Just enough to cover a power flicker or to allow you to shut equipment down properly in an extended outage. Adding a UPS can keep you online and connected for an hour or more in case you need to reach emergency servicesor if youre about to finish a critical encounter in Dark Souls and your comrades are counting on you. Plus, it has only eight outlets (four with battery backup), fewer than any of our picks. Capacity: 1500 VA / 900 W Topology: Line Interactive Waveform: Simulated Sine Wave Output: 120 VAC 5% Plug type & cord: NEMA 5-15P, 6 ft. cord Outlets: 10 (5 surge, 5 surge + battery backup) Data line protection: Telephone, Network, Coaxial Management software: PowerPanel Personal Edition ENERGY STAR qualified: Yes Warranty: 3 year You may hear a bit of a click followed by a hum when you start running on battery power. Most people place their UPS under a desk or behind furniture where its dark. Like all electronics, a UPS unit wont last forever. Lets look at a 100W load. One weak point of this layout is that the two surge protection only outlets are not spaced out, so one large AC adapter will block the outlet next to it. CyberPower adds one more battery protected port. After a new round of testing, weve made the CyberPower CP900AVR our top pick and the APC BR1500MS2 our upgrade pick. This helps maximize battery life. There are a few things to keep in mind when making a warranty claim. Why would you bother with software for your UPS? Your daily dose of tech news, in brief. Along with the provided software, this allows for safe shutdown of computers when the battery reaches a certain level. Cyber power sells both types. If the beep of the audio alert becomes a nuisance, it can usually be silenced by pressing the power button briefly. This technology provides more-reliable power to connected devices that cant tolerate power drops, such as hard drives, and it should extend the overall life of the unit. Overall Winner: The CyberPower CP1500AVRLCD has the best run time and value. At the high end of consumer models with 1500VA, APC offers the same $250,000 coverage while CyberPower ups it to $500,000. Its also a good idea to avoid completely discharging the battery. Installation of both applications is very straightforward. This includes the UPS itself along with the battery, and applies to all models. But since batteries degrade over time, you can avoid any surprises in the future if, once a year or so, you unplug the UPS from the wall outlet with your devices runningjust to make sure the UPS powers them for as long as you expect it to. We independently review everything we recommend. It has even more outlets (six battery-backed outlets and 12 total) than our top pick, as well as an equally long (6-foot) cord. An electrical engineer explained that Pure Sine Wave or PFC technology matters when a power outage last for more than just a few minutes. Like our other picks, it has a circuit-breaker reset button, which is handy for restarting the unit if it overloads or short-circuits; this feature prevents you from having to unplug and then replug the entire unit. The CyberPower EC550 has eight total outlets. Active PFC power source compatibility. The specs while similar are not identical. The BR1500MS2 is one of just three UPS units we tested with a display screen (the other models, the APC BR1000MS and CP1500PFCLCD, are similar in price and have all the same key features, but in our testing they had a shorter run time and let through more volts than the BR1500MS2, respectively). If youre up for doing some math, get a general idea of how many watts your equipment needs. If youre on a tight budget, the Amazon Basics Standby UPS 800VA is an affordable UPS with the battery and run time of a more expensive model: It can keep a typical router and modem running for up to one and a half hours. Bigger numbers mean more powerful batteries. The APC BR1500MS2 is the most expensive UPS we recommend for most homes or small offices, but it offers a lot of value in the extra features it includes. For computers, TVs, and other pricey equipment, I recommend an 800 joule rating or higher. The sealed, lead-acid battery inside your UPS will stay charged as long as the device is plugged in, so it should be able to perform well for many years. Buy APC BR1500MS2 1500VA UPS Back-UPS Pro Compatible Battery Pack by UPSBatteryCenter: 12V - Amazon.com FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases . The unit is about the size and shape of a dictionary lying flat on its back. Get it now! When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. This model is basically the new version of the CP1500PFCLCD. My only concern is that I might receiving a bad UPS, and then I'd have to send it in for warranty repair, which would leave me without a UPS. The most frequently used tab is the Current Status view for both brands. You can view how many times the UPS was on battery power and for how long, along with over and under voltage events. Its much easier to power up a device and see the impact on the load with APCs software. CP1500PFCLCD has the option of remote/auto shut down of your devices by buying and installing the RMCARD205 hardware to the UPS. When we zapped this unit with 5,000 volts, it blocked all but 402.8 of them. Perhaps you are working and cannot immediately shut down your system, and depend on the UPS to maintain power for a half hour or nearly an hour, in an extended power outage situation. Most are