AMDave
03-03-2014, 08:44 PM
Consumer-grade UPSs and new computers
If you use a consumer grade UPS (Uninterruptable Power Supply) to keep your computer running during momentary power glitches or short outages, you should probably read this thread:Oops! Lesson learned about UPS and active PFC power supplies (http://www.primegrid.com/forum_thread.php?id=5553)(Discussion on this topic should be directed to that thread.)In short, most of the inexpensive UPSs you would buy for your home are incompatible with newer computer power supplies because the power supply uses something called "Active PFC". If the UPS switches to battery power, the computer may shut off. In the worst case scenario, the UPS, the computer power supply, or other components of the computer may be damaged.The problem is that most inexpensive UPSs don't produce a true sine wave output, and that messes up the active PFC power supplies. Business grade UPSs (such as APC's "Smart-UPS" line) produce pure sine wave outputs and work fine with new power supplies, but those start at around $300. The only consumer grade UPSs with true sine wave outputs that I'm aware of are from Cyberpower. They're a little more expensive, but much less than the business grade UPSs.If you have a computer with a power supply that has active PFC, or if you might ever get one in the future, you don't want to use a UPS with "stepped" or "simulated" sine wave output. At best, the computer will shut off. At worst, you'll be buying new computer parts. Keep in mind that as time goes on, more and more power supplies will be using active PFC. It's a "green" technology, is good for the power grids, and is mandated by regulation in some jurisdictions, notably the EU.
More... (http://www.primegrid.com/forum_thread.php?id=5556)
If you use a consumer grade UPS (Uninterruptable Power Supply) to keep your computer running during momentary power glitches or short outages, you should probably read this thread:Oops! Lesson learned about UPS and active PFC power supplies (http://www.primegrid.com/forum_thread.php?id=5553)(Discussion on this topic should be directed to that thread.)In short, most of the inexpensive UPSs you would buy for your home are incompatible with newer computer power supplies because the power supply uses something called "Active PFC". If the UPS switches to battery power, the computer may shut off. In the worst case scenario, the UPS, the computer power supply, or other components of the computer may be damaged.The problem is that most inexpensive UPSs don't produce a true sine wave output, and that messes up the active PFC power supplies. Business grade UPSs (such as APC's "Smart-UPS" line) produce pure sine wave outputs and work fine with new power supplies, but those start at around $300. The only consumer grade UPSs with true sine wave outputs that I'm aware of are from Cyberpower. They're a little more expensive, but much less than the business grade UPSs.If you have a computer with a power supply that has active PFC, or if you might ever get one in the future, you don't want to use a UPS with "stepped" or "simulated" sine wave output. At best, the computer will shut off. At worst, you'll be buying new computer parts. Keep in mind that as time goes on, more and more power supplies will be using active PFC. It's a "green" technology, is good for the power grids, and is mandated by regulation in some jurisdictions, notably the EU.
More... (http://www.primegrid.com/forum_thread.php?id=5556)