebay. Look for batteries while you are at it. Always a good idea to just replace them from the start.
 
justler said:
You can find all kinds of used APC units on ebay. Look for batteries while you are at it. Always a good idea to just replace them from the start.
Click to expand...


If your budget allows it you're always better of with a Smart-UPS versus any of the other series of APC UPSs or some other brand. The Smart-UPSs are great machines, reliable and dependable.

If the budget is tight, you can for the smaller CS, RS, XS units. Keep in mind, they don't output a sine wave


Ebay is definitely a great place to look for APC UPSs, however make sure you don't buy them with used batteries. Used batteries are garbage and they will never last. You'll need to buy replacements right away. You are better off buying a unit with new batteries and a solid warranty.


Of course if your budget is endless, go for a new UPS. Those are awesome as well!







Tony
 
How many VAs do you need for a computer with a 1000W power supply?? How about for a 750W?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top