APC vs Cyberpower
The two most popular consumer UPS companies are probably APC and Cyberpower. While I have used both, the last few years, I have mostly purchased Cyberpower. Neither brand is perfect, however.
For most individuals, any of these options is an improvement over no protection.
Reliability Improvements
In order to improve the reliability of power delivered to our devices, you want these features to provide cleaner power to your devices.
- AVR(Automatic Voltage Regulation) – which ensures the delivery of power free from voltage fluctuations
- PFC(Power Factor Correction) – This reduces current draw, making it more efficient, though you need to check on the power supplies of computers connected to it for compatibility.
Recommendations
For a full featured CyberPower, you might want to try the CP1000PFCLED. There are variants of this model with different power ratings. It has:
- Automatic Voltage Regulation
- Power Factor Correction
- Swappable Battery
- Data Port
- LCD Screen for basic stats
Going down a level, you have the EC650LCD. It has:
- The LCD Screen
- The Swappable Battery
- The Data Port
I use the less expensive model for some of my networking equipment and the one with extra features for my homelab server.
Absolute Requirements
- Swappable Battery – You also want a UPS with a swappable battery, because without it, the day the battery fails, you have to buy a new unit.
- Data Port – You also want a USB connection to hook into a system and neatly shut down, which both of the recommendations have.
In the end, a UPS is a valuable tool for protection, but you need to know what you are getting into.
