A great backup to have

Author's Rating:

Pros: gives system great protection

Cons: can't handle much load

Author's Review
I bought this unit because I live in an area that ever so often has a power failure due to the weather. I keep my computer on so that I don't have to wait for it to start up. I have a fairly fast system but have a lot of programs that load on startup and a large number of devices attached to it.

I upgraded from my old UPS because it could no longer handle the power drain of my system and would kick out before it could power down the system. Part of the problem was that it was a cheap setup but it did the job for several years.

I choose this unit because I liked the features and APC is a good brand. So far I feel that I have made the right decision for me. The main thing that made me choose this unit over the other that I was looking for was that it connects to the computer with a USB rather than a serial port. I know that one that uses a serial port works just as well but I think it is easier to setup using the USB. It was the largest unit that I could afford to buy and it has plenty of power to handle my system. After getting it I decided to test it to see how it performed and I have to say that it performed perfectly.

I would not suggest this product to everybody even though I think it is a great product. If you are thinking about it for a home pc which is not left on unattended and do not have much problems with power outages this would not be a product that you would need. Also if you are thinking of using this unit for a system larger than a desktop, like a server, it does not have enough power to handle the demand that would be placed on it and I would suggest looking at one of the larger units. It would be a good addition to a standalone office computer or a household computer that is kept on. It is also a good product for anyone that tends to have power outages.

One thing to remember when thinking about buying an UPS unit is that it is not intended to keep your system running no matter what. It is a device that gives you a little extra time to save what you are working on when the power goes out and allows you system to shut down correctly, which is more and more important as operating systems evolve.