PCPE 3.0 wrong number for maximum load

[Anonymous user]

Since I bought my Back-UPS BE600N-BR - http://www.apc.com/resource/include/techspec_index.cfm?base_sku=BE600N%2DBR I noticed something different from its predecessor model, the BE600-BR. On Powerchute the maximum load available is 600W not the usual 360W for any 600VA unit. And no matter what version of PCPE I install, the same thing happens. Is this unit capable of handling 600W or is is a software/hardware bug? I'm almost sure the it is a software or hardware bug since I plug the older unit and reset my PC it detects it correctly and shows the right amount of watts, 360W.

Heres is the techical data shown by PCPE:

Model:Back-UPS ES 600N
Serial number: 5B1019T37397
Firmware revision: 876.Q1j.D

I attached the screenshot of the PCPE showing 600W instead of 360W.


UPDATE:

I should have done this before, but only now I dediced to see what happens if I plug more things to the UPS and I said to myself, well the worst thing that can happen is it start beeping telling me it is overloaded or drop the load. Well, I managed to plug almost 400W of stuff on this thing and it DID NOT COMPLAIN!!! I let it run for almost 10 minutes with almost 400W being drawn off the unit and no beeps, no clicks, nothing! Then I decided to pull the cord from the wall outlet to see if the UPS would drop the load and to my amazement, it did not drop the load nor start beeping! Well, I think this unit is made to deliver 600W! The load:

One basic desktop PC with 20" LCD display
One old 15" CRT
One Notebook PC
One desklamp
One inkjet printer

I try to attach more stuff to it until it reaches 600W. The only bad thing is the battery will die very soon.

I attached a new screenshot showing 390W being drawn off the UPS.

UPDATE 2:

Well, I was able to pull 600W off this unit without a sign of problem, the only draw back is the battery runtime that went down to 1 minute and a pop-up screen told me that less then 5 minutes of battery back-up power was not very safe, blah, blah...

Apart from the load described above, I attached one Nintendo Wii, one 29" CRT TV, one 30W bulb (60W @ 220V, but the UPS output is 110V) until it reached 600W without any sign of overload. This is very good! It means I don't have to buy another UPS if I upgrade my system, I will only have less battery time which is not that bad since @ 500W i still have enough time to shut my PC down.

I don't know what APC made different in this unit, maybe a bigger transformer since the unit itself is bigger than the older model, but the truth is, it can handle 600W and the older unit can't, both are 600VA ones...

Message was edited by: rau

Message was edited by: rau

[Anonymous user · Accepted solution]

I pulled the plug while 600W was being drawn off the unit and it did not drop the load but PCPE activated the Windows hibernation mode right away and my PC hibernated normally since the battery charge went down pretty fast, as I expected.

One thing I noticed is the fan inside this unit never turned on when on battery mode, it only turns on when the unit is in self test mode, but drawing 600W the fan kicked in while Windows was hibernating.

The screenshot showing 600W being drawn off the unit before pulling the cord, is attached...

Update:

I don't know if this is some kind of problem, but I got in touch with another person that owns the same UPS and he said to me his unit behaves the same way as mine, PCPE shows 600W as being the maximum possible load.

Message was edited by: rau