CyberPower CP1500AVRLCD UPS Review
Nothing is worse than losing power while working on the computer. Even if you are playing a video game, it still warrants the cursing that follows after a total power loss kills your playtime. You don't have to be a business person or computer enthusiast to reap the benefits of working though a power out.
Since it is easier to purchase a battery backup solution than it is to learn the habit of frequently saving your work, it makes perfect sense to pair a computer system to a decent UPS. In fact, one day it may make as much sense to pair the two together as much as it does to have a keyboard and mouse. But what determines a "decent" uninterruptible power source?
The CyberPower Systems CP1500AVRLCD UPS, designed for mid to high-end computer systems, features dynamic line conditioning and an Intelligent LCD diagnostic display. Real-time system vitals can be viewed from this display and the unit can be conveniently mounted in a workstation cabinet or directly on the desktop. The CP1500AVRLCD also guards against surges/spikes, and offers battery backup in the event of brownouts or total power loss. Additionally, CyberPower stands behind its projects by offering an industry-leading 3-year warranty, coupled with our award winning Technical Support and Connected Equipment Guarantees of up to $500,000.
Automatic Voltage Regulation (AVR) ensures that all your electronics are receiving clean power and stabilizes the voltage to a nominal 120VAC. PowerPanel PE Management Software automatically saves and closes open files and then shuts down the computer system in an intelligent and orderly manner. The CP series are also equipped with full dataline protection: RJ11/RJ45 (phone, fax, Ethernet, network, DSL) and RG-6 coax (DSL, cable modem, satellite, cable TV). Surge-Only outlets are perfect for the addition of peripherals such as monitors, printers, scanners, iPods, or CD/DVD players.
About CyberPower Systems
Founded in 1997, CyberPower Systems (USA), Inc., designs, manufactures and markets a feature-rich line of affordable high quality Uninterruptible Power Systems. CyberPower is a true manufacturer with two company owned manufacturing facilities. We have a full R&D department, over 60 engineers, and a solid ISO 9001 certified supply chain. Our warranties are three years on UPS instead of the industry standard of two and lifetime warranties on our surge products to include some of the highest connected equipment warranties in the industry.
Since CyberPower first opened its office in the United States, the worldwide distribution of CyberPower products has grown significantly. In fact, Today, CyberPower Systems is the #2 UPS and Surge Manufacturer in both unit and dollar share in the retail channel. CyberPower boasts a complete line of emergency battery backup systems for computer systems, electronics and telecommunication equipment.
CyberPower has recently expanded its line of products to include both lower cost UPS units for the general consumer, as well as higher end units for those applications needing automatic voltage regulation or pure sine wave output. This new product line fully compliments our retail line of products and is capable of serving the reseller community in the SMB sector. The new Reseller line of products is conveniently segregated into three main categories to help enable simplicity in application choice. Those three categories are; The Utility line which is standby Off line UPS, the Office line consisting of line interactive AVR UPS and the Professional line that is Pure Sine wave line interactive AVR UPS. These units are produced in tower form factors and Rack mounted versions in both 1U and 2U designs currently. The addition of these products into the CyberPower line makes CyberPower a true leading global supplier of power protection solutions.
CyberPower UPS Features
The CyberPower Systems CP1500AVRLCD is the new innovative LCD unit for mid-level to upper level computer systems. With the best battery run times out of our testing group, this unit really performs. The 1500 not only guards against surges, spikes, sags, brownouts and other power abnormalities, but also protects your computer system and valuable data during a power outage. The automatic voltage regulation (AVR) will step up low voltages to safe output levels without resorting to battery power.
The CP1500AVRLCD stabilize inconsistent utility power. The incoming utility power may be damaging to important data files, but with Automatic Voltage Regulation, the computer will not experience damaging voltage levels. An Automatic Voltage Regulator automatically increases low or decreases high voltage to a consistent, computer safe 110v/120v. The unit's powerful sealed lead-acid batteries will provide power only if the incoming voltage drops below 90v or increases above 140v.
• Intelligent LCD Diagnostic Display: The innovative front panel LCD can be used to display detailed information on the UPS status and current power conditions. The LCD displays 11 different diagnostics: Input voltage level, Output voltage level, Automatic voltage regulator, Runtime estimate, Load level, Power frequency, On battery, Overload, Fault, Battery capacity, and Silent mode.
•Automatic Voltage Regulation (AVR): Incoming AC power is electronically regulated for dips and spikes AVR takes this irregular AC power and converts it into a consistent Sinewave so sensitive electronic equipment can achieve its optimal performance.
