5th September 2002
Question: I have a small computer system with very few components and I would like to know what should I look for in a UPS system?
Answer: Just to clarify for everyone reading, UPS stands for Uninterruptible Power Supply. Most UPS systems are really standby UPS systems because they power components off of regular power, until a problem is detected, switching to battery power (in about 5 milliseconds) when necessary. Now to the question at hand. Since you have just a simple computer system with very few components, you really only need a simple UPS. What you need to keep a look out for on the UPS is the amount of time it can run off the battery and at what wattage. If you are powering your computer and monitor then I recommend a UPS with at least a 210-Watt output. Of course the more money you put into a UPS then the more bells and whistles you get, along with more power output to support more devices and longer battery life. Another feature I would look for on the box is a user replaceable battery. Just like regular rechargeable batteries, UPS batteries eventually have to be replaced and you don't want to have to pay the service fee for this if you can avoid it. Many of the current UPS systems out have an interface to connect to your computer, either by USB or serial port. This allows you to configure your system to work with your UPS so that if power dies for an extended period of time, your computer will shutdown safely and properly. There are many other features you can get on a UPS system, but hopefully this will shed some light on the key elements you will need for your computer configuration. Anything extra will be icing on the cake.