Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Which UPS is enough for PM G5

B

benwa02

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Dec 6, 2004
288
0
I am thinking of getting a UPS but I am stuck on which one is enough for me. I noticed one says capacity of up to 300 watts and the next one up says 400 watts but almost double the price. Is the 300 watt one enough for a PM G5, CRT monitor and HP AIO????? I have no idea how many watts the PM is.

Thanks for the help.
 
The last dual 1.8. So I think Rev B, its the Rev before the current one.

Sorry I dint think that would be necessary.
 
The revision is important as the original PPC 970 consumed much more power than the newer PPC 970fx (which you have).

I picked up an APC Back-UPS ES 725 at Office Depot a few months back for my iMac G5. Office Depot had a clearance sale on this particular model--which included the UPS, basic surge protector, and 10' USB 2.0 cable--for $9.99 after instant savings and mail-in rebate. The UPS also includes surge protection for ethernet and coaxial cable. Needless to say, I couldn't pass it up.

Battery backups were never really a concern for me prior to purchasing my first Mac, as I rarely left the machine on when I wasn't using it. It has come in quite handy a few times during low power situations and brief power outages.

I can't comment on the bundled software (Mac OS X compatible), though. Never bothered to install it. When I'm away, the computer is sleeping...I can't imagine it consuming much power in that state.

This particular model claimed to support a 15" iMac G4 for ~54 minutes. With a PM G5 and monitor, I'd imagine you shouldn't expect more than 25 minutes or so.
 
Well mainly I just want to protect my PM G5. I dont need it to last long just enough time for me to shut down. The 400 Watt one should be fine then, right?
 
As long as you're nearby, a smaller capacity unit should be fine.

APC lists estimated battery times on the boxes of their models. Last time I checked, they still listed G4 Apple models, but it gives you an idea of how long to expect.
 
benwa02 said:
Well mainly I just want to protect my PM G5. I dont need it to last long just enough time for me to shut down. The 400 Watt one should be fine then, right?
Click to expand...
Spend the $90 and get a Belkin or APC (750 VA) unit with AVR (automatic voltage regulation) and a USB cable and software to shut the machine down if the power goes out.

It's worth it, has 400W and offers protection for the machine.

The straight battery backup don't really offer much protection from bad power, only sudden outages.

---

It's the noisy power and slight brownouts and surges that can cause more problems for the equipment than a power outage.
 
APC 500VA or more

I have a Power Mac G5 and I use an APC Back-UPS ES USB 650VA - I've simulated a power failure on the UPS and seen that it drives the Power Mac AND the 20" ACD for about 10 minutes. It's available for around $50+ and for me it's more than enough.

If you wish, you can visit http://www.apc.com and use their UPS selector tool to specify your requirements and have the website suggest appropriate models (yes, they are Mac friendly and list specific Mac processors and displays).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back