• EMI/RFI: Provides shielding against electromagnetic interference & radio frequency signals. Most commonly, this is used to prevent line noise or humming that occurs over telephone lines or stereo electronics.
• Transformer-spaced Outlets: Widely spaced outlets allow you to conveniently add large transformer-based plugs without compromising the utility of other outlets.
• USB Connectivity: Plug-N-Play software and convenient USB ports allow for quick and easy installation.
• PowerPanel PE Smart Management Software: In the event of a power outage, PowerPanel PE will not only save your open files, it will also Hibernate your PC to increase the run-time on the UPS unit. PowerPanel is quickly and easily installed on any Windows-based PC and is designed to utilize minimal system resources. Diagnostic screens give immediate visuals of the UPS status, and also include the following features: Silent operation mode, configurable system notifications, automatic self tests, adjustable high/low voltage warnings, event/data logging, and scheduled shutdowns. Download the software directly.
• LED Indicators: LED status lights indicate Power-On and wiring faults.
• Audible Alarms: Audible tones identify when the unit is running off battery power, unit overloads and low battery.
• Resettable Circuit Breaker: Convenient unit reset switch in case of an overload.
• 3-year Warranty: CyberPower will replace damaged units if within 3 years of purchase date. We stand behind our products and guarantee quality. CyberPower also offers a #1 rated technical support team that will assist you with product, installation, or warranty concerns --- Free of Charge!
• ISO & Safety Certifications: All CyberPower manufacturing facilities are ISO-9001 Quality Tested. Our products are also certified by the FCC, cUL, and UL.
• Windows Vista Compliant: Our Power Management software has been fully tested and compliant with Windows 9x, 200x, Server, XP, and Vista.
• Identical Model's: CP1500AVRLCD, BC1500C; CP1500C
CP1500AVRLCD Specifications
General Information
Manufacturer: CyberPower Systems, Inc
Manufacturer Website Address: www.cyberpowersystems.com
UPC 649532015269
Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price: $239.99 USD
Automatic Voltage Reg. (AVR) Line-interactive UPS; Tower Configuration
AVR included - Boost/Buck
Technical Information
Plug/Connector Type: NEMA 5-15P
Receptacles
• 4 x NEMA 5-15R - Backup/Surge-protected*
• 4 x NEMA 5-15R - Surge-protected*
Switching Time: 4 ms
Dataline Protection
• RJ-11 Telephone/Fax/Modem/Internet lines
• RJ-45 Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX
• Type F Connector Coaxial Cable Line
Power Description
Load Capacity: 1500VA / 900W*
Input Voltage: 110V AC
Input Voltage Range: 90V AC to 140V AC Single-phase
Output Voltage: 120V AC Single-phase
Frequency
• 57 to 63Hz Input
• 59 to 61Hz Output
Voltage Handling: 5%
Waveform Type: Simulated Sine Wave
Surge Energy Rating: 1500J
Filtering: EMI/RFI
Circuit Breaker: 1 x 15A
Management
Overload Protection
• On Utility: Circuit Breaker
• On Battery: Internal Current Limiting
Audible Alarms
• Low Battery
• On Battery
• Overload
Bypass Switch: Not Provided
Emergency Power OFF: No
Controls/Indicators
Status Indicators
• Power On
• Wiring Fault
Interfaces/Ports
• 1 x RS-232 DB-9
• 1 x USB 4-pin
Battery Information
Batteries: 2 x 12V/8.5Ah Maintenance Free Sealed Lead-acid User-replaceable Hot-swappable
Backup/Run Time:
• 3 Minutes 900W Full-load
• 11 Minutes 450W Half-load
Battery Life: 3-6 Years
Battery Recharge Time: 8 Hour(s)
Environmental Conditions
Temperature
• 32 °F (0 °C) to (0 °C) 95 °F (35 °C) Operating (35 °C)
• 5 °F (-15 °C) to (-15 °C) 113 °F (45 °C) Non-operating (45 °C)
Humidity
• 0 to 95% Non-condensing Operating Humidity
• 0 to 95% Non-condensing Non-operating
Altitude
• 0 ft to 10000 ft Operating
• 0 ft to 50000 ft Non-operating
Physical Characteristics
Color: Black
Form Factor: Tower
Power Cord/Cable: 6 ft
Dimensions: 9.75" Height x 4" Width x 13.25" Depth
Shipping Dimensions: 14.25" Height x 17.25" Width x 8.5" Depth - Display Box
Weight: 25.1 lb
Shipping Weight: 27.6 lb - Display Box
Miscellaneous
Package Contents
• UPS Unit
• User Manual
• Power Management Software
• Warranty Card
• Coaxial Cable
• Phone Cable
• USB Cable
Certifications & Standards
• FCC Class B certified
• cUL
• UL 1778
Software Included: PowerPanel PE
Country of Origin: China
Warranty
Standard Warranty: 3 Year(s) Parts & Labor
Parts Warranty/Labor: 3 Year(s) Parts & Labor
Additional Warranty Information
• CyberPower stands behind its products by offering an industry leading 3-year warranty. CyberPower also has a #1 rated technical support team that will assist you with product, installation, or warranty concerns --- Free of charge.
