Joined on 09/23/04
Working good so far
Pros: Two months and working flawlessly so far through 3 brief power interruptions. With the extended battary pack at %21 load it provides a whopping 200 minutes of runtime which is better than the equivalent Tripp-Lite sine wave models and cost less too. Has a cooling fan that runs only as needed during a power loss so no constant fan noise during normal operation.
Cons: Very minor nitpicks... - Business software is web based and needs a few extra steps get setup on Windows Server OS with IE in lockdown mode. I would have prefered a native OS application. - Shutdown timers are software based so a file server can't be set to shutdown itself first along with non-critical outlets and have the UPS unit run the critical outlets for other devices a while longer. - LCD display can't be set to stay lit when the unit has AC power.
Works..but defective design shortens life
Pros: Low cost unit that is acceptable for backing A/V equipment. Works fine aside from the heat issue below.
Cons: Failed after 1 year. Poor design has the batteries placed right next to the inverter transformer with no adequate cooling. Heat from the transformer will eventually cause the battery shells to to crack open and fail. Tripp-Lite provided a warranty replacement without requiring sending the dead unit back which I thought was unusual, I believe they are aware of the issues with this unit.
Overall Review: I opened the dead unit to find out about the heat problem with the batteries. Despite what Tripp-Lite says, if you have minimal electronics knowledge you CAN replace the batteries in thes units, simply unscrew the top cover and the 2 batteries can be easily unplugged and replaced. If you get a warranty replacement don't throw away your dead one, I was able to get my dead back up and working again with new batteries.
Revised model somewhat more reliablae
Pros: Low cost unit for light use and A/V equipment.
Cons: Original models from around 2009 had what appears to be a cost cutting design defect in that the cooling fan was not put in. You can actually see the labels on the circuit board and the vent slot where a 3" fan was to go. The heat buildup from the transformer will cause the batteries to crack and fail. This kind of failure shutdowns the UPS immediately without warning. The battery failure warning only works if the batteries are failing in a normal manner.
Overall Review: Tripp-Lite replaced my unit free of charge, I did not even have to send back the old one. The replacement has a fan and better LCD and has been running perfectly for some time. You can easily unscrew the cover (6 screws) and replace the batterys in the older models and get it running again but you will need to keep it in a very cool place, cut holes and/or install a cooling fan. In my case I put in a 3" fan and ran the wires out the back to a 12V transformer. The 12V fan soldier terminals on the old revision UPS circuit board do not work. It should be noted that Tripp-Lite labels the primarily application of UPS for rack-mount or standing audio/video equipment. This really isn't a server room grade model.
Works greats...with one catch
Pros: Works excellent. Did not notice any video or audio quality loss going through the switch.
Cons: Somewhat pricey but you get what you pay for versus cheap switches. Website and manual states the switch supports analog video but does not say the included cables are DVI-D only thus requiring a seperate purchase of 2 DVI-I cables to use the switch with an analog monitor.
Overall Review: ATEN tech support suggested purchasing a newer monitor however I see no need to toss a Viewsonic 22" that has a picture as good as the day it was new. For the high price this should really ship with DVI-I cables as there are still many CRT and LCD monitors running around and being sold that are analog only.
Very good
Pros: Works and sounds greats for the cost.
Cons: Length of card may prevent installing the in the top PCE-E 1x slot on certain motherboards such as the ASUS Rampage II Extreme.
Overall Review: Driver installation on Vista 32-bit requires disabling Data Execution Prevention (DEP) otherwise the installer will crash. Auzentech should really make note of this on their website driver download page and in the quick start manual.
Works great
Pros: Very large and comes with 2 fans and can be mounted to direct airflow in any direction. Detachable fans and the arrangement of heat sink fins makes it easy to use a vacuum brush to clean any future dust buildup between the fins as well as the fans themselves.
Cons: Fan is a light brown color, black would be better. Poor angle of some installation pictures in the manual may be a challenge to some.
Overall Review: Absolutely huge...make sure you have a deep enough case to mount this. The install picture for connecting the fans to the heat sink may confuse some because of the angle of the picture so be patient try out the fan clips before mounting the sink to the CPU. If you study them carefully you will see they only work one way. Make sure you aim the fans with the direction of airflow in your case.