Macbook Pro recommendation for UPS

[Krgn]

It was recommended that I get a uninterrupted power supply for my 15" macbook Pro laptop. I live in an area that has power surges/outages. I don't need anything big as it is only for the Macbook. Any recommendatuons? Thanks.

 

[lclev]

I prefer CyberPower UPS. I have several in my home since power outages and surges have taught me the necessity. I also use them at work. With that said, you will not need much if all you plan to plug into it is your MBP's charger. Your MBP already has a lot of protection built in and has its own battery backup. I do have a UPS for the MPB's charger as just a precaution.

The APC company has a really nice UPS calculator that will help you determine your size needs. I find the brand expensive and have had to replace more of them than the CyberPowers so I do have a preference.

UPS are rated by VA (volt amps) and W (watts). Without a lot of details just know the higher the number the more capacity or length of time it will last during a power outage.

Some examples:

Amazon.com : cyberpower ups

Lisa

 

[krs]

I just have the opposite experience than Lisa - I used to buy CyberPower UPSs because they were cheaper but then, after a few failures, switched to APC.
APC's regular price tends to be more than CyberPower but the last one I bought on sale for less than $50 Cdn. at Staples.
I use the UPS only for the MacMini - nobody in the family uses a UPC for their MacBooks. For just power outages it's not requires since the MacBook battery will power the Mac longer than a small UPC would and if power surges are an issue one could also use a high quality surge suppressor, but they are not that much less than a small UPS.

How long of a power outage would you want to be able to handle?
I just use the UPS (on the Mini) to save any on-going work and shut down the Mini gracefully if the outage is more than about 5 minutes

 

[lclev]

I have no preference for what brand you choose for a UPS as everyone has different experiences but regardless they all protect well from spikes, brown outs and surges. I imagine when your power goes out or comes back on, most of the time it is not a smooth transition. The power may pop on and off a few times and those are potential power spikes that put a strain on the equipment that is plugged in.

I use to not worry about having a UPS on my Macbooks as they had their own battery, until we had a major lightning hit near the house. Our house is grounded properly, but I still watched it blow a cheap UPS block out of the wall socket it was plugged into. While it didn't damage anything except the UPS and answer machine, both were fried, I decided investing in a better UPS was I good idea!

Lisa

 

[pm-r]

It was recommended that I get a uninterrupted power supply for my 15" macbook Pro laptop

I would really question the source for such a recommendation as one looks at the situation, a MacBook is actually acting as a UPS with its built-in battery and power supply, unless the battery is completely shot, but even thenI would question the usefulness of a UPS.



- Patrick
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[MacInWin]

What I do is that if there is lightning in the area, I just unplug the power supply from the MBP and run on battery. For other reasons, I have a whole-house backup generator, so any power outage is for about 10 seconds, then the generator kicks in. But lightning is nasty stuff, so I do have UPS protections for some electronics, even with a generator backup.

 

[Randy B. Singer]

It was recommended that I get a uninterrupted power supply for my 15" macbook Pro laptop. I live in an area that has power surges/outages. I don't need anything big as it is only for the Macbook. Any recommendatuons? Thanks.

Whoever gave you that recommendation is a moron and you should never take their computer advice again. Laptops don't need UPS's. They already have a battery backup built-in. If the power in your area is inconsistent, then, at most, you would need a good surge suppressor for when your laptop is plugged-in to the charger.

However, a UPS is a good idea for your other equipment. If the power in your area is a huge problem, you likely need a whole-home (or office) UPS so that sensitive and very expensive appliances, like your refrigerator, don't get damaged by a sag in the power or a huge surge.

If you (or anyone else) simply want a UPS for your *desktop* computer, I used to (many years ago) exclusively use and recommend APC UPS's. Since then their quality and company integrity has fallen precipitously, while at the same time their prices have risen compared to the competition. (I really hate overpaying for lower quality equipment.) Worse, many of their consumer class models (around $150 or less) don't include automatic voltage regulation (AVR) anymore, which I consider an ABSOLUTE NECESSITY.

Since then I've been recommending CyberPower UPS's. They are really reliable, they have really nice features, and they are very competitively priced. This is the model that I most often recommend for individual computers:

CyberPower 1000AVR ($140 )
http://www.amazon.com/CyberPower-CP1000AVRLCD-9-Outlet-Intelligent-1000VA/dp/B000QZ3UG0
(Note that this UPS's battery is user replaceable. A big plus.)

Just a short story about APC vs. Cyberpower and the need for AVR.

I was once hired by this office to fix a problem where their Macs randomly and spontaneously all shut down all the time. They were at their wit's end trying to figure out what was causing the problem.

To make a long story short, there was a break room with a refrigerator. When the refrigerator cycled on, it caused such a sag in the power to the entire office that their Macs would shut down because of it.

So I purchased mid-range APC UPS's and attached each Macintosh to one. To my surprise, it didn't help at all.

Then I realized that the APC UPS's didn't have AVR, despite the fact that they weren't all that inexpensive. I substituted Cyberpower UPS's (which were less expensive, but which had superior specs to the APC's AND AVR) and that fixed everything.

I have other interesting stories about UPS's, if anyone wants to hear them!

