Budget well & Truly 'blown'

[Mychael]

I'll be taking sandwiches to work for the rest of the year.

I've ordered a Gigabyte GA-H67A-UD3H Socket 1155 MoBo.
On-board video. USB3. SATA2&3. Esata. 7.1 sound. So all the up to date stuff.
Unfortunately also comes (at no extra charge) the known and advertised problem with the intel 6 Series chipsets, neccessitating a re-call/replacement when upgraded boards arrive in stock.

I would have prefered to get an 1156 socket board which would have been cheaper and with no problems but already they are just about NLA from a practicle point of view.

So the new board meant a new processor.
Intel core i5 25000k 3.3Ghz/6Mb/LGA1155/Quad core

And new DDR3memory.
Corsair Micro PC-12800 2x2Gb

New PSU which I might not have needed but my old one was 550w the new one is a
Corsair Micro 850 AXAU I would not have gone so big but things in the range of 650-750W don't have much choice and this one is Pro Series gold class with 100,000 mtbf and 7 yrs warranty.

Got the go -ahead from the other half before I ordered ( I don't have a death wish) but means the Triumphs restoration has just gone back another 8 months

 

[Nibiru2012]

SWEET! I think you'll be rockin' n rollin' now!

 

[Mychael]

So why do I feel so,,, poor.
I'm wondering if I should invest in a UPS to protect my new gear. We get a lot of power blinks up this way and it must shorten the life of components.
Those UPS's are so expensive though, I'd need one of at least 800VA and the cheapest I can find is still $130.

 

[catilley1092]

If you have a lot of power blinks in your area, you need a UPS of some sort, whatever your computer needs to run a few minutes to allow you to finish and shutdown properly. Fortunately for me, I found one that meets my needs at Wal Mart on sale for $39. The power did go out once on me, in fact, I was logged onto this forum at the time. I finished my post, checked my email, and shut down the computer.

I wonder, since it's been a while that it's been used, do I need to drain & recharge the battery once in a while? The last time that it was used, was when a breaker tripped. My wife heard a beeping, I came in here, and it was the UPS, but everything was powered down, except for my modems. The beeping was bugging her, so I shut the door to the room where my desk is.

Mine is the APC Back-UPS ES 6 Outlet 350VA 120V.

Cat

 

[Mychael]

Ok, I assume it was a laptop it kept running? some of the brands self test their batteries.
Some have non removable packs so once the battery gets too old your up for a whole new unit. Some allow for battery replacement.
I can get APC brand here as well but to allow me to keep a tower up and running plus the seperate monitor to allow me to see to shut down I'd need at least an 750Va and from the one table I saw even that only gives me about 5 mins to tidy up and shutdown.

 

[catilley1092]

As I recall, the only thing that was being powered was my modems. I have two, my wired cable modem supplied by my ISP, and my wireless one that connects to it.

When I bought the UPS, I had to install the battery myself. I figure, at that price, that it'll be cheaper to buy a whole new unit, rather than a replacement battery.

The closest one that I saw to meet your needs was at Tiger Direct, it was a 900VA for $99 in US dollars. Here it is:

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/category/category_slc.asp?CatID=23

EDIT: I had the link right, something must have changed on the page. It's Item # A75-8002.

Cat

 

[Nibiru2012]

A good UPS will also help to filter the incoming voltage and current, smooths out the spikes and dips regardless of a brownout or power surge too.

I consider them to be an essential piece of equipment, especially if there are issues that your area experiences.

APC is VERY GOOD equipment! So is Belkin.

Remember also that the sealed lead-acid batteries in most UPS units only last from three to five year at best. I had to replace mine this past summer after five years of ownership. The replacement batteries are quite reasonable in price though, I paid $28.00 total including shipping for one that was twice the capacity of my old one.

 

[Mychael]

I've been hunting all day looking at variuos UPS units.
In the price I can afford with the capacity I need I got a:

CyberPower Value GP LCD
1200VA/720W Line Interactive
2yr warrenty.

http://www.cpsww.com.au/index.html




CyberPower Value GP LCD 1200VA / 720W Line Interactive Ups - 2 Yrs Adv. Replacement(VALUE1200E-GP)

Manufacturer: CyberPower
Stock Status: More Coming - Preorder
Product ID: 8217

Value GP LCD Series UPS with GreenPower UPSTM Technology is the best solution to supply a clean and stable power,The on LCD panel instantly display status of your UPS. PowerPanel® Personal Edition management software included for USB Port shows versatility of a UPS, like power voltage, scheduled shutdown, and remaining battery capacity, remaining battery runtime, battery status ...etc. With Energy-Saving Technology, Value GP LCD Series UPS can save upto 75% of electricity and save your

 

[catilley1092]

That looks like a good one to me. Being that you live in Australia, you may not have access to the exact items as US suppliers has, without paying a huge shipping/customs fee.

But I have bought things, one was the Seagate Free Agent (500GB) backup drive, from eBay Australian based stores. The exchange rate was not too far off from US currency, and the shipping took only a week. I also bought a brand new DVD-ROM for my Dell notebook from there for only $30, shipping included. That purchase took a little longer to arrive, about 2 weeks.

Kinda makes me wonder why the Anytime Upgrade costs so much for you.

Much better than dealing with China & Hong Kong sellers, it takes a week to get an answer on an inquiry.

Cat

 

[Mychael]

Yeah, that's why I prefer local when I can. I seem to be able to get HDD retail reasonably competitive price but everything else I pay thruogh the nose for.
The retail shop I deal with is good though, the first time ever I asked for a return was on a HDD, it had not even failed and was working normally but it's "SMART" monitoring reading had fallen off very quickly for a drive only a week old and they replaced it on that basis alone.