rated for 3-5 years. In terms of settings, I found the software to be largely the same. For instance, if your power quality is low and your connected devices arent sensitive to the fluctuations, low sensitivity will keep the unit from switching to battery power frequently. I'm looking at 1500VA UPS because they best fit my power needs. This will be used to estimate the run time of your devices during a total power outage. APC UPS, 1500VA Sine Wave UPS Battery Backup & Surge Protector, BR1500MS2, Backup Battery with AVR, (2) USB Charger Ports, Back-UPS Pro Uninterruptible Power Supply 500VA / 900W Backup Battery power supply Sinewave UPS with Automatic Voltage Regulation (AVR), designed for high-end electronics. Of course my vote is for the BR1500MS! Your email is invalid These outlets are then divided up between battery + surge and surge only outlets. As of this writing, the price is nearly identical for both models. Battery run times differ between the two. A bit of extra space is given between each outlet, so some AC adapters may fit without blocking the adjacent outlet. Replacement batteries can be bought direct from the manufacturer, Amazon, or a local battery store. Although thats about twice as many volts as our favorite surge protectors let through, its still better surge protection than we saw from any UPS weve tested (other than the Tripp Lite AVR750U, which performed about the same). The specs look good, but it's not what I need for home lab use. This feature automatically cuts power to other devices when the main one is turned off, saving electricity. Do not everever, everplug a UPS into a surge protector, or vice versa. Both programs can be set to send you an email when the power goes out. - APC UPS Pro BR1500MS. This allows you to control or set up for auto shutdown of your devices. It's very possible that they are the same model just branded differently. The APC BR1000MS has 10 outlets, six of which have battery backup. Thats two more outlets than in either of our other picks. These connections are the same between both brands. Most UPSs have between 6 and 12 outlets. Or, if youd like your equipment to stay powered up for 15+ minutes, select a UPS with a watt rating around 4 times that of your devices. Specifications. Like our top pick, the BR1500MS2 has an ample 6-foot cord to reach from a wall outlet to your work or entertainment setup, and its backed by a three-year warranty in case you run into any issues with your UPS in that period. When set up, it allows for automatic safe shutdowns when the battery level drains to a certain point. After an hour of research the PFC in the cyber power model numbers give an added feature of See below per their website APC goes with four battery protected outlets and four surge-only on this model. I'm looking for Sine Wave UPS recommendations for my HP Microserver Gen 8. If you just want to keep your Wi-Fi powered during a blackout, this Amazon Basics option is a cheaper way to do so for around an hour and a half (thats how long it lasted with our 20 W fan). 0; No matter how massive your setup is, this UPS should buy you plenty of time to save your work and shut down all your programs. Once open, disconnect the two battery terminals and remove the old battery. This UPS has a 5-foot cord, which is a foot shorter than the cords for our other picks, so you might have to move your workstation closer to an outlet to help it reach. Adding run time increases availability by allowing the system to operate through longer outages without shutting down. If not, you can safely disregard this part. Youll only get a few minutes of run time with a desktop. Be sure to read the equipment protection policies from APC and CyberPower if this coverage is important to you. I am an IT Senior Systems Engineer working from home for the last year or so due to Covid. In our testing, we ran out of 10-, 50-, and 100-watt appliances trying to reach the BR1500MS2s peak power output, so we ended up putting it to the ultimate test by plugging in a hair dryerdont try this at home, since a UPS is not designed for use with heat-producing devicesafter which we finally measured a maximum output of 847 watts. It also performed well in our other testskeeping our 10 W lamps lit for two hours and cranking out 489 watts of powerthough not as well as our top and upgrade picks performed. Suppressing power spikes is an important part of keeping expensive equipment safe. Although most Americans recycle plastic, metal, paper, and cardboard on a regular basis, less than half recycle their used batteries and other electronic waste. Overview; Lead time: Usually in Stock: Main; Product or Component Type: Replacement battery cartridge: Battery Type: Lead-Acid battery: Provided Equipment: Installation guide: Physical; Height: 11.89 in (30.2 cm) Width: 2.60 in (6.6 cm) Depth: 4.29 in (10.9 cm) The UPS has a total of 10 outlets on the back 5 on battery backup and 5 on surge protection only. If youll be connecting a DSL modem, phone system, or ethernet broadband you should think about choosing a model that offers these ports. When its time to replace batteries, you can change them out on the APC and keep everything connected. In our testing, this inexpensive option had more than enough power output for home-networking gear or a simple home-office setup. Unlike our other picks, this less expensive model uses standby power management instead of automatic voltage regulation (AVR). In my