CyberPowerCP1500AVRLCD Intelligent LCD UPS System, DISCONTINUED * SEE NEW UPDATED MODEL CP1500AVRLCD3 *

I received my UPS today and after several days of pure panic I was relieved to learn my fears were for naught.After I had already committed to the purchase I read about something I wasn't aware of. New power supplies using a technology called PFC.Apparently many people were finding that this model UPS doesn't place nice with power supplies that require a real sine wave, which this device does not supply. Oooooopsy.... Panic panic panic! Run about and wring hands for three days! Panic more !!I have two large, high power Hackintosh systems and one FreeNAS unit in a rack mount configuration and all three of them are FULL of hard drives.Between the three machines there are about 28 4tb hard drives installed. So it's a hefty load.But the thing that was scary is that all the power supplies are the new PFC type. When I got the UPS in I shut down one of the systems and plugged it into the UPS. I booted it into bios setup mode rather than the OS so if it failed the test nothing would be harmed. I pulled the power cord of the UPS from the all and the Hackintosh kept right on going like nothing had changed. Plugged it back in and pulled it again. Rock solid, no problem.The power supplies in my machines are Corsair HX650 and HT750 (x2) and after some more research it seems that Corsair power supplies are not as sensitive about the false sine wave this UPS provides.As for run time I have no concerns as long as they will keep the three machines powered up for 15 seconds to 1 minute.I have a whole house Generac generator that automatically starts up and transfers upon city power failure.When the city power fails the Generac self starts (runs on natural gas) and transfers the house from city to generator. The shortest start and transfer time I've seen is 15 seconds. I can imagine that maybe in the winter if it's really cold (which is very rare here) that it MIGHT take longer to crank up and transfer.So the Cyberpower unit only serves to carry the machines for a very short time until the generator kicks in.There's also a nasty, nasty downside to the generator, when it detects that city power has been restored it will automatically transfer the load back to the city and the generator shuts down to standby. But when it transfers from generator back to city, it's a very rapid cycle, like half a second.And electronics don't like rapid power on/off cycles like that. Especially computers. Even though it's only like 1/2 a second long that's enough to crash a computer and make all the clocks start blinking. So again the Cyberpower UPS will rescue my stuff from that nasty transfer business.I have no doubt it can carry three heavy Hackintosh systems for less than one minute and that's really my only need.I am pleased and relieved that it does play nice with my Corsair PFC power supplies after all.I will probably buy two more of these to carry the rest of the electronics at my desk and I'll probably buy several of the much smaller units to put around the house to cover when the generator does it's thing. And of course there is an added benefit of protecting my equipment much better than a $10 surge protection strip from Walmart would.As others have mentioned, the Mac software is pretty barren and bleak but it does work. It would be really nice if it could send a command through my LAN to tell all machines to power down but I guess I would have to get enterprise gear to have that ability.The price was right and this will do what I need, keep three machines running for under one minute.I just hope it doesn't make poo on itself like some people have mentioned theirs did.

I've only tested this in an "artificial" scenario, i.e., pulling the plug from the wall after having it charged. Well, it did fine there (as well as with the "self-test" available via the software config). Make sure to download the new software from the Cyberpower website for the latest version. I'm using it on Windows 7 64 bit, and it performs flawlessly. Low resources, and stable. Impressive.At any rate, I really enjoy the readout from the front. Voltage In, Voltage Out, Power frequency, instantaneous power consumption (in kW), and load and battery capacity as well as estimated runtime are available from the front display. After a period of inactivity, the screen will turn off to avoid needless power consumption. A simple button press will bring it back.As I stated earlier, I haven't had to test its actual capabilities yet (probably better this way, ha). But living in Florida, that's expected as long as it's not the summer - which is when most of our power events occur. Whether it's a lightning storm, or peak load on the grid during a hot summer afternoon when ACs are on full blast, various conditions can create short power outages, or more likely, severe brownouts. I've lost a router this way. However, I feel more confident with this UPS. I wish it would boost and buck at narrower ranges (the low limit is 90Vac and high limit is 140Vac before it bucks/boosts by switching to the battery), to keep it more in line with the 120Vac +/- 5% optimal range. But that's ok.This UPS will be tested in real world conditions, but it'll have to wait until the next Florida summer. I figured I'd buy it now while it's cheaper!The thing that impressed me the most was it's capacity. I appear to have way overestimated my needs! ha. According to the software, with my computer, 22" LCD monitor, Klipsch 2.1 speakers, and my Linksys WRT54GL router plugged in, I have about 38 minutes of runtime. Load is only around 13% or so. I wish it came with more battery backup outlets, but it is ok for my needs. If I need to, I can simply put in a splitter to gain a few extra outlets. (Note: if you do this, make sure to not exceed the total capacity of the UPS, or to overload the one outlet - it can only handle so many amps... use the split with lower-drain devices like modems and routers; in addition, use a regular power splitter, not one with a surge protector built in. It isn't recommended to daisy chain surge protectors due to possible harmonic effects between them during a power event). Also, be sure to heed the warning in the instructions: do not connect a laser printer due to its high transient current draws. I have a Brother laser printer that I have connected to my non-UPS surge protector (the one I used before I bought this UPS).My only complaint is that whether by UPS' handling, or maybe handling somewhere earlier in the chain, a corner of the UPS had cracked and bent. It was disappointing, but the unit itself still worked, and it wasn't a hazard in any way. It's cosmetic damage, but I wish perhaps it was better packed, since throwing around this 30+ lb box as it was packed certainly will do some damage. I wish Amazon would have put some extra packing around the retail box; instead, they ship the retail box in a bigger cardboard box, and stuff some brown paper in. Some peanuts, bubble wrap, and/or air bags would have served the task far, far better here, especially for something so heavy. However, with the free super saver shipping, I suppose you get what you pay for. BUT - the UPS still works and with damage only on that back corner, so I won't complain too much.Anyway, if you're looking for a decent UPS at a great price point, I'd recommend this. Obviously, if you're looking for mission-critical or very high end (pure sine wave output type) UPSes, you will have to spend more. However, for the majority of home and small office users, something like this should be perfect.