Vertiv Liebert 800VA 480W Line-Interactive UPS (PSA800MT3-120U)

650Va version reviewedWe have several computers at our home office, plus the usual assortment of monitors, accessories, etc. All on UPS's. We're not loyal to any brand - basically be look for the most bang for the buck. For the power supplies, the bang for the buck on this unit is so-so. We have three Cyberpower UPS in the office - they have been up and running for two years - and have display screens that show all current status, from load to discharge. The Liebert has two LED's - that's it. No idea if it's charging, capacity, time remaining or anything else. When the power fails, like all other UPS, it beeps about once per second. It's actually quieter than many - but there's no way to turn it off.I tried this on a table lamp that uses four 20 watt bulbs - it lasted just under 7 minutes. 80 watts, 7 minutes (longer than the math said it should last.) That''s not very good. An average computer uses around 140 watts, plus another 20 for the monitor. 160 watts - so you'll have just over three minutes of power. I have a monster PC that uses 220 watts and THREE monitors - 70 watts. 290 watts. For that PC this is almost useless. For an average home PC, this will last three to five minutes. There is a USB connection and the power supply will automatically shut down the computer (you obviously need an available USB port.)The back of the UPS has one surge protected outlet (white) and three with power backup. On the upside, there is a two year warranty, but others have three year.I prefer having a LOT more power available than I need, so I can actually use my computer during the power outage. Having a "time remaining" on the display is a huge benefit for that. If all you need is a basic power supply that will automatically shut off your PC, this is fine. But there are many in the same price range with more power and features.

I'll start off by saying this UPS was delivered super fast, about 5 days before I expected to receive it.It came well packaged and was super simple to set up. I just pulled it out of the box and plugged it into the wall to let the battery charge. Instructions come in the form of a single sheet of paper with pictures and product specs. It was all very easy to understand.The unit seems sturdy so far. I'm not hearing any humming or buzzing, and the plastic case should be plenty tough for my home office. I'm definitely happy with this purchase!

I ordered two of these units because I was familiar with Liebert's datacenter power systems and I have had bad experiences with APC and TrippLite units I've purchased for organizations I've worked for. Just after the warranty expired, one of the units failed completely and the second began emitting a loud, continuous beep (after a year in the same location, with the same load on it). I ordered replacement batteries, thinking that was the problem - to no avail. I replaced both units with ones from PowerWare, which I had limited, but good experience with in the past. After a year in service, the PowerWare units are still going strong and I have started standardizing all of our UPS systems on PowerWare.

If you walk into any data center and look on the walls, there is little doubt that you are likely to see a Liebert unit powering the data center. They proliferate the industry. So when Amazon offered the Liebert 650Va 390W Line-Interactive UPS for evaluation, I jumped at the opportunity. I was not as impressed with the UPS as I had hoped that I'd be.Three to five minutes reserve power (at full load) is not a long time. Some Windows machines take longer than that just to shutdown. (Okay, that's an exaggeration! But Windows does take a while to shutdown even with a relatively fast PC.) I would much prefer 20-minutes backup as it covers most short-term outages and gives a nice comfortable window for shutting down file and media servers.I was surprised that Liebert did not include a test print out with the 650Va. Companies like APC include a print out that gives you an idea of the age of the unit (and hence the age of the battery) and a snapshot of its test performance. Liebert offered none of this. Furthermore, APC's UPSes come with the batteries disconnected so there is no drain or accidental switching on of the unit prior to delivery. The Liebert 650Va came with the battery attached and partially charged.There are LEDs on the front panel to indicate Normal Mode, Battery Mode, Battery Low, Overload, Fault and Battery Replacement. However, there is no LED or other indication to tell you when the battery is at full charge (or even what charge the battery has at any given moment.) You are left blinded to this. The omission is surprising in a company with the reputation of a Liebert.My biggest disappointment with the Liebert 650Va came when I removed it from its outer shipping carton and box. As I handled the UPS I heard a rattling sound. No device should make a noise like that and especially not a device like a UPS that is designed to power sensitive equipment. So I got my Phillips screwdriver out and removed the front panel. A piece of broken plastic fell out.I looked with a flashlight to see if the plastic broke off from inside the UPS or if it was perhaps left inside accidentally from a plastic form when it was built. I could not see any obvious location inside the UPS where the plastic may have broken off, so I can't say which it was. Still, it is disconcerting to see this happen in a brand new product.Given the issues that I've described here it appears that Liebert's intent in producing 650Va 390W Line-Interactive UPS was to produce it on the cheap. That's too bad. The customer and Liebert's reputation deserve better.

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