APC BE425M Back-UPS 425 VA 255 Watts 6 Outlets Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)

Pros: Operated exactly as advertised. This review unit arrived with excellent timing. The day after I installed it the power here went out for over an hour with several outages the following week! Not only did the BU 600 keep my cable modem, gigabit switch and a high end router running without missing a beat, I was even able to keep my phone charging. Estimated run time with the new battery and minimalist load was 3 hours+. Of course age reduces the battery capacity, but if you use this product in your server room, it will keep your web connections and routers running like nothing happened for at least 60+ minutes Management software is a free download. The unit was detected on my win7/64 laptop USB and windows drivers installed, and then I installed the APC software. No eyebrow raisers there. Wall mounting holes a nice touch. USB charge port @ 1.5amps shows engineers are listening to customers. I'm seeing this all over the business lately. I just bought a nice desk lamp that has a USB charge port on it.

Cons: PowerChute software has been around long enough that I would expect all little issues to be resolved. My software reported that I was drawing just 3-6 watts of power while running on battery. My phone drawing 5volts at 1 amp is 5 watts on its own. That seemed pretty low, but bottom line with a small load of mission critical network gear you should expect the Back UPS 600 to keep you connected fsor most short outages. Out average outage here is under 30 minutes. The unit was tested a few times during the second week it was here, as the power went out several times a day. No software on CD must be downloaded from APC ( not a con for me, I have multiple APC units on site so the software was sitting on a NAS) While my unit was perfect, you'll notice several duds and complaints. Don't expect high quality control standards on a product selling sub $100 these days. Failure numbers as high as 5% might be acceptable.

Overall Review: CHARGE the battery for 24 hours before use. I can't emphasize this enough. Good battery management calls for it. Without doubt the life of an SLA battery is maximized by not discharging it for long periods when it didn't start out fully charged. Battery should be inexpensive to replace in a few years. Typically USP batteries start declines after about two years, unless your electrical grid looks like something out of New Delhi in which case the life will be shorter if you have to hit it often. The self test will watch battery performance an ping you when the battery is due for a replacement. Most of my APC gear has held up over the years, I wore out a couple of them, but considering that a $300 bit can protect thousands worth of gear, I just replace my mission critical ones every few years. The batteries on the larger units are expensive. A five egg rating as the entire experience as was exactly what was expected from a consumers standpoint. My expectations as a seasoned tech was also met without any broken eggs.

Pros: For people (like me) who don’t have a good idea on how much battery is required, it’s nice that the box lists some example use cases: 4.3 hours for standard router/modem, ~1 hour for a basic workstation PC, 30 minutes for a laptop + network gear, 10 minutes for a mid-level desktop + laptop + network gear. While I didn’t think it was a wise idea to fully measure out how long it lasts under load, it does last long enough that I would be able to safely stop whatever I’m doing and shut my desktop down, even when I’m doing something that draws a lot of power (games, video streaming, 4K video, etc.). I do like the low profile/angled cord design. I’m glad it wasn’t a standard plug on my wall outlet, it’s easier to fit behind a desk with a smaller profile plug. On the unit’s end, where the gear plugs in, there’s plenty of spacing to fit multiple block adapters in with other cords. For me, 5 spots was enough to get my desktop fully battery backed up with 1 battery outlet to spare.

Cons: The noise settings on this unit are a bit confusing without reading the manual. There’s a single button (the power button) that you have to hold down to change the mode. From there, the color of the LED light of this power button will tell you what mode it’s in. There are 3 modes: “quiet mode” (a couple of beeps every 30 seconds, on low battery only), no alarm (no beeps at all), and full alarm (couple of beeps every 30 seconds on battery power, then frequent beeps when the battery is low). That seems a bit odd - why not just have a separate button? Or a separate LED light stating what mode it’s in? This could have been designed better without extra cost. In a related note, the other thing is that I couldn’t tell what was the best way to “quick mute” was, and I ended up powering the battery off; thankfully this was when I didn’t have anything drawing power from it.

Overall Review: I did not test the software/USB data interface, but I like that it’s offered. I guess this would be an alternative solution to the noise not being loud enough. I also like that it has a separate built-in USB port for charging, but it seems a bit of overkill compared to keeping a smaller battery around instead for most use cases. Note that there are 7 total outlets, but only 5 of them are battery-protected. Two are for surge only. Remember to register for the warranty!!! Your gear can be covered in the case that this unit doesn’t do its job.

Pros: Extremely light and small for the backup/power rating it has. Price is also very good for this unit. Performance was great and no issues with power delivery with any of the outlets or the USB port. Great quality and to be expected from APC.