 

[Nibiru2012]

the first time ever I asked for a return was on a HDD, it had not even failed and was working normally but it's "SMART" monitoring reading had fallen off very quickly for a drive only a week old and they replaced it on that basis alone.

That's the mark of a reputable and customer service oriented retailer.

 

[Mychael]

Too right, it's one of the reasons I stick with them. I also have an online account and they're only 30mins drive.
Collected all my 'stuff' today.
The Corsair Micra PSU is fantastic all modula cables. gold class 80 rated, 7 yr warrenty. Cables come in their own zip lock bag, bum bag size, unit itself in a cloth carry bag.
The Noctua cpu Cooler I got is truly massive, Did not realise it was so big from the photo. You wonder how it stays in place. Model NH-U12p-SE2 if you want to google it.
So by Friday all being well should be up and running again.

 

[Digerati]

That big power supply will give you plenty of upgrade wiggle room. For example, if you want to add a decent (read: power hungry) graphics card and more RAM down the road, you won't have to buy a new PSU to support them. You spend a little more money today, but save in the long run. As a side bonus, the bigger supply will be able to "loaf along" much of the time, which means it may be able to keep the fan speed down and inaudible.

I applaud your decision to get a good UPS with AVR. ALL computers should be on a good UPS.

I like APC but have a couple CyberPower too. The 1200VA power range is a good size. Note it will easily support your computer, all your network gear, external drives, PDA, and a large monitor - even a CRT. Laser printers are out, but you can support your ink jet printer. Things that scan (scanner, fax, copier) may draw too much - at least when starting up.

Power problems caused by storms and squirrels forgetting to let go of one wire before grabbing the other are reason enough to be on a good UPS with AVR. But all high-wattage appliances send surges, spikes, dips and sags down the line EVERY time they cycle on and off. The power supplies for our electronics are designed to tolerate "normal" anomalies. ATX PSUs, for example, must "hold" in the event of an extreme dip up to 19 milliseconds - that is much faster than we can see, but plenty long enough to stop a CPU, several times over. A "flicker" is a power outage - or just about.

But stuff happens. Products fail or "hiccup". If you have a $15 1500W (made in China?) hair dryer, a toaster, microwave, AC, fridge, water cooler, or the like in your home, office, or apartment building, then you need to be on a good UPS with AVR. Big screen TVs and expensive home theater A/V equipment need to be too. Any high wattage device could send an extreme "event" down the line - perhaps not enough cause damage to your computer hardware, but more than enough to disrupt high-speed digital electronics.

I think most UPS require you to install the batteries, or to connect the batteries before first use. Sealed lead-acid (SLA) batteries are not connected during transport for safety precautions. But that's okay. When connecting, note the number of cells, the type/model number, voltage and amp/hour specs. Put a sticker on the UPS with the date too so when 3 years starts to roll around, you can start shopping for new batteries (the only real down side to UPS). You do not have to buy replacement batteries from the UPS maker.

Power during a power outage is only the icing on the cake. It is the regulation and as mentioned, protection from anomalies that matter most. A surge and spike protector is little more than a fancy and expensive extension cord. They do nothing for sags (opposite of surges) or dips (opposite of spikes). They cannot handle extended surges. And finally, the S&S protector protects by whacking off the tops of the sinewaves ("clamp") while a "good" UPS with AVR passes along "cleaner" power.

You don't need to spend $400 on a UPS, but like power supplies, you should buy a good one. The best UPS supply totally regulated battery power all the time. The next best aggressively monitor and regulate and cut over to battery well within 19ms if voltage-in drops below, or rises above specific thresholds. The cheapest UPS don't regulate as well, or at all and their cut-over times may not be so quick. A budget UPS is better than no UPS, assuming it has the power capacity, but a better UPS is worth the investment.

I winced but have no regrets spending $180US for a 1500VA APC to support my computer, wireless router, cable modem, GBit switch, USB hub, and two 22" LCDs.

Now the optimal test for an UPS is to open a critical document, run benchmark stress tests on your system for maximum power demand, then yank the UPS power plug from the wall. If your system holds and you don't lose your document, your UPS is big enough. But that test is tempting fate and I don't recommend it! I bought a couple 50/100/150W light bulbs and plug two lamps in the UPS then yank the plug from the wall. Conclusion: Not all UPS are created equal.

 

[Mychael]

Thanks Bill, My previous PSU (a Thermaltake Pure power 560w)has been very good up till now and was still performing well. it was considered one of the better PSU's when I originally bought it.
I liked the idea of the modular cable set-up in the more modern higher end PSU's as the old one gave a lot of lead clutter.
I would not have gone for such a powerfull unit but the one I was looking at from the same brand (750w) was on back order and the larger unit was only $35 more expensive and gold rated as opposed to silver rated for the 750w model.
Choseing a UPS was harder as firstly it's hard to get an accurate calculation of your power needs (I roughly worked out that 750Va or above would work) and secondly the prices shoot up a lot once you get over the 900Va range.
I took a 'bit of a punt' on this one by buying through a website that lists scaled pricing for all kinds of stuff from various retailers, not all in my state.
The one I finally chose is interstate but promptly answered my emails and once I did a search on CyberPower I felt confident enough to take a gamble.
Given it will be the first time I've ever had a UPS I guess I'm still one better then before regardless.

Complete outages are not too common here (maybe our possums are smarter then squirrles :lol but we do get 'blinks' large enough to be seen through the house lighting.
My older PSU seemed to buffer quite well but it cant be good for the hardware.

 

[Digerati]

Well, I don't think you will be disappointed. But do keep track of time. UPS batteries need to be replaced about every 3 years.