CyberPower CP850PFCLCD UPS 850VA / 510W PFC compatible Pure sine wave

Pros: Great UPS...

Bought it to keep a new computer with Active PFC running
during power outages.

My new computer uses Active PFC power supply and needs pure
sine power from UPS to keep it running correctly.

Before I got this unit, I had another brand UPS and when the power
went out, the power supply on the new computer produced a fast ticking
noise. It sounded bad.

When I put this UPS on the new computer, the power supply sounds
normal even when the power goes out.

Cons: no auto off outlets after main load is shutdown.

Pros: So far so good.

Software is easier to use than other brands of UPS software.

I finally checked into the pure sine wave UPS after a new Dell XPS8500 sounded terrible during a power outage. During the outage, the Dell had a very fast ticking noise. After replacing the original UPS with this Cyberpower model, the ticking noise has gone away the Dell's power supply sounds normal during a power outage.

Cons: none.

Other Thoughts: I have included a .wmv movie with this write-up with screens taken off of my oscilloscope with another brand UPS. Hopefully the videos will help others understand what happens when a regular UPS switches the battery on after a power failure. The measurements are still 60hz, but the wave pattern is drastically different.

When the scope is connected to this Cyberpower model UPS, the wave form is the same from line power to battery.

A pure sine wave UPS is needed if you have an Active PFC power supply.

If you do not know what to buy, buy a pure sine wave model UPS (like this one) and you will be fine.

I hope this solves the mystery.

Pros: BIGGEST PRO: Runs my Antec Signature SG-650, which is very sensitive to input waveform; the reason I got it.
Comprehensive front panel display including wattage of attached devices. Looks to provide a decent amount of run time (26-27 minutes for an unlocked 740BE and a HD5770).
Has plenty of outlets, but see con.
Less expensive than its true sinewave competitors. User-replaceable battery.

Cons: None of the outlets are spaced for AC Adapter bricks, although extremely narrow ones like cellphone chargers and wireless phone adapters won't block an adjacent outlet.

Other Thoughts: Only just got this, but wanted to put up a review to clarify that yes, this unit WILL support a PSU that is very sensitive to input waveform. On a non-sinewave UPS, my SG-650 will shut off when switched to battery, so this unit exactly fulfills the need for which it was bought.

Pros: * nice LCD display
* clean external design with lots of features

Cons: * functionality issues (below)

Other Thoughts: This is a nice looking UPS with lots of features, however it seems to have a preference to turn off on it's own randomly. The load is only around half and the silly thing just juices down during the day randomly. (not due to power outages either, everything not on the ups is running fine)

Manufacturer Response:

Thank you for your review on the CyberPower CP850PFCLCD. The problem you describe appears to be a unique situation and may be caused by what is connected to the UPS for backup. We would appreciate the opportunity to trouble shoot the problem and resolve the issue to your satisfaction. Please contact CyberPower Technical Support at 877-297-6937, M-F /8am-5pm CST.

Laser Printers and any device with a motor are not recommended for backup by a UPS. The power demands of these devices will overload and possible damage the UPS.

Pros: This has been a solid UPS so far. Compact unit, sine wave, unobtrusive...exactly what I wanted.

Cons: None really. As pointed out by other reviewers, the plugs are spaced closely together due to the form factor, but this was not unexpected. You can always use a strip for adapter plugs.

Other Thoughts: I'm using this in the network closet to power my cable modem and router to retain VoIP service (Ooma) in the unlikely event of a power outage.

Pros: Does what it says. Great price point for sine wave.

Cons: none

Pros: Pure sine wave, size, LCD readout, included software.

Cons: The trade off with size is the rear outlets are rather close together so transformer plugs or side mounted plugs will cover some of the outlets.

Other Thoughts: Worked great when tested. I have a bit of a beast for a PC and still had 16 minutes to shut down after cutting power.

Pros: Small size means its not a pain to find some place to put it.
Plenty of outlets all with surge protection half with battery back-up.
Front panel display will tell you more than you probably want to know, but turns off so it doesn't annoy you.
Software is thourough but doesn't use a lot of resources. Lost power twice and the UPS has powered down the system as configured.
Our utility power drops out frequently. Although usually for a fraction of a second, these dropouts are long enough to turn off TV's, DVR's, and make me go around resetting all the clocks. I wanted a UPS to keep me from losing work or ending a game in the middle. So far this UPS has passed every test.

Cons: Once the main power restores from an outage, the UPS did not restore comm with the system, but simply unplugging the USB cable at the UPS and reconnecting it corrected the problem.
The power-on light is large and may be a little too bright for some folks.
The small size means that there is not a lot of space separating all those outlets, small transformers or side-oriented plugs cover the adjacent outlet.

Other Thoughts: After learning a bunch of new technology and piecing a new system together utilizing both performance and power-conserving hardware, I was beginning to think that getting a UPS was not going to happen considering the requirements of the new PSU's for pure sine wave power.
CyberPower delivers this at half the price of the "name brand" in UPSs. I only found them by accident as Newegg does not have "Active PFC compatable" as a search criterium.

MSI Z68A-GD65 (G3) LGA 1155 Intel Z68
Intel Core i3-2105 Sandy Bridge 3.1GHz LGA 1155
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 16GB DDR3 1600
OCZ Agility 3 AGT3-25SAT3-120G 2.5" 120GB SATA III MLC
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s
ASUS Black Blu-ray Drive SATA Model BC-12B1ST/BLK/B/AS
LEPA G700-MA 700W
Asus VE248H Black 24" Full HD HDMI
LIAN LI Lancool First Knight Series PC-K9B
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit

Pros: I have the base Mid-2011 21.5" iMac. I wanted to protect my investment and my files! The iMac uses an Active PFC power supply so a pure sine wave UPS is required for proper functionality. The USB connection on this unit integrates perfectly with the OSX power save panel. Connect the USB cable and a set of options for automaically shutting down the iMac while being powered by UPS become available. You can adjust to shut down after x minutes or x% of UPS power remaining. I was also concerned about the power draw, and was originally considering a larger unit - but with the iMac and one external drive connected the load is only about 20%, and the estimated battery runtime is about 40 minutes. Checked it by pulling the plug - got the notice on the iMac screen that it's now running on battery and to save your work soon. The display on the unit is very informative and it has a small form factor. For OSX compatibility, price, and performance this UPS can't be beat.

Cons: Absolutely none

Other Thoughts: I was also looking at APC but their sine wave UPS start at over $300. Can't beat this one.

Pros: I've had this for two weeks. Awesome product. Researched various UPC's for about a month. Decided on this one off the strength of the positive reviews at the popular online book retailer. Software is highly configurable, and installation was a breeze. Tested the unit by pulling the plug, and as expected my performance PC did not skip a beat. Upgrading to the 810w next week.

Cons: None. Sucks for the guy below whose unit died after a month.

Other Thoughts: If you are looking for a UPC to connect to a computer, know that the PFC series is preferred.