<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 10px; PADDING-LEFT: 10px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 4px; BORDER-LEFT: #bbd6ef 1px solid; PADDING-TOP: 4px" vAlign=center height=25>smca's Full Review: APC Back-UPS Pro USB 500VA (BP500CLR) UPS System</TD></TR><TR><TD class=nav-new-1-pixel style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 10px">Buying a surge protector is second nature, but deciding to plunk down the cost of a UPS (Uninterruptible Power System) takes a second thought. Here are some elements to consider and a few things that are important to know about both.
It is important to understand that any surge protector does not remove power spikes entirely, they only "collar" or cut down spikes to within an acceptable "fluctuation range" and act as a body guard to equipment in the event of a huge spike (lightning) -- i.e. the surge strip blows up rather than your equipment. A UPS such as the low end APC Back UPS Pros also substitutes battery power for a short time in the event of a power outage or brownout to enable you to do an orderly shut down of your system if the power loss is sustained, or to enable you to keep working without your system re-booting in the event of a momentary loss. How long the batteries can keep your system up and running depends on 3 things -- the condition of the batteries (normally not a concern), the capacity of the UPS system and the actual load being drawn from the UPS by your PC system. So, assuming the batteries are new and in good condition, a UPS that is rated for 8 minutes of backup power MAY keep your system up for 30-45 minutes if you're system isn't pulling a full load (fans and disk drives not constantly running, etc). However, it is important to know that just like any rechargeable batteries, the more time they are used and recharged (due to prolonged outtages) the less likely they are to hold a full charge. Batteries degrade with use and age (and environment -- i.e. hot temperatures) so it is important to have reasonable expectations about replacing the batteries once the system is 3-5 years old, or if you have experienced a lot of power outages.
Having said all that, why use an APC Back UPS? First, any microcomponent will operate more reliably and have a longer life span when the power it is supplied is clean and consistent. That means that even if you use a surge suppressor, if the "collar" range for surges is too broad, components in your system can degrade. The APC surge "collar" is narrower (closer to a perfectly consistent wave) than most others -- if you must have a consistently perfect power wave, you will need to dig deeper into you pocket for an APC SMART UPS which recreates a perfect power wave by converting AC to DC then back to perfect AC just like their commercial and industrial UPS systems (Silcon and Symettra lines) do.
Second, aside from the aggravation of losing data from a momentary power outage (an obvious reason to have a UPS), your system components tend to last longer if they are not turned on - off - on - off rapidly -- which what a brief power outage tends to force your system to do. It's not that dissimilar to flicking a light on and off rapidly (especially once it's hot) -- it'll blow a two year bulb in a matter of minutes.
A couple of other thoughts: got a lot invested in your stereo? HDTV? Tivo? WebTV? Tired of coming home and seeing your VCR flashing 12:00? Consider putting a UPS there (if you're an audiophile you may notice a significant reduction in static and "pops"). Last -- most lighting damage comes through your PHONE lines so PLEASE make sure to protect your modem -- atleast through a surge protector if not through a UPS (a UPS can't keep the phone line up but can keep your modem from frying).
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