G5 Quad Owners...

[iGary]

What AVR / UPS do you have your machine hooked up to.

From what I understand, the Quad G5 has a 1000-watt power supply, but the biggest (semi-affordable) UPS unit I can find is 860 watts. The only time it really hits that maximum, as with most machines is at startup.

My exisiting 900 VA machine sounds an overload alarm when I turn the machine on - could this be causing damage?

I'm half tempted just to plug it into my Line AVR and risk it if the power goes out.

Suggestions?

 

[pdpfilms]

You're probably expecting a reply from me.

Sorry, but I can't be of help. I'm hooked up to a wimpy old little backup that would probably explode if my quad tried to use it. It's a bad idea, and I'm simply doing the same as you... waiting to hear what works best.

Good luck!

 

[cc bcc]

I have an APC Back-UPS RS 800 that's powering a Quad G5 (with 5 GB RAM and 5 internal HD's) and a Dell 24". Last time I tested I got 10 minutes of power, while the display was on and I was rendering a Cinema scene.

The power never goes down here, but it's nice to be safe. And with an UPS I could enable write back caching on my RAID5, which is great for speed but you need to be sure the power doesn't go down.

I've heard from someone with a Belkin UPS that had a higher watt rating, but it couldn't handle the G5 quad. Make sure you buy from a good brand.

 

[iGary]

You're probably expecting a reply from me.

Sorry, but I can't be of help. I'm hooked up to a wimpy old little backup that would probably explode if my quad tried to use it. It's a bad idea, and I'm simply doing the same as you... waiting to hear what works best.

Good luck!

Nope, not you specifically - but thanks.

I just can't decide if being hooked up to this 900 VA APC unit (I gave the tower its own, everything else is on another) and "overloading" it during startup is bad...

Turns out my video card was bad (took my machine into Apple today), and I had several issues with my old X800 XT (3 replacements) in my dual 2.7. Just hoping I don't have an electricity problem or something. Heck maybe the monitor power supply is bad?

I'm guessing everyone just uses the smaller ones...

 

[iGary]

I have an APC Back-UPS RS 800 that's powering a Quad G5 (with 5 GB RAM and 5 internal HD's) and a Dell 24". Last time I tested I got 10 minutes of power, while the display was on and I was rendering a Cinema scene.

The power never goes down here, but it's nice to be safe. And with an UPS I could enable write back caching on my RAID5, which is great for speed but you need to be sure the power doesn't go down.

I've heard from someone with a Belkin UPS that had a higher watt rating, but it couldn't handle the G5 quad. Make sure you buy from a good brand.

But that unit you are hooked to has a lower watt rating that the power supply of the unit - that's my point (heck mine is too).

I have two APC 900AV units (one for tower, the rest for perepherals) and a 1200 Line-R APC power conditioner.

 

[iGary]

FWIW - I found this:

Today I caught a glimpse of the indicator light on my Back-UPS RS 1500 (BR1500) that comes on with a beep when waking my Quad from sleep, about 5% of the time. The light was the On Battery light. I called APC. The tech person said that the Quad, when it wakes, is requiring a surge of power that the circuitry in my house cannot always accommodate. In that case, the APC supplements or replaces the energy required with a burst of battery power. That situation only lasts for a couple of seconds. He said it is no cause for concern.

What I am hearing is the UPS "supplementing" the current, since there isn't enought juice from the socket in my office, so it is normal. I still want to get a bigger unit, though.

 

[cc bcc]

But it works. ;-)

The quad's PSU is made to run 4 videocards and a good number of peripherals at the same time, and still have power left. The PSU is clearly overkill so don't worry.

Also, I get no funny noises when powering up.

You asked for one that worked, and it works fine here. I have more than the standard amount of harddrives, a RAID card, an external audio card powered from the firewire bus, and I even run my big monitor from the UPS. No problems at all.

You say you have a 900VA APC unit and it doesn't work? How old is it? The batteries wear down, supposedly. Maybe all you need are new batteries?

 

[840quadra]

FWIW - I found this:



What I am hearing is the UPS "supplementing" the current, since there isn't enought juice from the socket in my office, so it is normal. I still want to get a bigger unit, though.

iGary,

What that is saying is exactly what my first UPS did when my G5 (2.0) came up out of sleep, or when I started it. The initial draw is quite high!


What are you looking to spend roughly ?

I don't have a Quad (just a regular G5) however I do work in a Datacenter with 1000's of servers in it. Our entire power grid is on UPS and generator, however some customers specify that they need dedicated power supplies for their systems.

We use both Rack mounted, and floor standing APC devices for these dedicated customers individually. With our recent power audit, I would only recommend an APC 1000XL or higher unit for what you are trying to do.

I know the cost isn't the greatest on these, however it is really the only solution that they sell if you want an APC device.

I am thinking of one of these.

I am not familiar with that product line from APC, but if it was the same calaber as their server series (which I doubt it is 🙁 ), it should be enough to handle restarts, and if power goes out, give you enough battery life for about 7 minutes

The link also states

Joules 420

I am hoping that they are talking about surge protection, and nothing else! 😱

 

[iGary]

iGary,

What that is saying is exactly what my first UPS did when my G5 (2.0) came up out of sleep, or when I started it. The initial draw is quite high!