Cons: Functionally, nothing. My only issue with it is that I prefer to have my plugs in the back of a vertical APC backup unit. With the plugs on this being on the top, it can create an issue of being able to properly hide connecting device cables. This is just a preference thing, for the price and form factor of this unit it is still a killer device.

Overall Review: I found my new go-to backup device for workstations. For the price/performance/features/form-factor, it is perfect for under a desk. The traditional model that I have used in the past is the flat model with vertical plugs, but it is heavy and takes up much more space under a desk. This not only has a smaller footprint, but also has a built-in USB port which is very nice. Overall, this is a great product for what it claims to be. It does not have a LCD screen with live updates, but it is not priced for that either. It does not have 10 backup ports, but it’s not priced for that either. It has an average output for a desktop setup, has monitoring options via a USB cable, and a small form factor for space saving on/under a desk. And it does all that for a competitive price and maintains APC quality, a win-win in my book. I would highly recommend this to someone who needs a solid battery backup for their desktop machine at home or their work machine at the office.

Pros: - small size makes it easier to run it in the home office and keeps the wife happy - works out of the box, no issues with setup - nice price point

Cons: - none seen by me at this point

Overall Review: I'm using it to run my router and NAS box. I do some photo hosting off my NAS and feel like it's nice to provide that constant up time. The router means I can still use my home wifi and not my cellular data which is nice too. I tested this by throwing the breaker and seeing how long it'd run. I originally tried to keep my server on the UPS but it drained the battery too fast. This device is perfect for my usage, it allows me sufficient time to get my generator up and running without losing Internet or NAS connectivity.

Pros: For the average Home PC, Laptop and several other ways of using this for Surge Protection and Battery Backup. Included USB connection, and software putting you in charge of how soon to turn off plugged in PC’s, Laptops. A total of 7 AC plug connections. 5 with Battery Backup, 2 surge protection only. The AC Sockets are wider spaced. This can be used for more than just computers, you can use this for Routers, Switches and other plugged in items around your desk/work area. This has a 5ft angled ac plug cord. The AC plugs are wider spaced allowing for more opportunity for all your plugs to fit. Handy USB Charging Port for Cellphone, Tablet Etc..

Cons: None.

Overall Review: When shopping for Uninterruptible Power Supply, it’s not always necessary to over buy, in terms of available backup power. 600VA won’t handle a hi-end Gaming PC, but it will do great UPS protection and power for most average home PC’s, Laptops, Routers, Switches, Backup Drives… even a lamp. I first followed the directions and plugged in the battery. I like that it’s shipped, fresh battery on the ready and unused. Just open the door on the bottom, plug in the battery terminals and you’re ready. I let mine charge overnight and started with my Laptop and Router. When I pulled the AC plug and saw how far I could still stay connected, the Power Chute Software showed way more than needed time to stay connected. Over a half hour of run time was how long I had. Schedule how soon the Power Chute Software should safely turn off your PC. I guess I was the lucky one. No beeps, no miss signaling annoying me. This is doing its job, and within its specs is a good value for the price. You could easily spend twice as much and not need the extra battery life. I have other APC Battery Backup’s being used and is my go to brand. MY setup has several, several electrical devices from my printer to my LAN switch, to my router and so on. The APC can also support these along with your PC, Laptop, etc. I didn’t write a review an hour after getting it, I have tried it out over weeks. I can think of 3 people that could use this rated Battery backup and be covered for their needs, and have a $75,000-dollar equipment protection guarantee. Having protection from electrical surges, lightening is where you want the blow out, not your PC and equipment. For a good value APC and a 2 year warranty, this is a nice Battery Backup.

Pros: Great build quality. Great warranty/support. Unobtrusive Design. Sufficient power backup for most low power household devices (monitor/TV, small appliances, HTPCs, gaming consoles, NAS/router setups, USB & laptop chargers, etc)

Cons: As long as you don't expect this to backup your dual-GPU overclocked PC, none.

Overall Review: If you have any small devices which are important to keep running in the event of power spikes or failure, this is a great inexpensive way to protect your stuff. All your valuable electronics should be behind a UPS.

