YAPT: Can a 180W UPS handle this setup?

Electrode

Diamond Member
May 4, 2001
6,063
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I recently dug out my 9 year old APC Back-UPS 280 UPS. It needs a new battery. I've found a suitable replacement battery for $12.80, but before I spend any money on this UPS, I want to be sure it can handle the load I'll be putting on it. That load, to be specific, is my file server:

CPU: 2x AMD Athlon MP 2800+
RAM: 512mb PC2100 ECC REG
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-7DPXDW+ (using integrated LAN, RAID)
Hard drives: 5 Maxtor 7200 RPM 120 GB IDE drives, 1 Western Digital 7200 RPM 13.6 GB IDE drive
Optical: Panasonic DVD-RW
Cards: GeForce2 Ultra AGP video, Promise Ultra133/TX2 ATA, USB 2.0 card
Cooling: Numerous high-speed 80mm fans
PSU: Antec True480

As stated in the title, the UPS is rated for 180 watts. Any chance it can keep the server running long enough for a safe shutdown?
 

mechBgon

Super Moderator<br>Elite Member
Oct 31, 1999
30,699
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Well heck, that's only ~$2000 worth of stuff and ~1100GB of data... not much to lose if you happen to be wrong, now is it?






;) ~ what are you smoking, mon?! share with me please!
 

mechBgon

Super Moderator<br>Elite Member
Oct 31, 1999
30,699
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Never know 'til you try :D but if it were me, I wouldn't try. The CPUs alone can pull 120W. My guess is that if you do try, the UPS will simply throw an "overload" condition and refuse to power anything at all.
 

MichaelD

Lifer
Jan 16, 2001
31,528
3
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Originally posted by: mechBgon
Never know 'til you try :D but if it were me, I wouldn't try. The CPUs alone can pull 120W. My guess is that if you do try, the UPS will simply throw an "overload" condition and refuse to power anything at all.

Gets my vote.
 

mechBgon

Super Moderator<br>Elite Member
Oct 31, 1999
30,699
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Originally posted by: simms
mechBgon is elite for a reason. :)
Yeah, I passed both the irony and sarcasm sections of the Elite exam with flying colors! :D The YAGT section really dragged my grade down, though :eek:
 

Acanthus

Lifer
Aug 28, 2001
19,915
2
76
ostif.org
( note that its a UPS not a PSU ;) )

Still nowhere near enough, especially if you plan to use a display with it.

Only thing it might be good for is AVR protection, but i dont see it keeping the system alive at all during a total blackout.
 

Pariah

Elite Member
Apr 16, 2000
7,357
20
81
No chance at all. I have system similar to yours plus a monitor and it was too much for an APC 300W rated UPS. When I unplugged it to test it, it just died right away. I had to upgrade to a 670W UPS for effective battery back up. You won't need something that big for just that system unless you want to run on batteries for a half hour or more. This new UPS allowed me to run a second computer and monitor long enough to be able to shut the systems down properly after a power outtage. But even without a monitor, a 180W rates UPS isn't nearly enough for that system.
 

Soulkeeper

Diamond Member
Nov 23, 2001
6,736
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it will handle it but you prob won't be able to find a ups that can run that thing for more than 15 minutes (maybe under 10 for the one you got)
just long enough for you to reboot the machine basically without the worry of filesystem/data corruption
basically halve the time they say you got
some have software reboot features through the os (check for support before buying tho)

if you really want to be ready for power outtages
fork out the 20k for the solar panel setup, and get a backup generator for those night outtages :)


btw last time i looked at ups setups was when i went to circuit city
they actually had "Energizer" models that looked pretty cool