Can a UPS kill a PSU?

[Anonymous user]

I just went out last night and bought a APC BX900R UPS. This thread isnt meant to start a cyberpower VS. APC war but instead throw around a suspicion thats in the back of my head. Possibly just overactive imagination here...

I've just had two PC PSU mishaps over a relatively short period of time on two separate PCs. (used at different times) The thought crossed my mind that possibly the cyberpower UPS slowly killed my old rig, and possibly caused damage to my current OCZ PSU that is being RMAd. Both PCs have had more than enough power being pumped to them via their PSUs, both were run stock, and both were plugged into a cyberpower UPS during during their operating 'life' at separate times.

Id say both machines (used separately) drew about 300-400 watts

The Cyberpower 900avr UPS has given me NO indication of being faulty. It's only about 8 months old, has worked just fine, and lived happily under my desk.

However, given the most recent (what i think) PSU failure when i assembled a rig recently, as well as my primary rigs OCZ PSU flaking out has peaked my interest about the possibility of the Cyberpower UPS being the root of my problems?

in the meantime i replaced it with this APC BX900R UPS.

These most recent mishaps could just be chance as well.
The OCZ unit was turning off by itself along with a crackling noise, I considered it to be a manufacture defect so it was RMA'd, my old parts rig simply didnt post one day so i returned the M/B, and attempted to fire it up most recently with its antec 2.0 3 year old PSU and the M/B cooked.

also,
Both of the PSUs that have gone bad have had active PFC. Am i doing damage using a high end PSU with active PFC behind a unit such as the BX900R?

[TheNotoriousKMP_apc]

Hi,

The more thought I put into this, if it's happening every so often, it could be the automatic self-test. The thing is, I do not know the composition of the Cyberpower UPS and whether it's configured to run a self test, like APC UPS's, every 2 weeks. However, if it's slowly killing the PSU, and also operates on a step-approximated sine wave while on battery, it could in fact be the self-test duration of 10 seconds every two weeks that seems to be destroying the PSU. Again, I would suggest obtaining more information about sine wave affects to the PSU from the manufacturer, since at this time, I'm merely speculating what COULD be happening.

[Anonymous user]

To put it in plain language, UPS is transparent when the utility power is available. Most consumer grade UPS simply "sits aside" and it's just like a standby generator that can start instantly.

When there's a power failure, the UPS instantly turns on the DC 12/24v to 120V AC converter, then the transfer switch transfer your computer over to battery power.

Message was edited by: KVAr

[TheNotoriousKMP_apc]

Hello,

Have you discussed the affects of a step-approximated sine wave to your PSU? I'm not sure how the Cyberpower UPS operates, but the BX900 operates with a step-approximated sine wave while on battery. That could be doing it. While using normal utility voltage, it is just a surge surpressor and line regulator, so it may be a deeper cause than a UPS.

[Anonymous user]

I have not been told the direct effects of the square sine wave, just what ive read in the forums, please feel free to discuss this,

Ive done a lot of digging to find more info out. From what im reading higher end PSUs (including mine) have Active PFC, as im understanding this, the step/or square sine wave do not play 100% nice with a Active PFC PSU.

What i ended up doing tonight was purchasing a SUA1500, roughly $120 more than what i paid for my bx900r. I can rest assured that they will get along nicely. My wattage usage is somewhere in the neighborhood of 400watts (max).

I think my particular events may have just been just dumb luck, but it certainly caused me to learn more about UPSs and their output signals.

To sum it up, what ive learned is that a typical square sine wave as found with a bx900, is NOT the best choice to use while operating with a high performance system using a Active PFC PSU.

please correct me or explain further...

- Kevin

[Anonymous user · Accepted solution]

I just went out last night and bought a APC BX900R UPS. This thread isnt meant to start a cyberpower VS. APC war but instead throw around a suspicion thats in the back of my head. Possibly just overactive imagination here...

I've just had two PC PSU mishaps over a relatively short period of time on two separate PCs. (used at different times) The thought crossed my mind that possibly the cyberpower UPS slowly killed my old rig, and possibly caused damage to my current OCZ PSU that is being RMAd. Both PCs have had more than enough power being pumped to them via their PSUs, both were run stock, and both were plugged into a cyberpower UPS during during their operating 'life' at separate times.

Id say both machines (used separately) drew about 300-400 watts

The Cyberpower 900avr UPS has given me NO indication of being faulty. It's only about 8 months old, has worked just fine, and lived happily under my desk.

However, given the most recent (what i think) PSU failure when i assembled a rig recently, as well as my primary rigs OCZ PSU flaking out has peaked my interest about the possibility of the Cyberpower UPS being the root of my problems?

in the meantime i replaced it with this APC BX900R UPS.

These most recent mishaps could just be chance as well.
The OCZ unit was turning off by itself along with a crackling noise, I considered it to be a manufacture defect so it was RMA'd, my old parts rig simply didnt post one day so i returned the M/B, and attempted to fire it up most recently with its antec 2.0 3 year old PSU and the M/B cooked.

also,
Both of the PSUs that have gone bad have had active PFC. Am i doing damage using a high end PSU with active PFC behind a unit such as the BX900R?