Pros: + • 5 Battery backup outlets • All outlets protected with surge suppression. • USB charging port (1.5A) • PC power monitoring software (PowerChute) • LED power mode indicator (AC, battery backup) • Muted aesthetics, not an eye catcher. • 45º angled power plug is great for crowded outlets or power strips. • Seamless backup power in the event of power loss. I set this battery backup for use with my PC and monitor, and has been a great addition to my set up. The PowerChute software provides almost real-time power consumption and estimated battery run time on power failure. The PowerChute software can be configured to shut down your PC for you in the event of power loss, at a set interval of time. For my hardware scenario I set the software to 5 minutes on battery before shutting down my PC, given my current PC hardware configuration. Current specs: i7 5820k x99 motherboard GTX 1060 6GB OC 16GB DDR4 1.35v (2x 8GB) 2 SSD’s, and one 3TB WD black HD. 1x BD/DVD optical. 4 140mm fans, 2 120mm fans 630W 80+ gold rated PSU This battery backup is sufficient for my use, as even under load (gaming) the software reports that I should have more than 6 minutes of battery run time. At idle the PowerChute software reports that I should have 18+ minutes on battery, which is plenty of time to save work and shut down should I choose to extend the battery run time before auto shutdown. Some other nice features of the PowerChute software is that it can report daily cost of operating attached equipment, total energy usage per month in kWh and interestingly estimated carbon dioxide emissions per day. Perform firmware updates, run self diagnostics, set hours at which alarms are active (if you dont want to be alerted to an alarm at 3 a.m.) What I’ve checked most often is the current energy consumption and load on battery backup. I was surprised to see that my system uses much less energy than I thought, with an average of 115 Watts at idle, and 265 +/- Watts under load, this is including my 144Hz monitor drawing 23 Watts. I really like the addition of a USB charging port, which also provides power on battery. This is a great way to charge your phone in a power outage, a 1.5 amp capacity should be enough for most phones and most tablets.

Cons: - The UPS I received had a strong chemical odor, which dissipated after about a week. (I may have been unlucky with the unit I received, but if you are sensitive to chemical smells, you might consider unpacking and leaving this unit in a room that you don't frequent, for a few days) The PowerChute software is available as a download from APC, the easiest way to find it is to follow the address from the included instructions. If you try to navigate to the software from apc.com it can be confusing if you’re not sure what you’re looking for, as most of their products are geared toward commercial applications.

Overall Review: ~ The capacity of this backup should be a good match for most PC users needs, but of course not everyone has the same power needs. I would likely choose a higher capacity backup for more demanding systems. My current configuration has about 6 minutes run time under load, which is a thin margin, for a 5 minute auto shutdown on battery power. However; in the event of power loss, I should have plenty of warning. Although I configured this backup for use with my PC, there are many different scenarios that you could use this backup. Using this as a dedicated battery backup for a modem and router, could provide internet access during an outage (if there is no damage to the lines or external events that would prevent access). Even attaching Wi-Fi enabled power outlet(s) aside from the modem and router could provide power to emergency lighting controllable from your smart phone or tablet. You could even attach a USB powered light to the charging port for emergency battery backup lighting. I wish this back up was considered portable, but lead-acid batteries can be a bit dangerous, so I wouldn’t pack one in your hiking backpack. Charging it up and carrying it to the back deck to power a radio should be fine (just make sure its not going to rain). Overall this has been a fantastic backup through out my testing. The PowerChute software was more informative and useful than I expected, and the USB charging port was also a welcome addition. The pros far outweigh the cons, and would be an easy recommendation to anyone looking for a decent battery backup with this capacity. 5 eggs.

Pros: This is a fairly simple, inexpensive battery backup. It appears to built well, the battery is easily accessible for replacement. The power button is recessed a bit which is a nice touch so you don't accidentally turn it off and the green power light is not too bright or annoying. The unit includes a USB charging port that could be used to charge a phone or other USB device during a power outage. The unit can be cold started (turned out without being plugged in), which is something I always like to see a UPS able to do. The Powerchute software that works with the unit is fairly simple and easy to configure, as well as it lets you monitor the status of the UPS. This UPS can provide enough power for a regular desktop to have time to save work and shut down properly, or keep a cable modem and wireless router on for a few hours.

Cons: The unit could use a small display with some status information like those found on the large units. Also an extra USB port would be nice as well. The battery charge time is a bit long if you happen to suffer multiple outages in a day. The Powerchute software could also use a little less of the extra fluff. Beyond that the unit is working well and I can't complain for the price point.

Overall Review: I tested this unit for a month, and during that time I actually suffered a power outage and was able to use it in my living room to keep a lamp on for a few hours as well as get onto my laptop for about 15 minutes to report the power outage. My other testing included running a modern performance desktop off of it under light load, it was able to run the PC and the 28" LED backlit monitor for 12 minutes and 29 seconds. Had I installed the Powerchute it would have shut down after 7 minutes since I would have configured it to keep the machine on as long as possible ( it issues a shutdown when there is less than 5 minutes of battery power left on the longest running setting ). I monitored the unit after I ran the battery to what it reported as 0% and it took almost 10 hours to recharge to 100% again, kind of slow but not troublesome. Overall I am happy with the unit for what it is and what it costs, I plan to keep it on my cable modem and router for future power outages.