Will this work ok? APC SMC1500 Smart-UPS 900 Watts/1500 VA Input 120V/Output 120-Volt Interface Port USB with Uninterrupted Power SupplyI have been using a APC SmartUPS 1500 for several years with no problems.
I'm using an APC XS1500 right now, but everyone is telling me I need to move to a smart ups because this one can damage my new Mac pro 12 core power supply. Is this true? I was also looking at this oneWhen it comes to UPS, I only trust APC. I have an old Back-UPS 1500 with additional battary pack in use for many years. I have replaced the batteries in them once.
During hurricane Sandy, when the lights started to flicker, I had more than ample time to power down my equipment before suffering any damage.
I don't understand it myself, but if you check around the forms you'll see what I mean. I have been using that old tall 1500 on my other Mac Pro 2008 for years, and it's still kicking. People claim that over time a stepped power supply that isn't pure sine wave will damage the Mac Pro's supply. I don't know. I sure don't want to spend another $500 if I don't have to.I don't understand how it can damage your Mac Pro. What did they mean??
My Mac Pro has the same power supply yours does and my UPS has been working fine. I also have a 30" monitor, FiOS modem, FiOS ONT, router, and speakers connected to it.
So you say just keep it? According to the estimated time remaining it claims it will power my Mac Pro 23 minutes. Hell I only need about 3 to save, and shutdown. So long as I'm not actually damaging anything.Until I see reports of many people suffering damage from these units, I'm not going to let a hypothetical situation bother me.
Is there actually a need to do a shutdown, why not just sleep? I'd imagine the machine could sleep for a long time off the UPS battery. Hybernate mode 3 writes to both RAM and disk so if the power is lost completely the machine will later wake from the disk as normal. I don't have a UPS yet to test this, so this is just my thinking.According to the estimated time remaining it claims it will power my Mac Pro 23 minutes. Hell I only need about 3 to save, and shutdown.
If you've invested big bucks in a Mac Pro, you might as well buy a proper UPS for it. Whether or not the Mac Pro is actually effected by a stepped sine wave is somewhat irrelevant, the equipment was designed to run off a pure sine wave and any UPS that outputs otherwise is simply a cheap unit.Using a UPS with a square wave inverter will cause computer power supplies to run hotter, operate less efficiently, and have a shorter life than using a UPS with a pure sine wave inverter.
I'm going to pick one of those CyberPower pure sine wave units up now. Provantage (excellent company I've never had any problems with, always competitive at a minimum) is running a sale on them. Warranty on connected equipment is good although I don't know about pricing for replacement batteries, for which APC is very convenient and cost-effective.There is an alternative supplier remember - CyberPower. The forum search will show you plenty of threads.
As long as you buy a Pure Sinewave model rather than a Stepped Sinewave you will be fine. For APC that means the SmartUPS (pure) not the BackUPS (stepped) range.
I use a SMT1000 on the Mac Pro in my signature and am quoted 45-50 minutes at idle (less at load of course). A SMT1500 would give you more headroom and the unit is the same physical size.
I had my 2008 Mac Pro for over 5 years and it ran pretty much 24/7 throughout that time. The machine ran well and continues to run well to this day. Prior to that, I had PowerMac MDD that also ran pretty much 24/7 for over 5 years. Both were on this same stepped wave APC UPS. Even if a stepped wave UPS can cause my machines to run hotter and/or shorten their lives, it's not enough to affect me. By the time, a stepped wave UPS'es potential/theoretical adverse properties take affect and they will be long retired by me.
Theoretically, I really shouldn't go out during tomorrow's thunderstorm while holding an umbrella since the umbrella can act as a lightning rod, but I will because USPS has a package that I really want so I will. The odds of it actually affecting me are low enough for me to ignore.
*Note: I didn't read the message thread or PDF and will not.
Yes there is a need to do a shutdown. Remember the UPS itself uses power, this will cap how long a UPS can provide power for no matter how little electricity you may be using in sleep mode.Is there actually a need to do a shutdown, why not just sleep? I'd imagine the machine could sleep for a long time off the UPS battery. Hybernate mode 3 writes to both RAM and disk so if the power is lost completely the machine will later wake from the disk as normal. I don't have a UPS yet to test this, so this is just my thinking.
My Mac Pro only uses like 300-400W on load.I thought the MAc Pro power supply was 980 watts alone.
You buy a UPS for 1 reason only: prevent data loss due to loss of power. In order to prevent data loss you need to shutdown the machine or use suspend to disk (you don't need to power the machine in that case). However, in some cases this can be a bit problematic since not everything comes up correctly when resuming after being suspended (as we've seen with virtual machines). For those machines the only real option is to shut it down completely.Is there actually a need to do a shutdown, why not just sleep?
No it does not as your quote is clearly stating that. Your quote is about another form: square wave inverter. It is not about stepped sine wave that is discussed here. The HP file has this to say about what to use:Which correlates with what nanofrog was saying, and I quote:
Note the second sentence!For the best protection during unexpected utility outages, use a UPS that has a true sine wave inverter. A line-interactive UPS with a stepped sine inverter may be satisfactory if the dead zone is less than 2 ms.
As you can clearly see from the HP document it doesn't matter if you use pure or stepped sine wave. They both are fine to use. Mind you, this document is about what UPS to use for HP SERVER (yes, SERVER!) products. You know, those machines that are one step higher on the "professional" ladder than workstations such as the Mac Pro.Whether or not the Mac Pro is actually effected by a stepped sine wave is somewhat irrelevant, the equipment was designed to run off a pure sine wave and any UPS that outputs otherwise is simply a cheap unit.
They put out new products and with that also changed the model numbering apparently. SMT means the standard model, SMX the extended run ones (previous they put XL at the end) and SMC is the simplified version. I've managed to found something in the APC faq: Frequently Asked Questions for the new SMX and SMT series of Smart-UPS products.. For the SMC see the following: Smart-UPS C Series FAQ. To answer your question: they look very similar. You can look for them on apc.com and compare them to see some of the differences.What's the difference between the SMT and SMC lines from APC?
I have a few rack mount APCs and that 1500 plus a bigger one but I never use them lately. The power here goes out all the time (once a month on average - but sometimes once a day for a week or so) due to overdraw at the breaker-box. The Mac and other machines go dark but a UPS should be more than saving you from that. That almost never causes any damage at all. It never has for me - ever - in 30 years.When it comes to UPS, I only trust APC. I have an old Back-UPS 1500 with additional battary pack in use for many years. I have replaced the batteries in them once.
During hurricane Sandy, when the lights started to flicker, I had more than ample time to power down my equipment before suffering any damage.
ha. my sandy/mac story is like this..During hurricane Sandy, when the lights started to flicker, I had more than ample time to power down my equipment before suffering any damage.