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Pastimes : Dream Machine ( Build your own PC ) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Gary E who wrote (9763)	12/23/1999 10:17:00 AM
From: doug-e-mini	Read Replies (4) \| Respond to of 14778

VA is different from watts. My Internet Office model has an output of 500 VA, 280 watts. The BC Personal is 500 VA, 315 watts. Don't ask why the difference... that's what they say on the back. VA is a method to calculate load if it's listed in amps. Example: 1 amp x 120 volts = 120 VA It sounds like plugging 2 17's and a box into a 500 might be stretching it just a bit. But we really don't know how many watts your box is using. It may have a 200 watt power supply, but is it really using all 200 watts? I would think it would depend on what CPU, how may hard drives, etc. that you have. Maybe someone here might have an idea what the average box uses for watts. Another option you have is to leave one or both of the monitors off the UPS. Of course, you'll subject them to those glitches but at least the Q will keep running.

To: Gary E who wrote (9763)	1/6/2000 11:54:00 AM
From: Spots	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 14778

>>So if two 17's could be 200 w and the power supply in the computer might be 200 w,,,,thats 400 watts so a 500 va should more than handle it ....wacha think,,,,? First, it depends on the wattage, not VA, which are potentially (yes, pun is intended <g>) different when impedences other than pure resistance are in the circuit and made worse when the power source is not a pure sine wave, which is true of all but the most high-end UPSs. Second, your 200-watt power supply refers to its OUTPUT not its input. You have to check the rating on the power supply itself to see what it would draw. A 500 WATT ups would probably handle 2 17" monitors plus a worstation, though I wouldn't expect more than a couple of minutes. Sean Smith used to speak highly of OPTI-UPS, especially for price-performance. Buy.com has a 500 watt (yes, watts, also 500VA - dunno how they manage that since it's not true sine-wave output) for 89.95 (roughly), with LAN/Phone protection. 500VS, I think it is. HOWEVER, I ordered one and it was DOA. That's off-putting but can happen to anybody, of course (I've also had a couple of APC UPSs fail in service - dern batteries don't last). I've ordered a replacement for the OPTI, but I can't comment on the OPTIs personally yet. Spots