server troubleshooting days, I encountered a number of customers who purchased a simulated sinewave UPS for their server, only to find out it wouldnt stay operational during an outage. Overall Winner: APC BE600M1, unless Eco Mode is important to you. The most important options are those relating to runtime on battery power. The other thing is that depending on the PFC1500 model you purchase the manual says certain serial numbers may take a different battery model, newer ones different. Reverse the steps with the new battery and it's ready to go. This, along with power management, can safely shut down your computer when the power goes out. Along with a pure sine wave output when on battery, this unit also offers Boost and Trim Automatic Voltage Regulation. But in saving some cash, youre giving a few things up: It has the lowest capacity and peak power output of any of our picks, as well as the shortest cord and the skimpiest warranty. Comparing CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD PFC Sinewave UPS vs APC . Both models have a data port to connect to your computer. Most 600VA and higher battery backups can communicate with your computer. If you have a server or computer with important data stored on it, safely shutting down is important to eliminate the risk of data loss. This can be set to high, medium, or low depending on the quality of your input power. The BR1500MS2 is one of the biggest models we tested, measuring about 4 inches wide by 10 inches high by 14 inches deep (the CP1500PFCLCD and CP900AVR are both roughly the same size). https://www.cyberpowersystems.com/product/ups/pfc-sinewave/cp1500pfclcd/ To help pick a UPS size, Ill group devices by how much electricity they draw. The life of the battery within the unit can be prolonged by keeping a few things in mind. CyberPowers software is missing the total capacity. All battery backups have built in surge protection in varying levels. Just a couple of years ago, this did not matter because devices were not nearly so sensitive to very minor power fluctuation. Other than checking a box for the licensing agreement, you can click Next through all the installation steps and accept the default options. I worked with Lee Johnsonan electrical engineer with more than 15 years of experience designing and testing electronicsto determine the surge-protection capabilities of each UPS in our 2021 round of testing. Two outlets have large spacing for big AC adapters, while the rest are pretty close together. This feature wont be a deal breaker for most, but its a nice added bonus on some models. The CyberPower CP900AVR will cover the basics for most people during common, short-term blackouts. To recycle your old UPS batteries, as well as the UPS units themselves (when they eventually wear out), you have a few options: If our top pick is unavailable, and you dont need the premium features our upgrade pick offers (such as a pure sine-wave inverter, a screen, and USB ports), get our former top pick, the Tripp Lite AVR750U. Note: this is for my home lab, so I don't need an Enterprise level UPS. This allows your computer to safely shut down and avoid data loss. It has one more battery-backed outlet than our top pick (six versus five), so you could potentially keep a computer, monitor, external hard drive, modem, router, and NAS unit running without skipping a beat in the event of a power outage. Additionally, to learn more about how to recycle used UPS units, batteries, and other electronic waste, I interviewed Joe Day, director of global business development at TerraCycle Regulated Waste, a private firm specializing in hard-to-recycle materials. In most cases this will result in all the connected devices failing to stay powered up. Lastly, its backlit screen provides helpful information such as the remaining battery life and the total wattage of the devices plugged into the unit. You can keep using the unit for many more years after a battery replacement since itll work like new. I'm writing this review not so much so about the UPS, but more for information on what to expect if using this UPS with a portable generator. Like our top pick, it can keep the average modem and router running for up to four hours, giving you more than enough time to save your work and wait for the blackout to end. Enter? This allows your PC or Mac to communicate with the UPS. Both have LED status indicators on the power button of the APC, and next to it on the CyberPower. Thats not quite as good as what we saw from our favorite surge protectors, none of which let through more than 300 volts in testing with identical equipment and parameters. If youre protecting your cable modem, TV, or cable/satellite receiver consider one with coaxial protection. When we inundated the BR1500MS2 with 5,000-volt surges, it was able to block all but 593.2 volts. Heres a visual to make better sense of run times. The units only auxiliary connector is a USB-B port, which youll need if you want to use the included software that lets the UPS trigger a safe shutdown of your computer (it works for either Mac or Windows). The spacing of some of the outlets isnt great, but the high number of outlets somewhat makes up for it. Its also handy for keeping your phone battery topped off in the event of an outage in case you dont know when the power will be back on. Also, be sure to follow the instructions exactly. Watts: Youre probably used to seeing Watt ratings on a number of household