Need Help Choosing The Right Product

[J-A]

hello, 

i could use some assistance on which product to buy for my needs, please. 

i just need a UPS for my Mac Mini & LG display for when my power goes out or flickers (which happens fairly frequently). 

it's just for me at home, and i would like it to somehow safely shut down my Mac if it happens when i'm not home. does that require software to be installed on the Mac? if so, is yours signed by Apple & meets it's requirements for easy & safe usage? 

i also hear that i need to choose a UPS with these features: 

 - Pure SineWave, 

 - Automatic Voltage Regulation, 

 - a USB-C or Thunderbolt connectivity for my Mac, 

 - and as mentioned, the ability to safely shut down my Mac if the power goes out & i'm not there to tend to it myself. 

thank you very much for your help. 

[Teken]

You can buy any APC Pure Sine Wave UPS you like. Comes down to your budget and how long you need the connected loads to operate for.

If you don’t need hours vs minutes to gracefully shutdown your computer than a smaller system is fine which saves you finances.

There is no APC Software (Power Chute) for Apple computers and simply uses the native power management software from Apple OS.

Power Chute Software is / was available for the following operating systems: Windows, Linux, NT, Oracle, IBM, etc.

You may refer to this APC Resource Link to configure the power management for Apple OS:

https://www.apc.com/us/en/download/document/Mac_Config_PowerChute_EN/

AVR circuitry is included in the more expensive Back-UPS / Pro models and standard in the Smart-UPS Series.

No APC UPS provides USB-C / Thunderbolt support for connectivity. Any USB-C port you may see and read about is strictly for charging purposes of an auxiliary device.

Some other considerations that you may not have thought about is standby power, fan noise, transfer time, surge protection, LCD Menu, network connectivity, extended battery, notification, integration, etc.

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[J-A]

thank you for your reply - and the link about software instructions is very helpful.

about the Sine Wave, i see most (all?) of the non-pro options show they use "Stepped Approximation To A Sinewave" instead of "Sine Wave".  what's the real difference (for someone who doesn't understand these things)?  all the reviews/advice articles i've read emphasize getting a "Pure Sinewave".

likewise with the AVR feature. they all echo the importance of having that. so if none of the budget-friendly-for-simple-home-use models have that, do they do something similar that i should be aware of / consider?

lastly, i've recently learned how to figure out which Wattage i should get, but i'm still confused on which Voltage amount i'd need. if you could steer me in the right direction for that too, i'd appreciate it.

thanks so much!

[Teken]

Sine / Stepped Sine: In 2025 given the technology has come down in price considerably it only makes sense to invest in a Pure Sine Wave UPS.

Going this route there will never be  problems connecting any sensitive electronics to this type of UPS topology. Modified / Stepped Appropriate Sine Wave are cheap and easy to build and some electronics do not operate properly on (PWM) Stepped / Modified Sine wave.

Please refer to this APC Resource Link:

https://www.apc.com/ca/en/solutions/home-solutions/gaming-ups-xbox-ps4-console-pc/sine-wave-for-gami...

AVR: The importance of having a UPS system that incorporates an AVR circuit is it allows the unit to compensate for high / low input line voltages before engaging the battery only circuit.

This extends the operational runtime and battery service life.

The technical term when the AVR circuit is engaged or working is trim / buck / boost . . . 

More expensive systems like the Smart-UPS Series have a tighter AVR user adjustable (range) setting. As such it allows the user to define both upper and lower (Transfer) voltages numerically.

In more basic and lower end models such as the Back-UPS Series the user can only select predefined settings which are more than fine.

You may refer to this APC AVR FAQ:

https://www.apc.com/us/en/faqs/FA158913/

All systems incorporate a Power Quality setting. This setting defines when the unit will go on battery only mode. The phrase varies by model but generally speaking they are Normal, Reduced, Low in the Smart-UPS Series. 

Input Voltage: The average consumer doesn’t need to worry about voltage as your market would sell the input voltage for your region.

The only obvious caveat is if you purchased the system online.

As such it’s important to choose the correct input voltage for your region such as 120 VAC at 60 Hz. for North America.

In Europe it spans 220, 230, 240 VAC etc at 50 Hz. Other regions may see 210 VAC at 50 Hz.

In a commercial / industrial environment it’s imperative to select the correct input voltage that can vary considerably.

Once you’ve selected the topology (Pure vs Stepped) the next decision is how much operational runtime you want vs need?!?

You only need 5-10 minutes to gracefully shutdown the computer? You can buy any model based on the APC Runtime Calculator.

You want / need more than 60 minutes of operational runtime with high (wattage / power) than you need to consider extended runtime systems such as SMX, SRT, SUA, SURT, ULTRA, Smart-UPS Series etc.

