UPS/ Surge supression recomendation

[r0b0tc0rpse]

Here is what i plan on running on it

fp241VW 24'' LCD
Possibly 22'' 226bw samsung
File server 500 watt psu 4 hhd P4 system
Gaming system 1000 watt psu SLI gtx280 Quad core
500 watt surround sound receiver and 100 watt sub
some times my laptop

I suppose the Sub and receiver or laptop charger could be on the "suppression only" outlets.

(maybe laptop charger and sub, that way i don't have to reset the clock on the receiver lol)

worst case scenario I have a lot of this stuff running, i want a UPS that wont die/break/explode when the power goes out or in normal operation, and give me a few minutes to shut everything down.

 

[Michael Daly]

APC. I wouldn't recommend any other brand.

Don't put anything other than the computer itself in the UPS. Anything that will not be zapped by a power disruption should be in the surge suppressor only. Assuming the laptop will automatically switch to its own battery if the power on its brick is cut, it doesn't need a UPS either.

The PSU wattage values are not relevant - you'll need to get an estimate of actual power draw. You can get a simple power meter like a Kill-a-watt or UPM at many shops - even Sears carries them (in the $20-$30 range). That will enable you to measure the power draw at the wall for each device. Using actual power demand at load will enable you to determine the required capacity of the UPS. Simply add up the wattage of the stuff being plugged in and multiply by 1.6 to get the VA rating of the UPS. For example, if you need 500 watts, the UPS should be at least 500x1.6 = 800VA.

You can look up reviews or other sources to find approximate values of the power your computers will draw if you don't want to buy a gadget to measure.