items. The same goes if your building has poor wiring or your electric company doesnt provide the most reliable power. This is when the PFC prevents damage to the sensitive new technology devices because its energy flow and sine wave are "pure" in flow and amplitude. br1500ms2 vs cp1500pfclcd. Both units were nearly the same in price as of this writing. These ratings are close enough to effectively provide the same protection. Whether its finding great products or discovering helpful advice, well help you get it right (the first time). Count how many devices youd like to keep running during a power outage. We also added a few models from Amazon Basics to our list because its a prominent option when youre shopping online. Designed to provide backup battery power and surge protection, this Back-UPS features a NEMA 5-15P power connection and a 6' cord. Either brand allows you to: Another setting you may like to use is the Notification feature. For $15 dollars you get more bang for the buck. The APC provides 225W while the CyberPower is a bit higher at 255W. It has a USB-B port to connect the UPS to your computerwhich you need to do if you want to use CyberPowers software or your computers operating system to set up data saving, monitoring, and other functions. Once open, disconnect the two battery terminals and remove the old battery. The higher the power usage, the higher the VA/Watt number on the UPS you should look for. However, either brand will do the trick. On the CyberPower youll need to power down and unplug everything first. That should be fine in most cases, but its harder on the battery, and you shouldnt use it for sensitive AV gear or medical equipment. Get monthly updates from Schneider Electric delivered right to your inbox. There are buttons to cycle between the other display settings, including input voltage, power usage in watts, and estimated run time on battery power. biogen senior engineer ii salary. If brownouts occur, you can expect to be protected from shutdowns just as you would with a full power outage. Amazon Basics doesnt sell spare UPS batteries, but you can get a compatible replacement for our budget pick from Duracell, Mighty Max, and some other well-established brands. The LCDs on both the APC and CyberPower are equally readable and feature nearly the same settings. With pricey equipment connected to your battery backup, its important to protect from power surges. That's how I got my pair ofSmart-UPS RT 3000 XL's for $500. By installing software and connecting the cable, you can configure your computer to safely shut down when the battery level reaches a certain point. The shipping cost of sending back a failed UPS must be paid by you in most cases. The APC is rated for 1103 Joules while the CyberPower is at 1080 effectively the same high level. The CyberPower CP425SLG has eight total, also with four on battery power. APC and CyberPower offer coverage for devices connected to their UPSs. Signup for our newsletter to get notified about our next ride. A small, inexpensive UPS is great for anyone who wants their home Wi-Fi and internet to stay online during short power outages or brownouts. No matter how massive your setup ismaybe you have a full workstation drawing 300 W or more, or maybe you have only a modem and router plugged in, totaling about 20 Wthe BR1500MS2 should buy you plenty of time to save your work and shut down all your programs. In my experience thats pretty accurate, with most needing to be replaced after 4-6 years of use in a climate controlled room. Construction Consultant & Engineering Services . Although they come with the personal edition of the power manager, you can download the business edition from the CyberPower website and they work just fine with the business software. Some models include a USB port and cable which connect to your computer, along with software to install. Uniflair Ceiling Mounted Split Room Cooling, NetShelter Shelving & Mounting Accessories, NetShelter Wall (Mounted) Transfer Switches, EcoStruxure Service Plan for Three-Phase UPS, Extended Warranties - Critical Power & Cooling, Advanced Network Management Card Security, 1 YR NBD On-Site Upgrade to Factory Wty with Monitoring & Dispatch (SmartConnect or NMC required), 1 year extended warranty, APC Smart-UPS, renewal or high volume, Multi-function LCD status and control console, Alarm when on battery : distinctive low battery alarm : overload continuous tone alarm, Full time multi-pole noise filtering :5% of IEEE surge let-through : zero clamping response time: in, Coaxial cable for CATV/SATV/modem/audio-video. In our testing, it kept our lamps lit for two and a half hours, had a 617-watt peak power output, and blocked all but 540.4 volts of our 5,000-volt power surges. I'd like to receive news and commercial info from Schneider Electric and its affiliates via electronic communication means such as email, and I agree to the collection of information on the opening and clicks on these emails (using invisible pixels in the images), to measure performance of our communications and improve them. APC BR1500MS2 Back-UPS Pro Uninterruptible Power Supply Price: $286.60 Instant Savings -$16.61 You Pay: $269.99 (123) Add to Cart View Cart Add to Wish List Item in Wish List Create new CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD PFC Sinewave UPS You Pay: $219.95 (226) Add to Cart View Cart Add to Wish List Item in Wish List Create new Show Removed Specs Shipping