APC BX1500M Back-UPS Pro 1500 VA 900 Watts 10 Outlets

Pros: I have several UPS’s in my house. I use them for computers, entertainment units, and a pellet smoker. The largest one I had before was the APC 1200. This unit is shorter, longer and just as heavy. The big difference is the battery replacement was so easy, that is enough to recommend using this unit. The LED display is really nice, similar to what you can see on the power chute software, but at just a touch of the button, and you wont need a computer. The software has useful information, self tests, updates and allows settings to turn off power when unattended. The top front of the unit has buttons are white LED’s, which allows them to be seen earlier against the black case. The three buttons are on/off, mute and information. The back has five outlets for surge protection only, and five for battery backup and surge. The reset button is easy to get to, and the building wire fault is easy to see. Cons: Obtaining the Power Chute software was cludgy, their website had too many versions of products to scroll through. Overall Review: Configuring the unit using Power Chute on a computer, allows it to be setup for devices which are not computers. I did not have a reason to use the cable modem connectors on this unit.

Pros: First lets remember that we are not reviewing something extremely attractive like a GPU but instead, something that is utilitarian that can serve a very important/critical function. I did not get to do any longevity testing but this was one of the nicest UPS’ I have ever used. I really appreciated the front LCD display that is perfect for displaying the data that is relevant to the device and is very easily read, from any angle or even from some distance (as long as your eyesight is good enough). I also appreciated the aesthetic design and appearance of this device since it is difficult to hide I am glad that it is neutral and tries to fade into the darkness easily. I like having the availability of all of the ports on the back because it allows for a pretty centralized routing method for all the cables that get plugged into the back but do have some concerns (more on that later). The device did not make any annoying sounds/noises the entire time I was using it which is nice since I have used some annoying ones that have terrible coil whine that drove me insane but not my wife (or my hearing has just gotten less sensitive). The device also makes it easy to swap out the battery and has some very user-friendly software that gave me a lot more information than I ever thought it could. The last pro I can think of is that it conditions the power and is a battery back up but I guess that is part of being a UPS, isn’t it? Cons: Obviously, I gave this device 5 eggs because it really was an awesome UPS but when being particularly nitpicky I found that the software conditions the battery as opposed to a hardware solution and I wish it had a couple more outlets, even if they were just surge. I have a 3 monitor work station so just for the desktop and monitors I’m using 4 plugs, if I have my accessories plugged in to this I am out of outlets in no time! I guess you could use a small squid to get the router/modem/any other low power devices but that gets very messy very fast. Overall Review: Overall I think this is an awesome UPS, I have not used a lot of them and this thing was easy to setup and use even for someone like me! I do have a good technological understanding but UPS’ have never really been something I look into too much. Without doing a proper power supply test suite, I am impressed with this product due to the functionality and ease of use, which is why I would highly recommend it.

Pros: Downloadable software for enhanced experience. 3 year warranty (excluding battery) Minimal footprint High capacity for residential use cases. User replaceable battery Easy to understand front panel controls Plug and play & Advanced setups Easy to understand labeling on back of unit Cons: High pitched whine when recharging battery Overall Review: Most people have a hard time justifying a UPS into their budget (myself included), but it really is a underrated piece of equipment that should seriously be considered. Even outside of DATA protection, these units can protect your hardware & devices in ways simple “surge protectors” just can’t. For the past few years I have lived on a street that has frequent power drop outs basically anytime there is a heavy rain storm. Sometimes they last a few hours, sometimes they last less than a second. Just as much as the next guy I know this is horrible for anything remotely voltage sensitive like computers. So I would just always stop using my PC and or HTPCs when we would get a good amount of rain coming our way and unplug the entire surge protector from the wall. Well, now I don’t have to and the freedom feels amazing! Not only does this unit provide battery power for when the power goes completely out, it also regulates the voltage going out to your equipment via the outlets on the back so you don’t have to worry about surges or dips on your power grid. As said before this goes way farther than what a typical surge protector can do. This UPS uses the battery to supplement power for voltage drops so your PC power supply sees a constant 115-120VAC and absorbs the spikes when the voltage coming out of your wall outlet is higher than that. So not only are you getting the ability to protect your data with extra time to properly shutdown your Operating system, but you get much more stable voltage going into your electronics which in theory should make them last longer due to not having the to deal with voltage regulation them selves. Now the calculations needed to figure out what unit you should get depending on what load you are running and how long you need the power to last are a bit intimidating. But there are many calculators on the web and APC’s website ( http://www.apc.com/us/en/tools/ups_selector/ ). It does not hurt to have too much (except for price) but it does hurt if you have too little, However! A very nice feature is these units will actually tell you If your attached load is more than the battery can handle when the power goes out Via Audible alert, which is a very nice addition. So if you do add items later down the road you can try to allocate what is needed and what is not by removing devices and adding them through trial and error. As far as ease of use it doesn’t get much better than this. You can keep it simple and just plug & play with basically doing nothing but making sure you plug the stuff you need to have surge protection and the stuff you need to have power in the event of a power failure in the correct outlets that are clearly labeled on the back of the unit. It even tells you how much time you will have after the power goes out until the battery will dies right on the front of the unit. But if you want more control and automatic shutdown software, Etc for home servers or always on PCs, you have the option to download the PowerChute software. The software lets you set up events and schedules according to certain variables and is controlled by your PC when you connect the included USB cable. Oh and when the battery reaches the end of its usable life you can buy replacement right on APC’s site. the actual battery swap takes 5 seconds and requires no tools! This is really a no-brainer purchase if you have the budget.