CyberPower SL700U standby UPS overview: Enormous for keeping your home network going all over energy outages

The eight-outlet CyberPower SL700U has a roar: it’s now now not precisely fish nor bird. This properly-made, slightly compact unit can provide backup energy of up to 370 watts/700 volt-amperes (VA), enough to give standby energy for roughly nine minutes for a modest computer, look after an iMac or mid-vary Dell Inspiron tower with an exterior video display.

This UPS, nonetheless, offers energy output from its battery that easiest simulates the relaxed sine wave produced by alternating-sleek energy that comes from an electrical utility. This simulation lurches via steps rather then sliding with out disaster between unfavorable and sure voltage, which is a roar for unusual computer energy affords. This isn’t a roar with ranking-deliver gadgets equivalent to Wi-Fi routers or broadband modems—those are the gadgets easiest suited to exercise with it.

This overview is half of TechHive’s coverage of the finest uninterruptible energy affords, where you’ll discover opinions of the competition’s offerings, plus a purchaser’s recordsdata to the facets you need to always silent succor in mind when attempting for this form of product.

Most modern computers characteristic active energy element correction (PFC). This lets the hardware’s energy provide more effectively rework incoming AC into the DC energy used within a computer. It could well probably additionally work all the most effective plan via a diversity of voltages and frequencies equipped by utilities world extensive. But whereas you mix a simulated sine wave with active PFC rather then a pure sine wave produced by more-dear UPSes, the energy provide could well fabricate a high-pitched grunt on every occasion energy comes from the backup instrument’s battery. It’s additionally attainable that the energy provide can ride tiny amounts of damage that can add up over time.

CyberPower Systems

This UPS is additionally configured as a standby mannequin, now not like a more progressed line-interactive UPS. A standby UPS taps its battery on every occasion voltages sags or surges enough that it wants to lower gadgets from energy mains linked to its battery-backed retailers and feed electricity directly. A line-interactive mannequin passes all its energy via a conditioner, which cleans up tiny eccentricities and keeps the battery in reserve for more low prerequisites, or a paunchy-on energy outage. That preserves the lifetime of the battery with a line-interactive mannequin in areas with routine energy sags, surges, outages, or other concerns.

A line-interactive UPS can additionally jump into motion in about 4 milliseconds (ms) to give energy from its battery, as against a rated 8ms for the SL700U. That distinction can each every now and then be enough to break a exquisite computer. With line-interactive UPSes costing easiest a bit of more watt-for-watt as standby, I indicate computer house owners shield that style.

This UPS does bear a price motivate for offering battery backup to less-exquisite, however potentially more critical network gadgets to your home—to wit, a broadband modem, a Wi-Fi router or the entry parts in a mesh Wi-Fi network, as properly as an ethernet switch whereas you bear a profusion of wired gadgets.

Glenn Fleishman / IDG

That make of instruments has a low energy device, permitting a prolonged runtime on an life like standby UPS look after the SL700U. The rated time for this mannequin would enable keeping 100W of gadgets working for roughly 20 minutes, and 50W for roughly an hour. With in particular energy-efficient instruments, that you would possibly want to gain as prolonged as two hours out of the battery.

While you’re in a region with relative frequent outages, including ones that remaining 5 to 20 minutes, that you would possibly want to well be ready to shield your network going with this UPS, whereas you exhaust mobile gadgets and laptops that don’t require their have UPS. (web provider providers customarily bear generators and other backups that enable them continue to give mobile phone, recordsdata, and cable products and providers even whereas there’s a localized or even regional energy outage.)

The eight retailers on the SL700U are divided into three that are protected easiest against surges, as with all standalone surge protector, and 5 that are linked to the battery. The placement is a bit of tight: the 5 retailers bear one placed 2.25 inches away from the following, whereas the opposite four are spaced correct 1.125 inches apart. (The the same is correct for the surge-protected retailers, with one spaced additional than the opposite two.) It additionally has two USB charging ports (5V at up to 2.4A), which is a good additional.

CyberPower offers downloadable tool for macOS and Home windows that helps you to configure the UPS, although it’s now now not completely linked to the computer. You’ll seemingly be ready to disable all audible alarms (a huge bonus for some folk), and quandary the united statesto restart itself when energy returns, among many other facets. While you sooner or later finish up the exercise of the united stateswith a computer that doesn’t rely upon active PFC, that you would possibly want to presumably additionally exercise the PowerPanel tool to agenda shutdowns and startups, or react automatically when the energy is out. (I’m chuffed to document that an updated version of the Mac tool released in August 2020 eliminates concerns in set up and utilization that I experienced when reviewing one other CyberPower instrumentv earlier in the twelve months.)

The SL700 facets a wiring fault gentle—on one short facet, subsequent to the USB connector for a computer hook-up—which you need to always silent test when first plugging it in. The LED illuminates red if there’s any wiring roar, equivalent to a missing ground, depraved ground, or reversed wiring. While you had been to steal this unit and glance a red gentle when plugging this UPS in to energy, disconnect it and gain in touch with an electrician straight.

CyberPower involves a precious and in depth manual in the box, as properly as paunchy guarantee recordsdata—now not like every other manufacturers. The firm offers three years’ worth of protection against an sudden failure of the united statesand a perpetual $100,000 worth of insurance coverage against repairs or destruction of linked instruments. Both the united statesand linked-instruments warranties are readily available in the market easiest for the distinctive purchaser, who wants to document a failure within 10 days of the incident and provide the distinctive dated have receipt.

The backside line

The computer world has largely moved beyond standby UPS models, however they silent bear a location: the CyberPower SL700 is the proper worth for network stability and continuity in the home.

• CyberPower SL700U Standby UPS (700VA/370W, 8 Outlets, 2 USB charging ports)

  CyberPower’s SL700U standby UPS offers enough runtime with a modest load of home-networking instruments to shield them going via energy hiccups and short outages.

  Professionals

  • Correct form scoot-time for network instruments backup
  • Ravishing tool when linked to a computer
  • Contains two 5V, 2.4A USB charging ports

  Cons

  • Outlet spacing is a bit of tight if or now now not it will seemingly be most essential to lag in more than a pair wall warts
  • Lacks pure sinewave output
  • A standby UPS look after that is now now not the finest desire for computer energy backups