Getting a UPS

[Unkno]

Well, i'm thinking about whether i should spend the extra $30 on this ups with a rating of 1100VA/660W or just get this one with rating of 825VA/410W. I know the benefit of having a higher VA rating would allow you to have a longer back-up run-time but does it also affect the life of the battery? Would the battery live longer if there isn't as much stress going through it?


My second question, what do you think if the ups? Would it be able to handle a system like:
AMD X2 3800+ OC
7800GT OC
Dell 2005FPW (20" LCD)



Thanks for the help!

 

[jjsbasmt]

The battery is also bigger in size, so it's not like the battery would necessarily run hotter. I use the APC XS 1000. Note below my system, which only draws 210 watts from the unit, and I also power a Fax machine and an Epson 3 In 1 printer attached.

 

[MWink]

Just for the record a higher VA rating does not necessarily mean it has a bigger battery. For example APC's Back-UPS XS 800 and Back-UPS XS 1000 have the same battery (2 x 12V 7AH). The higher VA rating sometimes only means that the UPS can handle a bigger load (usually for a very short time). OTOH I usually go for the higher rated units.

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

I have a CyberPower 1100 VA for my system.

 

[wpshooter]

Whatever you get make sure it has ports for protecting your telephone wires if you are using dialup and ALSO ports for protecting your patch cables if you are using DSL, etc.

I like the Belkins 1100VA & higher models. I like their easy of use and the way that their shutdown software works. It is better than APC, in my opinion. All this applies to a NON-business uses/non-server system. If it is a server/business computer, I would stick to a high level APC model.

 

[jim1976]

I have this which is considered a great ups by many ppl for its money...
It works great for me..

 

[wpshooter]

P.S. - Also, make sure whatever you get has AVR.

 

[Skyhanger]

Originally posted by: tasburrfoot78362
I have a CyberPower 1100 VA for my system.

Same here, it's the cheapest model w/ both buck and boost AVR. I don't think the 825 has it.
It might still be on compsource.com at $87 shipping included.

 

[Ike0069]

I have the Belkin 800VA (450W) with AVR. I love it and it's mormally $90-100, but you can get it here for $54.95 now.
Don't know anything about that store, but that is an unbelievable price.

 

[imported_Tick]

One thing to watch for in cheapo UPS's is that they may not allow enough throughput. My computer draws almost 700 watts under load, all together, so a cheapo UPS screams for mercy even when it's not discharging, as it can't handle the throughput.

 

[arcas]

I know the benefit of having a higher VA rating would allow you to have a longer back-up run-time

Actually, that's not true. The VA rating simply refers to the size of the inverter. Higher VA means it's more robust and can handle a higher load. For resistive loads, VA = Watts. For inductive loads, you have to consider power factor so a pretty conservative rule of thumb for a UPS would be VA * 0.5 = max Watts it can deliver.

Runtime is determined purely by the size of the batter(y/ies) used by the UPS. In principle, you can attach a 3000 VA inverter to a 10Ah 12V battery and you might be able to handle a 2000W load. The catch is the battery will be drained in 3-4 minutes.

 

[wpshooter]

You are certainly correct about that. A computer running on the UPS will pull the battery charge down in a very short time period and then it takes it a fairly long period to get charged back up to 100%.

 

[Unkno]

wow, thanks for the informative replies, but what about the battery life?

 

[Ike0069]

Battery life is totally dependant on the "size" of the battery it uses.
Each UPS will have an approximate run time listed. Figure out what size (VA and Watts) UPS you need, then check the run times for the different models.
Just remember that you only need a couple of minutes to get any open programs closed and the computer shut down properly.

 

[Unkno]

hmmm, then do you know which model would offer the better battery life or is it near the same?

 

[Ike0069]

Office Power 1100AVR

Features & Benefits

Battery Run-times from 40-82 minutes
Compact design with extended outlets to accommodate transformer block adapter
Automatic Voltage Regulation Controls over-voltages, blackouts and brownouts
All outlets are surge-protected at 1500 joules
Compact design with extended outlets to accommodate transformer block adapter
PowerPanel Plus? Software saves your open files and automatically shuts down your computer when power is lost
$350,000 Connected Equipment Warranty
Contains two 7.2 AH Batteries for extended Run-Times.

 

[bigpow]

Would the battery live longer if there isn't as much stress going through it?

not necessarily, I've seen a lot of UPS battery failed accross different usage/stress.
Battery is battery, it lives & dies misteriously

 

[Unkno]

hmmm, so is the extra $30 for the 1100VA worth it? i'm not really on a budget but i just don't want to waste money where not needed....

 

[Ike0069]

You will have to decide that.
If all you want is AVR with enought time to shut down the PC on loss of power, then the smaller one will be enough.

 

[Unkno]

hmmm, under the specifications for the 1100AVR, it has a surge capacity of 1500joules with a maximum surge current of 36,000amps but under the 825AVR model, it has a surge capacity of 1260joules but with a much higher surge current of 60,000amps...


Also, anyone know approx how long the 825AVR model would be able to power my system?

 

[mechBgon]

To illustrate the point about VA not telling you anything about runtime... we have a couple APC SmartUPS Pro 750XL's at work for the servers. They're a 750VA unit with about an hour of runtime stock. You can stack on enough extra battery modules to get up to 48 hours of runtime if you like, but it's still a 750VA unit.

It sounds like runtime is a concern for you. If so, have you considered one of the APC units with the "sidekick" battery?

 

[Rubycon]

It's funny we generate our own power so the chance of power failures of unplanned nature is remote.

Still use UPS on computers though. Why? Because people plug coffee pots into outlets shared by laser printers and copiers. People unplug the wrong cord. Stuff like that.

Yes the load on the batteries is quite high (upwards of 10C!) so they sag quick on ya! If you have a stout overbuilt inverter like a ferrups you can add banks of batteries to increase runtime to hours if you wish. Don't do this on a cheap UPS though as the inverter transistors will probably overheat and be destroyed.

 

[WackyDan]

I wouldn't give much thought to battery run time... Near all my outages have been for a few seconds at best. The real benefit is from having AVR -least in my case. In any event, you shouldn't ever plan on running on battery for any amount of time.

1. You should go for an immediate shutdown.
2. You run the battery(ies) down to near zero state of charge and the main power doesn't come on in short order, the batteries start to deteriorate. Hence the reason you shut down immediately.

Don't plug printers (especially lasers), lights, speakers, etc into the UPS battery run ports... try to keep it to just CPU and Monitor, and only 100% essential devices if needed. No point powering what you don't need.

I run an apc 1500, and a smaller 500. The 500 is for my local network.... I don't plug the cable modem in as if you lose power to your house, chances are the cable node is down too. -meaning no connection to the internet anyway. Might be handy with DSL and a laptop though!!

 

[Rubycon]

Originally posted by: WackyDan


Don't plug printers (especially lasers), lights, speakers, etc into the UPS battery run ports... try to keep it to just CPU and Monitor, and only 100% essential devices if needed. No point powering what you don't need.
)

Careful around here they'll hang you for saying that!

 

[arcas]

In general, draining a lead acid battery below 20-25% causes permanent damage to the battery. This is especially true of car batteries but it also applies to deep-cycle and UPS batteries. So in this sense, a UPS with a larger battery might be better but don't go overboard. If you only need 5 minutes to shut down, you don't need a UPS with 2 hours of runtime.

I think it's a good idea to have a dimmable incandescent light plugged into the UPS, also, in case the power goes out at night and you need to see what you're doing. You only need a few watts of light anyway so it's not a big deal. After the computer shuts down, you'll still have enough battery power to run the light for several hours if necessary.