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[J-A]

GREAT information - THANK YOU.

i think when i asked about the "V", i meant the "VA" numbers. i typed "V" because at the time, i was looking at products where you had to choose between 1000v and 1500v as well as the "W". i now see that it's not as much of a choice after picking the "W" number with APC.

i just went back thru you're website products, and from what i can tell, the lowest model that offers the "Pure Sinewave" are the "Pro" models, and those prices are more than what i had planned on spending for this.

i'm feeling a bit discouraged. all i wanted coming in to this process was to find a UPS backup battery to run my Mac Mini & Display, and to safely shut it down before it looses power.

i learned how to calculate the wattage, and that totals to about 450w. but i'm not finding any in that range that offer the pure sine wave.

the product pages have my head spinning & i'm feeling a bit overwhelmed about it all. 

can you recommend a specific model for me that would:

1) give me enough juice to run a Mac Mini & Display (~450w) long enough to shut down,

2) have the Pure Sine Wave,

3) have the AVR,

4) & has a USB to connect to the Mac Mini so it can know when to safely shut down,

5) and in the smallest footprint possible.

if that's beyond appropriate, then i apologize and still thank you for your time & expertise.

[Teken]

What is the budget you have and intend to set aside for this UPS purchase?!? As that defines and limits what is available to you. 

I can certainly see what is available based on your budget once known. 

Keep in mind this is a multi step process of defining the wattage & operational requirements (runtime).

Obviously finances (budget) will limit the potential options available to you. Regardless, once you know what you need simply pick a few models and see what some of the common retailers / online stores have available in terms of current prices / promotional sales.

Amazon, Best Buy, Costco, CDW, Staples, eBay etc.

NOTE: You may also consider other brands such as the following: Eaton, Tripp Lite, CyberPower, Vertiv. You may very well find one of these brands offer a pure sine wave unit within your budget / finances.

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[J-A]

wow, i'm surprised of your suggestion to look outside of your own company's products, but, ok.

to answer your questions about budget - i originally started this research thinking it would cost around $100, but after going thru everything and counting my needed wattage, it seems that around $200 is more realistic. so i'd really like to try to stay under that if possible. who knew that my desire to protect my little Mac and my Data would be so involved & expensive.

after my initial round of research, i came to believe the top 3 brands to consider are:
 - APC
 - CyberPower
 - Goldenmate

i sent inquiries to all and Goldenmate were the only ones to reply (at the time). i didn't find this forum until after my initial run with Goldenmate.

the model they suggested of theirs @ https://goldenmateenergy.com/products/goldenmate-8-outlets-ups-1000va-600w-ups-lifepo4-battery-backu...
and they suggested i purchase it @ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D5QTYK4V for $180.

its features checked off all 4 of my requirements; but when i received it, it did 'NOT' have a USB port nor cable to connect to my computer like they said it would. so i returned it. i let them know and haven't heard back yet about it.

i've not gotten any replies from CyberPower but in pouring over their models, it "SEEMS" to me that one of these should do the trick...

CP1000PFCLCD
$200 @ https://www.cyberpowersystems.com/product/ups/pfc-sinewave/cp1000pfclcd
$180 @ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00429N192
1000va / 600w / Sine Wave / AVR / safe shut down connection

CP1500PFCLCD
$275 @ https://www.cyberpowersystems.com/product/ups/pfc-sinewave/cp1500pfclcd
$240 @ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00429N19W
1500va / 1000w / Sine Wave / AVR / safe shut down connection

GX1500U
$250 @ https://www.cyberpowersystems.com/product/ups/gx-ups-series/gx1500u
1500va / 900w / Sine Wave / AVR / safe shut down connection

the first one seems to be more aligned with my budget, and i can only assume that their use of the word "Sinewave" and "PFC Sinewave" are the same thing as "Pure Sinewave". i don't know for sure tho.

i did look at the other 2 in that list as possibilities, but i've not figured out what the real difference is between them minus Wattage.

as far as APC goes, i'm still having trouble finding any that handles all my needed features & isn't too expensive. perhaps i'm just not finding them & they're there?

again, thank you for your kind assistance.

[Teken]

I do not represent or work for APC / Schneider Electric. 😊

As such, my personal opinions and feedback is based solely on 35+ years in the industry, experience, and facts. 

On the surface any of the four Cyber Power UPS can meet your personal needs and requirements. It also supports Mac OS in their software unlike APC Power Chute. 

The only thing I’ll caution you about CyberPower is the service after the sale. As it relates to warranty and technical support! 🤦‍♂️

You need only do a Google Search for failures and how this company handles warranty claims and customer support. ☹️

To be fair you’ll find positive & negative reviews and feedback on any company / product. 

As it relates to APC Branded UPS you may consider their Back-UPS Pro line vs Back-UPS.

If finances were not restricted the Smart-UPS Series would be my personal choice.

Theres an obvious huge jump in price but that comes with features, options, and build quality vs something that’s considered throw away.

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