UPS Recommendation

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DarkenReaper57

2[H]4U
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Oct 2, 2003
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Hello everyone,

I've been doing a bit of research as I need to replace my current 350W APC UPS unit. I've found that the max power draw my system pulls (Prime 95 and running rthdrbl) is about 520W/560 VA. As a result, I'm looking for a minimum of a 600W unit, preferably at least 700W.

My max budget is $200 shipped, but the lower the better. I've been looking at this unit: http://www.apc.com/resource/include/techspec_index.cfm?base_sku=SUA1500&total_watts=50. Normally the cost would be huge, but this same unit (refurbished) at UPSforLess sells for $149 with about $25 shipping: http://www.upsforless.com/ibm1500tlv.aspx. I understand that this unit is overkill, but it would be nice to have the extra power handling.

From what I can tell, this unit has true sinewave power output. Does this mean that the UPS is always powering the system without a relay, or is this only the case for "online" UPS's? That said, can anyone attest to the quality of this unit?

Any other suggestions are welcome as well. I definitely want something that will last a couple years minimum, and from what I understand, APC has the highest reliability when compared to other brands of UPS's.
 
I'd buy it at that price. I generally don't like buying refurb stuff (not that it's not good, it's just a personal preference), so thats why I bought the APC BX1500LCD Fry's deal. From posts other people make, a true sine wave output is ideal but really not needed on a consumer level.
 
The Smart BackUps "True Sine Wave" output refers to battery operation, when the normal VAC input is unusable.

It is a "line interactive stand-by" unit with Automatic Voltage Regulation (AVR) meaning that it can make some adjustments to "clean up" the VAC input without going to batteries.

These are excellent UPS's & I highly recommend them.

When you buy "refurbed" make sure you are getting new "name brand" batteries & a good 1yr to 2yr warranty.

Good Luck,
Dave:)
 
I'm still using my used 1998 SmartUPS SU1400NET I bought in 2001. No worries about refurb, as long as you get a decent unit from someone who isn't fly-by-night.
 
Surly73 said:
I'm still using my used 1998 SmartUPS SU1400NET I bought in 2001. No worries about refurb, as long as you get a decent unit from someone who isn't fly-by-night.
Click to expand...
I use & recommend refurbs all of the time, just take Surly73's advice & "get a decent unit from someone who isn't fly-by-night".

These things weight a ton, so if possible, buy local!!!:D
 
I bought a couple of those IBM units from UPSforless and I they're good units. Pretty good deal for that price; especially since they have new batteries and the shipping cost is quite reasonable for a ~60 pound package.
 
Actually, the Best Buy "Geek Squad" UPS is very good, (got mine brand new off Ebay) and
Office Depot has some on clearance right now, $50.00 for a decent size UPS.

Personally, I would not waste too much money on getting an overkill UPS system, most of
them all operate the same way and getting too much is just a waste. I use mine to shut
down the system in the event of a Power Outage, that's about it.
 
i usually go with APC ups's (they just seem to have the home-consumer ups market nailed down) and i make sure i get one with AVR.
 
spacetrader said:
i usually go with APC ups's (they just seem to have the home-consumer ups market nailed down) and i make sure i get one with AVR.
Click to expand...
There is the key!

If all you need is long enough to do a controlled shut-down, then "True Sine Wave" output & extended battery run times are not necessary,
but you ALWAYS want Automatic Voltage Regulation (AVR) which the lowest-end UPS's do not offer.:D
 
ZV3001 said:
Office Depot has some on clearance right now, $50.00 for a decent size UPS.
Click to expand...

I've picked up 4 of these as they are remarkable values. Ativa 1200VA is the name, but it's really just a rebadged APC 1200BX, if I'm remembering correctly. OD usually sells them for $150 but put them on clearance for $99 - $49 depending on store. Sweet talking the manager has worked for me twice to get the $49 price even though it was marked for $99.
 