• Connected Equipment Guarantee of $500,000
UPS Testing and Results
The purpose of a battery backup unit is to provide power to equipment when the A/C power has failed. Simple enough, which means that it isn't very difficult to test an uninterruptible power source. What separates the good from the bad is how long they can survive after a power failure, and what they can offer in addition to a battery backup solution.
For this review, I compared the CyberPower CP1500AVRLCD 1350VA 810W LCD UPS to several other battery backup systems. Tripp Lite's 1500VA 900W SMART1500LCD UPS joined the Powercom Black Knight Pro BNT-1500AP and it's related cousin the Ultra ULT33045 900W. CyberPower's larger CP1500AVRLCD 1500VA 900W UPS was also compared for fair measure.
Battery Backup Devices
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CyberPower CP1350AVRLCD 1350VA 810W LCD UPS
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Ultra ULT33045 1500VA 900W Digital Display UPS
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Powercom Black Knight Pro BNT-1500AP 1500VA 900W UPS
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Tripp Lite SMART1500LCD 1500VA 900W LCD UPS
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CyberPower CP1500AVRLCD 1500VA 900W LCD UPS
The Powercom Black Knight Pro BNT-1500AP is a 1500VA UPS offering 900 Watts and is available at many of the more popular online stores. I used the BNT-1500AP in nearly all of my server installations, because it offers plenty of wattage at a very reasonable cost. Unfortunately Powercom doesn't offer a convenient LCD diagnostic display on the BNT-1500AP like CyberPower does on their CP1350AVRLCD and CP1500AVRLCD, nor do they offer an equipment guarantee like all of the other systems include. Feature amenities aside, all of the systems tested in this article are very comparable UPS battery backup systems, which offer similar wattage at a similar price.
For each test, the computer was booted into DOS, and MemTest 86+ was run for the duration which consumed 180W. The on-battery lifetime was recorded from the moment the UPS system began on-battery power, to the moment the devices fully depleted the battery and the system shuts off. For comparison, the computer and LCD display combined consumed 170W at the Windows XP login screen, and 178W during web browsing. Ironically, power draw was slightly higher when the system entered into the BIOS setup screen, which measured 186W. Benchmark Reviews utilized the following test system hardware for the computer and display:
Test Equipment
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Motherboard: ABIT AB9 Pro v1.6 BIOS (Intel 965 chipset)
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Processor: Intel E6600 Core 2 Duo 2.2GHz operating at 3.2 GHz (356 MHz FSB)
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Hard Disks: (2) Western Digital WD360GD 10,000 RPM SATA in RAID-0 array
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Optical Drive: Lite-On SH-16A7S-05 SATA DVD R/W
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Operating System: Windows XP Professional SP-2 with IE7
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Display: Samsung SyncMaster 204B 20.1" LCD
Each UPS would be drained completely during the on-battery lifetime test, and then recharged for a full 24-hour period before retesting. Each test was repeated three times, and the results were averaged (although the results were practically identical each time). For the battery backup unit testing, each UPS was pulled out of the box and charged for more than 24 hours with the power turned off. I then connected the computer and display (listed below) into the UPS. The computer was started and the main power cord was immediately disconnected from the UPS to begin on-battery power.
In our tests, we included the CyberPower CP1350AVRLCD 1350VA 810W UPS, which is rated lower than every other UPS system in in the testing group at 1350VA, primarily because it did so well against the others in our previous reviews.
CyberPower CP1500AVRLCD Results
Ultra ULT33045 1500VA 900W Digital Display UPS: 12 Minutes of on-battery life operation for PC and display. That's not a typo. The Ultra ULT33045 really did not perform well, and we suspect this unit to be defective. Fortunately for us (and Ultra), this unit was covered under warranty. The replacement unit is inbound, and the new results will be posted as soon as the testing is complete.