 

[Groovetube]

I too can’t really imagine a need for a UPS for a laptop really. If there is one I’d be interested in the explanation.

for brands I’ve had 2 APCs catch fire on me. Luckily I caught it. One had actual flames and the other heavily smoked and I pulled the plug in time. Never ever again. Their quality has gone down the tubes.

 

[pm-r]

I have other interesting stories about UPS's, if anyone wants to hear them!

That's an Interesting and informative story, Thank you Randy.

Also good to know about the need for having any UPS that have and include AVR capability.

PS: I don't think there are many If any UPSs designed for the home market that can cope properly with any direct lightning strike or with the wrong power in the wrong wires.


- Patrick
=======

 

[krs]

I too can’t really imagine a need for a UPS for a laptop really. If there is one I’d be interested in the explanation.

It extends the run time of your MacBook, espeially older ones with a weak battery, and it also "kills" portability.

 

[Groovetube]

It extends the run time of your MacBook, espeially older ones with a weak battery, and it also "kills" portability.

The purpose of a UPS isn’t so much an ‘extended battery’ as it to provide uninterrupted power. Especially for desktops with no battery and allow for safe shutdowns and protect hard drives. If your laptop has a weak battery and it’s a concern, my opinion would be to replace the battery, as it may be cheaper (or at worst similar cost) to do so than buying a UPS.

 

[lclev]

I guess we could discuss this until the cows come home and only hope to reach a consensus at best. It all depends on our individual experiences and where we live. My experience says I have replaced more APC UPS units and their batteries yet, I have never had to do either for the CyberPower units of the same age.

Also I live in an area where they pipe sunlight in and electricity is not considered a necessity but paying the bill is. We just put in a whole house generator at the end of 2021. Prior to that we had a portable that ran only essentials - like heat and water.

I have seen our electric go on and off multiple times during outages. I have replaced surge protectors that fried, a refrigerator that got zapped, several well pumps that got hit by lightning and various other electrical items. For me, a UPS for my laptops charger is just peace of mind for me. So it all comes down to preference.

 

[Groovetube]

I have a cyberpower for the iMac on the audio setup downstairs, no problems but I am changing the iMac over to the new mbp. I’ll probably keep the unit around as a backup for charging phones etc should we have an outage that lasts longer than a few hours perhaps.

 

[krs]

The purpose of a UPS isn’t so much an ‘extended battery’ as it to provide uninterrupted power. Especially for desktops with no battery and allow for safe shutdowns and protect hard drives. If your laptop has a weak battery and it’s a concern, my opinion would be to replace the battery, as it may be cheaper (or at worst similar cost) to do so than buying a UPS.

I thought we had already established that a UPS is not required to provide uninterrupted power when using a MacBook, so the only other purpose I could think of to answer your question was extended run time during a long power outage.

We just had a pretty vicious wind storm in southern Ontario and many places were without power for 3 an4 days. A MacBook would have run out of battery power by then, running the MacBook on a UPS would extend its runtime, assuming of course one also opted for the battery bak-up option for the modem/router if one needs to access the net during that time.

 

[Groovetube]

I didn’t see that that was established. Just power outages and surges.

how long would a UPS unit last charging a MacBook Pro run your modem/router maybe charge your phone? I think mine might give me 20 minutes on my iMac/externals. A pal I know who lives somewhere where outages are a real issue and sometimes for days invested in a small generator. Down the line he went further and had his panel wired so he could switch a few select circuits to be fed by the generator. Smart.

 

[Randy B. Singer]

how long would a UPS unit last charging a MacBook Pro run your modem/router maybe charge your phone?

Users have always misunderstood UPS's. The UPS's that consumers buy to protect their computer equipment aren't really meant to run your computer (or other equipment) from in the event of a blackout. What they are for is, in the event of a blackout, they give you enough time to allow you to save all of your work, close all of your applications, and do an orderly shutdown, after which you should unplug your computer and all associated equipment and wait to use your computer again until the power has been fully and reliably restored, thus avoiding the huge surge that normally accompanies the power coming back on.

Consumer level UPS's also condition the power as you use your equipment. The most common source of damage to computer equipment, and the biggest thing that will noticeably reduce your Mac's lifespan, will be sags (but not total blackouts) in the power. That's why you need a UPS with AVR.

A consumer level UPS isn't meant to take the place of a generator in the event of a blackout. A consumer level UPS is a failsafe. You shouldn't think of it as a power bank. If you do, you will ALWAYS end up being disappointed.

You don't choose a UPS based on "how long will it run my equipment". You choose it by "will it give me enough time to safely save my work and shut down my computer in the event of a blackout."

 

[Groovetube]

This is exactly what I’ve always understood ups to be.

 

[krs]

This discussion has really gone off the rails.
The question was:

I too can’t really imagine a need for a UPS for a laptop really. If there is one I’d be interested in the explanation.

My comment was that it could be used to extend the run time of the laptop - that's all

Not that this is the way a UPS is intended to be used or that this is a typical application.

I found where I live, power outages are either 5 minutes or less and if the outage is more than a few minutes, it usually lasts for several hours.
So I sized the UPS for the Mini to power it for 15 minutes or so.
Then, if the power does not come back after 5 or so minutes, I save anything that needs saving and power down the Mini.
I don't unplug any power (although that is a good idea) because power cords are awkward to reach and because all the power in our whole area is underground which (I think) makes it much less susceptible to lightning issues.