Uninterruptible Power Supply for Notebook?

Hi guys,

I was wondering if anyone knows whether uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) are a good idea for notebooks. Given that notebooks are so expensive, it seems like getting a small 425va UPS makes sense to protect the notebook.

I would appreciate any thoughts that you guys have on this.

Thanks!

 

All you need is a surge protector. The battery acts like a UPS.

 

^Exactly. Just get a decent surge protector to keep your power brick safe, and in the event of a power failure, your battery will automatically take over, usually giving you at least two hours depending on your model and battery specs. Adding a UPS to the mix just seems like unnecessary redundancy if you ask me. I would only do that for a desktop system, since they don't have their own batteries.

 

Thanks for the responses, guys. Do you guys know if laptop batteries also have programming to protect against brownouts? I know that for desktop computers, brownouts are the biggest danger.

Thanks again.

 

brownouts? do those involve power surges?

but ya...its a BATTERY, it'll power your laptop just fine

 

UPS is kind of a waste of resources for a laptop considering the laptop will automatically switch to battery power if it loses power from the AC. Better off spending your money on a decent surge protector + xtra battery.

 

If there is a "surge," will it come out the other end of the brick power supply?

 

Good question. Has anyone tried?

 

Where I am, the power isn't very clean. I just got the APC Line-R and it seems to do a good job in giving me stable power. I leave in my battery all the time for when power is cut completely. Been using this for a year now, battery wear is still negligible and can get almost 4 hours (just like a year ago).

 

Normally it should not. The power bricks are not "dumb" voltage converters. They try to stabilize the output voltage as much as possible and if it is not possible, they simply cut the output not to damage the laptop.


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I would just get a surge protector to plug directly into your power source, and plug the power brick directly into that. That way you get the power backup of your battery, and the security of surge protection.

 

a power brick apparently can stop 'small' power surges. but 'stronger' ones will absolutely run right through it(would happen to UPS' as well).

now, this came from my friend studying electrical engineering...i'm not quite exactly what 'small' and 'stronger' mean...

 

Wow, thanks a lot for the information guys. I think that the idea of a power conditioner makes a lot of sense given the old circuitry of the house.

Looking at the various smaller power conditioners, it seems to be down to either APC or Opti UPS. Do you guys have any preference for either one?

 

VERY few bricks I have seen ( 400+ ) will let a surge through and brownouts are no issue with laptops as if the voltage drops low enough to trip out the brick the battery is already inline to keep you going ... no different then hot plugging/unplugging any laptop

and if your going to get a power conditioner use it on your other electronics but NOT a laser printer, a UPS or conditioner on a laptop is a big waste of cash

as for UPS units my favorite are APC and MGE

 

Anything that an adjacent surge protector will do is already inside the power brick. Notice how everyone is replacing dimmer switches and clock radios every day? Destructive surges are that infrequent. Computers are required to be even more robust.

The destructive surge occurs maybe once every seven years. A number that can vary even within the same town. The destructive surge seeks earth. Either you earth it before it enters the building. Or it hunts for earth destructively via your appliances. Using the adjacent protector as more potential paths to do damage.

The informed computer user has one 'whole house' protector installed with earthing upgraded to meet and exceed post 1990 electrical code. Obviously that means changing no interior house wiring. The effective protector costs about $1 per protected appliance. If the computer needs protection, so does everything else. What protects your dishwasher, furnace and smoke detectors?

Only more responsible companies sell these effective solutions. Some include General Electrics, Square D, Intermatic, Leviton, Siemens, etc. All names well understood by those who have the necessary electrical knowledge. Cutler-Hammer's solution sells in Lowes for less than $50.

For over 100 years, it has been known what makes a protector effective. Earth ground. That short (ie 'less than10 foot') connection means a surge will not overwhelm protection inside the power brick. Either energy gets earthed harmlessly. Or that energy hunts for earth destructively via appliances. Yes, this is how surge protection has been installed for over 100 years. And what homes have required since the 1970s.

The rare surge that can overwhelm protection inside that power brick must be dissipated harmlessly in earth - must not enter the building. A protector is only as effective as its earth ground.