Powercom Black Knight Pro BNT-1500AP 1500VA 900W UPS: 22 Minutes of on-battery life operation for PC and display. With less overhead (no LCD), and more volt-amps and wattage, the Powercom UPS couldn't push past the less powerful CyberPower CP1500AVRLCD. Similar battery configurations, somewhat comparative power output, and yet the lifetime proves the numbers wrong.
Tripp Lite 1500VA SMART1500LCD UPS: 22 Minutes of on-battery life operation for PC and display. The single-reading LCD display may create a very minor amount of overhead, but despite higher volt-amps and wattage the Tripp Lite SMART1500LCD UPS matched the Powercom BNT-1500AP, but could not outperform the less powerful CyberPower CP1500AVRLCD. What I really liked about these results was that Tripp Lites own test result chart matched our results exactly, which means that they are being very honest and not attempting to give the consumer a marketing spin on their products performance.
CyberPower CP1350AVRLCD 1350VA 810W UPS: 25 Minutes of on-battery life operation for PC and display. Averaging 180Kw drain, the CyberPower CP1350AVRLCD offered nearly a half-hour of on-battery life. While not nearly the lifetime the retail box boasts, it was clearly the little UPS that could.
CyberPower CP1500AVRLCD 1500VA 900W LCD UPS: 30 Minutes of on-battery life operation for PC and display. CyberPower's CP1500AVRLCD provided a half-hour of on-battery life while giving more technical information and power signal data than all of the other manufacturers. While the lifetime on the retail box suggests a much longer runtime, CyberPower has an easy lead over the competition, and a clear king of the hill in our 1500VA UPS showdown.
CP1500AVRLCD UPS Conclusion
Since the CyberPower CP1500AVRLCD offers the longest on-battery lifetime we have recorded, that should be enough reason alone to make it the most appealing 1500 VA UPS available. But add to the list a diagnostic LCD display, 3-year warranty, and an excellent $500,000 equipment guarantee, and you will be surprised to learn that the very best products can still be purchased for less than you would think. The CP1500AVRLCD 1500VA 900W UPS is available at $179.99 at NewEgg.com, but digging a little deeper I also found it for $179.94 at Buy.com. When you can buy the CyberPower CP1500AVRLCD at a price less than the field of battery backup devices with far less features, there is tremendous value to be had.
But if 1500VA is just way too much battery for your needs, CyberPower also offers the CP1350AVRLCD 1350VA 810W UPS for $139.99 at NewEgg.com; it's the exact same size and offers all of the same features for a few dollars less.
The CyberPower CP1500AVRLCD arrived in a colorful (and boastful) retail package. The packaging material was more than enough to keep this product safe from the abuses of standard ground-service shipment. I was never a believer of the estimated battery life claims on the box, but the presentation was otherwise inviting.
The "tower" design and black appearance of the CyberPower CP1500AVRLCD is probably the most appealing on the UPS market. CyberPower has tried other colors such as white and charcoal, but the black tower design fits best. While the plastic encased battery construction is more than rugged enough for indoor use, I am not so sure you want the LCD display resting under a desk where people are prone to kicking or driving a chair into it.
In terms of functionality, the results speak for themselves. The CyberPower CP1500AVRLCD lasted much longer (27% longer on average) than any other 1500VA rated UPS, and did so with plenty of extra features at a less expensive price. You aren't going to find a longer lasting 1500VA UPS, and you certainly won't find many that offer a portion of these features while still being affordable.
I found the diagnostic LCD display to be a real asset. Not only could I now see exactly how much drain my equipment was causing, but I could see precisely what kind of load it caused the UPS batteries, and an estimation of the lifetime of on-battery life. Like the LCD the power button is also backlit, and unlike the LED display which turns itself off after a few seconds the power button makes a (not so) great nightlight.
Benchmark Reviews is quite proud to recommend the CyberPower CP1500AVRLCD for personal computer and home theater equipment use. The CyberPower CP1500AVRLCD UPS provides consistent AVR power with a Crystal-Blue LCD diagnostic display. It's also fully loaded with RJ11/RJ45/Coax hookups, and comes with PowerPanel software.
Pros:
+ Intelligent LCD Diagnostic Display
+ Excellent on-battery life
+ Connected Equipment Guarantee of $500,000
+ Convenient transformer spacing
+ 3-year product warranty
+ High-quality construction
+ Attractive design
Cons:
- Exaggerated battery life on box
- Power button illuminates full time
Ratings:
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Presentation: 9.0
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Appearance: 9.5
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Construction: 9.0
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Functionality: 10.0
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Value: 9.25
Final Score: 9.35 out of 10.
Nomination: 2007 Benchmark Reviews Editor's Choice Award.
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