What are you looking to spend roughly ?

I don't have a Quad (just a regular G5) however I do work in a Datacenter with 1000's of servers in it. Our entire power grid is on UPS and generator, however some customers specify that they need dedicated power supplies for their systems.

We use both Rack mounted, and floor standing APC devices for these dedicated customers individually. With our recent power audit, I would only recommend an APC 1000XL or higher unit for what you are trying to do.

I know the cost isn't the greatest on these, however it is really the only solution that they sell if you want an APC device.

I am thinking of one of these.

I really can't spend much more. I'm kind po' right now.

I can always stick with what I have - we're moving next month into a brand new condo building so maybe the power is better.

I run it through a conditioner, and the UPS works when the power goes out, so I'm covered on voltage issues and back up.

Just hate that loud click and buzz when I wake it from sleep every morning. 😉

 

[iGary]

I am not familiar with that product line from APC, but if it was the same calaber as their server series (which I doubt it is 🙁 ), it should be enough to handle restarts, and if power goes out, give you enough battery life for about 7 minutes

The link also states


I am hoping that they are talking about surge protection, and nothing else! 😱

So what makes the other ones better? I'm really stupid in this area and I think others would benefit. What makes the server series a better caliber?

I just know that I always try to pick something up that has a wattage rating close to what the power supply draws at maximum.

I usually ignore tha VA, cause I shut it down within a couple of minutes if the power goes out anyway (rare).

What does the joules rating mean?

Thanks. 😉

 

[jsw]

What does the joules rating mean?

From here (and similar information is available elsewhere):

Joule rating. This is the most widely promoted surge protection specification. It is also the most misunderstood and misrepresented specification. Joules are representative of how much energy (how large a surge) the UPS can absorb without being destroyed by a power surge. The higher the rating, the less often you will have to replace your UPS.

UPSes with higher joule ratings are also more likely to prevent a huge power spike from reaching your computer. The internal UPS component that intercepts power surges and sends them to ground is an MOV (metal-oxide varistor). Units with higher joule ratings usually have more MOVs than units with lower joule ratings. The more MOVs, the less likely a power surge is to jump across the UPS to reach your computer.

Unfortunately, some companies use a variety of techniques to inflate the joule ratings of their equipment. For example, some less reputable companies use MOVs designed for 220-volt circuits. This increases the joule rating in a totally meaningless way because the MOVs do not respond until the power surge has already damaged your equipment.

When you buy a diamond, the best way to avoid phony jewels is to buy from a reputable dealer. When you buy a surge protector, the best way to avoid phony joules is to buy from a reputable manufacturer such as APC, Belkin, or Tripp Lite.

Basically, the higher the Joule rating (if it's accurate), the better the surge protection. 🙂

 

[840quadra]

So what makes the other ones better? I'm really stupid in this area and I think others would benefit. What makes the server series a better caliber?

I just know that I always try to pick something up that has a wattage rating close to what the power supply draws at maximum.

I usually ignore tha VA, cause I shut it down within a couple of minutes if the power goes out anyway (rare).

What does the joules rating mean?

Thanks. 😉

Grr i messed up on merging my posts together..

oh well the thread is a mess now 🙂 .

Anyway, to get to your question, The answer would be similar to comparing the Macbook to the MacBook pro.

The APC 1000XL uses premium components that have better power monitoring capabilities and offer more surge and brownout protection. They are also expandable by means of piggyback battery packs that you can add, as your power needs grow, and have easy to replace battery packs.

The Server class UPSs are supported by a more robust warranty, and equipment guarantee then the normal Retail models.

The model you are linking to should provide enough support for your needs, I actually wasn't aware that they had a consumer level product of that magnitude! 😱

Basically, the higher the Joule rating (if it's accurate), the better the surge protection. 🙂

From what I have seen with our Power audit data, APC's power ratings are usually dang close if not underrated (meaning they rate them lower than they can actually produce).

However this experience is only with their server grade equipment.

 

[iGary]

From here (and similar information is available elsewhere):

Basically, the higher the Joule rating (if it's accurate), the better the surge protection. 🙂

OK.

Thanks JSW.

I think the one I am going with will do the job.

If lightning blows it up, I have insurance. 😛

The model you are linking to should provide enough support for your needs, I actually wasn't aware that they had a consumer level product of that magnitude! 😱

Yeah, I think 865 watts will do it with the model I linked. That and the APC Line-R AVR 1200 I have is about as much as I am prepared to do. 🙂

And thanks! 😉

 

[840quadra]

OK.
Yeah, I think 865 watts will do it with the model I linked. That and the APC Line-R AVR 1200 I have is about as much as I am prepared to do. 🙂

That sounds great. Definitely a cost savings over the datacenter / server room models. If I didn't have one already, I would consider trying one out. 🙂

This reminds me that I need to get batteries for my APC. I got a used 1000 (older generation) from our datacenter a year ago. It supports my G5 well enough, but I think the batteries are starting to go!