I'm about to finally settle into my updated office space and was wondering what everyone is using in terms of power strips/UPS? I want something with at least 10 outlets.
Thanks.
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nMP and power strips /UPS
- Thread starter puckhead193
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This one comes up frequently:
CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD PFC Sinewave UPS 1500VA 900W
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00429N19W/ref=oh_details_o05_s00_i00?ie=UTF8
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Thanks.
I guess I should add what I plan to attach
nMP
monitor (NEC PA272W)
speakers (altec lansing fx6021) for now maybe audio engine A2s
1 G-tech thunderbolt drive
1 G-tech RAID
SxS memory card reader
matrox MX02 mini
cable modem
airport extreme
landline cordless phone for said cable modem
Down the line a might add a second monitor (20" inches or so)
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So does the APC SmartUPS 1500 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16842301289).
This has 8 outlets.
If you connect a power strip to a UPS, do not use a power strip with surge protection - get the cheapest quality dumb strip that you can find.
I have been using an APC SmartUPS 1500 for a few years now. I have to replace the battery once, but other than that it has served me well...
All my essential gear is hooked up and I have approximately 20 min. of run time:
NetGear ReadyNAS Pro (6 HDD)
AirPort Extreme
Airport Time Capsule (3TB)
AirPort Time Capsule (2TB)
Mac Pro 3,1
The ReadyNAS will shut down by itself gracefully in case of power outages over 10 min., and because I have the network on the UPS, I can shot down everything else as well using one of my laptops if necessary.
All my essential gear is hooked up and I have approximately 20 min. of run time:
NetGear ReadyNAS Pro (6 HDD)
AirPort Extreme
Airport Time Capsule (3TB)
AirPort Time Capsule (2TB)
Mac Pro 3,1
The ReadyNAS will shut down by itself gracefully in case of power outages over 10 min., and because I have the network on the UPS, I can shot down everything else as well using one of my laptops if necessary.
I use this one. Works great so far, is silent and is much cheaper than APC. Has enough power for a z820 and its 1150W PSU so the nMP should be a breeze for it.
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Batteries are expendable...
Batteries have a limited lifetime - any UPS will need to have its batteries replaced at the end-of-life.
A strong argument for APC UPS is that when the battery dies, you will most likely decide that the right option is to replace the battery - not the UPS. They have a nice replacement program, with return shipping for the old battery to be recycled.
I wouldn't buy any other brand UPS even if it were half the price of APC.
Batteries have a limited lifetime - any UPS will need to have its batteries replaced at the end-of-life.
A strong argument for APC UPS is that when the battery dies, you will most likely decide that the right option is to replace the battery - not the UPS. They have a nice replacement program, with return shipping for the old battery to be recycled.
I wouldn't buy any other brand UPS even if it were half the price of APC.
i was looking at APC and saw this one
http://www.apc.com/products/resource/include/techspec_index.cfm?base_sku=BR1500G&total_watts=200
Will this be sufficient. I don't need it to run for an hr just enough time for me to save my work and shut down.
http://www.apc.com/products/resource/include/techspec_index.cfm?base_sku=BR1500G&total_watts=200
Will this be sufficient. I don't need it to run for an hr just enough time for me to save my work and shut down.
APC makes great UPS, but it isn't the only company whose products accept replacement batteries. And it is generally more cost effective to buy batteries from a battery supplier anyway. Just sayin'.
I'd had a CyberPower 1500AVRLCD with has 8 outlets for a year or two and it's been flawless. I went through the whole "pure sine wave" and "simulated sine wave" debate so I called a friend who is an electrical engineer and works for a company that builds and maintains power networks. His conclusion is that it makes no difference in this case. Long term if you were going to run the computer purely from a battery it *might* make a difference but to power it only occasionally during interruptions and for short periods of time, no.
BTW, plugged into my UPS is:
As you may have figured out, most UPSs have a mix of outlets are either battery AND surge or just surge only. If all you need is enough juice to save and shut down, then looking at your list you may only need battery AND surge for about 4 or 5 of the items. As someone else mentioned, you could go with a 8 outlet rig and plug a simple power strip into one of the existing surge only outlets to get the extra plugs you need.
BTW, plugged into my UPS is:
- nMP
- 30" ACD
- Drobo 5D
- External USB3 Enclosure
- Canon CanoScan 5600F scanner
- Monsoon 2.1 Speakers
As you may have figured out, most UPSs have a mix of outlets are either battery AND surge or just surge only. If all you need is enough juice to save and shut down, then looking at your list you may only need battery AND surge for about 4 or 5 of the items. As someone else mentioned, you could go with a 8 outlet rig and plug a simple power strip into one of the existing surge only outlets to get the extra plugs you need.
There are at least two problems with this analysis.
One, it assumes that you're at the computer and able to shutdown as soon as the power fails. That might be valid for many users (save and close the open apps), but for systems running services it can be a problem - unless the UPS signals the OS to shutdown the services will simply drop off without a clean shutdown.
Second, most of the time the power is only off for a handful of seconds to a few minutes. You don't want to do a panic shutdown only to have the power come back 5 seconds after you panic - especially if the UPS has 15 minutes of backup power.