Omegas said:
I've picked up 4 of these as they are remarkable values. Ativa 1200VA is the name, but it's really just a rebadged APC 1200BX, if I'm remembering correctly. OD usually sells them for $150 but put them on clearance for $99 - $49 depending on store. Sweet talking the manager has worked for me twice to get the $49 price even though it was marked for $99.
Click to expand...
Do they have AVR? If so, I want some!:)
 
I upgraded from a Cyberpower UPS three years ago ( which worked fine but didn't cater to the newer, high-power video cards ) to the APC Smart UPS 1500 that you linked to. The power in my apartment is so dirty that overvoltages blow out lightbulbs quite regularly, like every month or two. It works fine. The only thing that I'd like is for UPS makers to spread out the sockets ( so that rectangular-block, power adaptors for sound cards etc. could be used - which is a design aspect that the cheaper Cyberpower took care of, ironically ). It's very heavy, like a car battery. I guess read reviews online. I never bothered, since I know that APC is a brand name.

If you are a gamer, I don't think that there is such a thing as "overkill". Manufacturers keep pushing the limits of heat and power.

I only have an Antec P180 case, 600 watt OCZ power supply, AMD Athlon X2 ( Toledo ) 4400+ and NVIDIA MSI Geforce 5500 FX, CD writer, DVD player and floppy.

The TDP is only 110 Watts, compared to quads with their 130 Watt TDPs but I look at my case ( with the CPU downclocked via software, to 1 GHz on each core, most of the time ) and think about the crazy amount of heat and lack of CFM inside the case ( even though the stock fans are on max ).

People are installing 1000 W + power supplies for Tri-SLI.

There are 2 Gig hard drives and video cards that require 400 Watts.
 
MrAgmoore said:
I upgraded from a Cyberpower UPS three years ago ( which worked fine but didn't cater to the newer, high-power video cards ) to the APC Smart UPS 1500 that you linked to. The power in my apartment is so dirty that overvoltages blow out lightbulbs quite regularly, like every month or two. It works fine. The only thing that I'd like is for UPS makers to spread out the sockets ( so that rectangular-block, power adaptors for sound cards etc. could be used - which is a design aspect that the cheaper Cyberpower took care of, ironically ). It's very heavy, like a car battery. I guess read reviews online. I never bothered, since I know that APC is a brand name.

If you are a gamer, I don't think that there is such a thing as "overkill". Manufacturers keep pushing the limits of heat and power.

I only have an Antec P180 case, 600 watt OCZ power supply, AMD Athlon X2 ( Toledo ) 4400+ and NVIDIA MSI Geforce 5500 FX, CD writer, DVD player and floppy.

The TDP is only 110 Watts, compared to quads with their 130 Watt TDPs but I look at my case ( with the CPU downclocked via software, to 1 GHz on each core, most of the time ) and think about the crazy amount of heat and lack of CFM inside the case ( even though the stock fans are on max ).

People are installing 1000 W + power supplies for Tri-SLI.

There are 2 Gig hard drives and video cards that require 400 Watts.
Click to expand...

IMHO there is no such think as overkill when it comes to protecting the equipment you won (that said I got my equipment for dirt cheap compared to new prices.) I run a smart UPS 2200VA-RM and a 1400VA-RM to protect everything except of course the laser printer (UPS + Laser = bad mojo)
 
soulesschild said:
I'd buy it at that price. I generally don't like buying refurb stuff (not that it's not good, it's just a personal preference), so thats why I bought the APC BX1500LCD Fry's deal. From posts other people make, a true sine wave output is ideal but really not needed on a consumer level.
Click to expand...

Whether you're buying a new or refurbished ups it's always better to have one that outputs a sine wave. They are better quality UPSs, bottom line, especially when it comes to APC. They're more industrial and more reliable. If the cost is not an issue, I would definitely say go the Smart UPS route.


Tony
 
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