APC Back-UPS Pro USB 500VA (BP500CLR) UPS System
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- Output Power (VA): 120 VA
- Max Backup Time With Full Load: 3.6 Minutes
- Output Power (W): 500 W
- Form Factor: Floor Standing
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Look past the marketing hype
Pros
High quality Can prevent data loss
Cons
Overkill for home use, not enough power for professional usage
Recommended it?
No
When most people hear the term UPS, they automatically think of the parcel delivery company, but when it comes to computers, the acronym takes on a different meaning. UPS's or Uninterruptable Power Supplies are devices that are used to ensure that computers get a clean, reliable power source. If your PC is hooked up to a UPS, you can literally cut the power to the building you are in, and the PC will continue to operate until the UPS uses up its' reserves. While these devices are commonly attached to mission servers, they also serve a somewhat useful purpose for desktop PCs.
What is the method behind the magic?
The basic functionality of a UPS is really quite simple. The major components consist of a battery charger, a battery, and a transformer. The AC power source you plug the UPS into will keep the battery with a full charge. The transformer converts DC current from the battery into AC current that your computer ( or whatever you plug into it ) requires to operate. Since your computer runs off the battery, not the AC power source, this will enable the computer to run as long as the battery has a charge.
How long will a UPS disconnected from an AC source supply power?
That depends. There are 2 variables to consider. One is the capacity of the UPS you are using, the other is the power draw you are pulling from the UPS. But as a general guide, a 195 watt load can be supported for 6 minutes without power with this UPS. A 265 watt load can be supported for 5 minutes.
Now, lets put that number into perspective here. First of all, do you know how much power your PC draws? The original Pentium class computers typically came with 200 watt power supplies. (PC only, not including monitor). This means that you can run your PC alone for just under 6 minutes without it being connected to an AC power source. However, Pentium II and AMD K6 class computer typically have 230 watt or higher power supplies. (Again, not including monitor) And Pentium III and Athlon class computers typically have either 250 watt or 300 watt power supplies. Adding a monitor to the system reduces this time greatly.
Less than 5 minutes? What good is that?
It certain situations, it is very useful. You see, the idea behind a UPS isn't to hope to be able to keep on computing until the power is restored, the idea behind a UPS is to allow the user to perform an orderly shutdown of the computer so that no data is lost. This is where APC starts their marketing hype.
This UPS is billed as being Windows 98 compatible because of the Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface. Don't get fooled by the hype. All UPS's, whether they have a USB interface or not, are Windows 98 compatible. UPS's without a USB interface use a good, old-fashioned serial port to communicate with the host computer. By using specialized software, you can execute a shutdown script on your computer when the UPS sends a signal to the PC it is running that it has lost its AC power source.
What is the big deal about that?
Well, in certain circumstances, it can be real helpful. Unix/Linux operating sytems don't like having the power cut on them suddenly. They prefer an orderly shutdown. You can prevent potential file system corruption through the use of a UPS. Also, database servers also like to shut down in an orderly fashion. However, these are professional level applications that most likely will not be running on the type of hardware this UPS is capable of running. The average home user probably has little use for the backup power supply functions afforded by this UPS.
Well, what good is it then?
For home usage, I only recommend UPSs in one circumstance. If you are in a place with a poor quality power, you will find that a decent UPS is worth its weight in gold. I hope that EVERYONE reading this epinion is using a surge protector on their PC for nominal power conditioning, but the fact is that the power conditioning that surge protectors provide is limited. Surge Protectors, as their name implies, protect against power surges, they do absolutely nothing to prevent power dips. From past experience, I have seen the havoc that power dips can play with computer components, particularly hard drives.
Summary
APC is a quality vendor. In situations where UPSs make sense, I always choose either an APC or a Triplite UPS. However, if you are looking at this UPS for a Windows 98 machine, unless you have power quality power in your location, a UPS probably isn't worth the money.
What is the method behind the magic?
The basic functionality of a UPS is really quite simple. The major components consist of a battery charger, a battery, and a transformer. The AC power source you plug the UPS into will keep the battery with a full charge. The transformer converts DC current from the battery into AC current that your computer ( or whatever you plug into it ) requires to operate. Since your computer runs off the battery, not the AC power source, this will enable the computer to run as long as the battery has a charge.
How long will a UPS disconnected from an AC source supply power?
That depends. There are 2 variables to consider. One is the capacity of the UPS you are using, the other is the power draw you are pulling from the UPS. But as a general guide, a 195 watt load can be supported for 6 minutes without power with this UPS. A 265 watt load can be supported for 5 minutes.
Now, lets put that number into perspective here. First of all, do you know how much power your PC draws? The original Pentium class computers typically came with 200 watt power supplies. (PC only, not including monitor). This means that you can run your PC alone for just under 6 minutes without it being connected to an AC power source. However, Pentium II and AMD K6 class computer typically have 230 watt or higher power supplies. (Again, not including monitor) And Pentium III and Athlon class computers typically have either 250 watt or 300 watt power supplies. Adding a monitor to the system reduces this time greatly.
Less than 5 minutes? What good is that?
It certain situations, it is very useful. You see, the idea behind a UPS isn't to hope to be able to keep on computing until the power is restored, the idea behind a UPS is to allow the user to perform an orderly shutdown of the computer so that no data is lost. This is where APC starts their marketing hype.
This UPS is billed as being Windows 98 compatible because of the Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface. Don't get fooled by the hype. All UPS's, whether they have a USB interface or not, are Windows 98 compatible. UPS's without a USB interface use a good, old-fashioned serial port to communicate with the host computer. By using specialized software, you can execute a shutdown script on your computer when the UPS sends a signal to the PC it is running that it has lost its AC power source.
What is the big deal about that?
Well, in certain circumstances, it can be real helpful. Unix/Linux operating sytems don't like having the power cut on them suddenly. They prefer an orderly shutdown. You can prevent potential file system corruption through the use of a UPS. Also, database servers also like to shut down in an orderly fashion. However, these are professional level applications that most likely will not be running on the type of hardware this UPS is capable of running. The average home user probably has little use for the backup power supply functions afforded by this UPS.
Well, what good is it then?
For home usage, I only recommend UPSs in one circumstance. If you are in a place with a poor quality power, you will find that a decent UPS is worth its weight in gold. I hope that EVERYONE reading this epinion is using a surge protector on their PC for nominal power conditioning, but the fact is that the power conditioning that surge protectors provide is limited. Surge Protectors, as their name implies, protect against power surges, they do absolutely nothing to prevent power dips. From past experience, I have seen the havoc that power dips can play with computer components, particularly hard drives.
Summary
APC is a quality vendor. In situations where UPSs make sense, I always choose either an APC or a Triplite UPS. However, if you are looking at this UPS for a Windows 98 machine, unless you have power quality power in your location, a UPS probably isn't worth the money.
