Tripp Lite Internet 500 UPS

[Mark Holtz]

Stupid question time....

I purchased a TrippLite UPS back in 1999, and it's rated for 500 VA/280 Watts. Is it too little now that I'm running a AMD 2200XP with a 435 Watt Power Supply?

[Chris Blount]

Probably not. Just because your power supply is 435 Watts doesn't mean the system will draw that much.

Right now I'm using an AMD 2100XP with a 300 Watt power supply on an APC 500VA UPS and haven't had any problems.

[gcutler]

There is a test mode, see if it all works. And to be honest, you can probably migrate the unit to something else in the house like a PVR/DVR, or sell it to a friend (way to many people have no UPS), if you want a new UPS.

[Rick_EE]

The 500VA is more important than the 280 watts. 280 Watts is a power factor of 0.56. This is extreme. Even tripp lite's web site says that equipment usually falls between .6 and .8. A power factor of .7 gives you 350 Watts and .8 gives 400. And like Chris said, you probably aren't using all 435 watts.

BTW, what are you using that requires so much power?

[Bogy]

Probably more of a deciding factor than what your box is drawing, or at least just as much, is what size monitor are you using. Strangely enough a few years ago when I switched from a 14" monitor to a 19" monitor that seemed to make a difference. The battery doesn't seem to last nearly as long anymore. :lol:

[Mark Holtz]

At the time I purchased the UPS, (February, 1999), it was a special from Sam's Club. I just have hooked up the computer (435 Watt PS, 10 Amps.... a little overkill, but still), 15" Monitor (NEC M500, no Watts listed, 1.8 Amps), and a external modem. While my laser printer (LP Laserjet 4) is hooked up to the UPS also, it's only hooked up to the Surge protection side. In case of a blackout, only three things will be running: Computer, monitor, modem. All else goes down.

In a worst case scenario, I can always move it to the A/V equipment and hook up the TiVo. All else gets surge protected only.