Power supply/battery backup

[Smudge]

What has been your experience with battery Back ups for your system? Do you use one ?
I bought a CyberPower 900 AVR/ 500 wts. It says 250,000 lifetime connected equipment guarentee. By the same token, the sales guy at Best Buy said they only work for about 4 yrs and you need new one.

I never thought of getting anything more than a surge protector before i ordered my Alienware system, but they highly recommended I get a battery backup instead. Dell never mentioned it when i bought this computer 3 yrs ago. I do understand it's important for consistant voltage to go through to electronics, but what exactly happens to your system if you don't use one?
Thanks in advance -

[HAL9000]

A UPS is a high level of power surge/sag protection. You don't necessarily have to replace the entire unit every 4 years, but since it has a battery, and battery performance degrades over time, the battery will eventually need to be replaced. Whenever I have replaced a UPS battery, it has generally been at about half the cost of the original UPS. I have also seen them last anywhere from 1 to 5+ years.

[archie]

For a server, it's almost a necessity but having one for a workstation is also worthwhile. I have been using one on my main system for a few yrs now ... the APC UPS 500. The main reason was to get by the one second power outages that we were getting at the time. Not too long ago, I saw the model below [APC UPS 300?] selling for a really good price at Cosco and was thinking of gettting a few more but didn't. It looks like they're sold out now.
Sometimes, I wonder if these do help the power supply on a PC last longer or whether it's just a coincidence that it hasn't died since using the UPS ... probably just a coincidence.
The only drawback to having a UPS, and this may not apply to all of them, is that when the power goes out, they beep ... imagine this at 3:00 a.m. when you have to get up early for work the next day.

[HAL9000]

Archie, Costco here in Regina brings them in as regular stock. I currently have 2 and am considering buying 2 more. As for the beep, you can turn it off, but I personally don't mind if it does beep at 3 AM as then at least I know the power went out and I can reset my alarm clock.

[archie]

Hey Hal, the model I was referring to was selling for $65 ... usually $150.
I didn't realize the beep could be turned off. It became an issue when it happened the last time in the middle of the night and I couldn't find the flashlight to unplug it. I'll look up the details in the manual.
As for the question "but what exactly happens to your system if you don't use one?", we haven't really touched on that too much but I have a feeling that we will. ... I do want to add ... if there is a power shortage and there is no UPS on the system, that's it, the computer is turned off instantly without a warning [grrrr] ... whereas if you have a UPS, it allows time to save and exit safely. Just having the reassurance of not being turned off instantly is reason enough, IMO, to use one of these puppies ...

[mairving]

Originally posted by archie Hey Hal, the model I was referring to was selling for $65 ... usually $150. I didn't realize the beep could be turned off. It became an issue when it happened the last time in the middle of the night and I couldn't find the flashlight to unplug it.

Yeah, the power cut off the other night at about 3am. So my UPS starts beeping and there I was groping in the dark to flick that thing off before it woke up my 3-mo old son. Almost made it. LOL

[archie]

That 3-mo old son will soon become a flashlight abuser in the not too distant future ... I don't know what the appeal is with kids and flashlights but when the emergency flashlight is needed, that's when you will find the batteries runned down [keep flashlight out of reach] ... and speaking of batteries ... sounds like Hal needs an alarm clock that uses a battery backup.

[HAL9000]

We must be a bit cheaper here Archie, it's the APC 300 for $57.99. I wasn't sure why it was so cheap as our cost from our supplier is $101.00. The difference is the Costco one doesn't come with the data cable and powerchute software.

Mairving, you gotta make more noise in your house if that wakes the baby

[archie]

Cosco is one of these places that is a blessing in disguise ... on one visit, you'll see something that is appealing but were not in the market for. After further consideration over the next week or so, you decide to get it but it is no longer available ... kind of bad in a way for the impulsive buyer.
Hey Hal, it may have very well been that much here but I do remember it was a super great deal ... at that price, it may be worth considering getting a UPS for the alarm clock.

[HAL9000]

I want one for my TV and VCR because every time I set the channels and clock on each, the power goes out within a week. I would like one just to hold the settings.

[Smudge]

dang, I got robbed at Best buy! LOL.. The APC for 500watt was like $179.. So I went with brand Cyberpower for $149.99 - ouch .. It has this software that's called " auto shutdown and file save" -- 2 phone lines, fax & modem surge protection -- 6 outlets -- Anyway, I live in a rural area and we have a co-operative for an electric company out here, ( New Mexico mountains) In the winter months especially we get power surges and complete shutdowns pretty often when weather gets bad.

My computer runs at 340watts and a 19in NEC moniter is 130 watts.. Would a lower wattage unit have worked ??? .. Alienware suggests the APC products cause that is what they sell on their site also.. Just a bit more expensive than Belkin or Cyberpower units.
Thanks for all the help guys,
Rommie

[archie]

the equivalent of a APC UPS 500 sounds correct for a system with a 19" monitor ... that can be double checked here with the UPS selector. The main difference from that model vs a lesser model, TTBOMK, is that it holds the power a bit longer ... ie. instead of 10 minutes, it would run for 20 minutes.