Designed for home, office and back office applications, the Cyberpower PFC Sinewave series adopts line-interactive topology with Automatic Voltage Regulation (AVR) function to offer stabilised Pure Sine Wave output. It features include an RJ45 port to provide data line protection, as well as supply 1Gbps speed to transmit data, and a tiltable colour LCD panel to display key information at a glance.
Technology is prevalent in today’s society, with computers being implemented into more and more of our everyday lives, from automobiles to toasters. And while there are benefits to the spread of technology, the power infrastructure in many places hasn’t kept up. This has led to spikes in voltage, black outs and brownouts, which all can wreak havoc on sensitive electronics.
Enter the PFC Sinewave Series by Cyberpower. Designed to give you peace of mind, and a safety buffer of time to save your work and safely shut down your sensitive electronics when a loss of power occurs. I was given a CP1350EPFCLCD to put through its paces. This is the 1350VA / 810 Watt unit, but there is also a smaller 1200VA / 720 Watt unit, and larger 1600VA / 1000 Watt unit for those needing less, or a bit more capacity respectively – CyberPower advises the optimal load should not be higher than 80% of the rated capacity.
But, just how good is it, and does it live up to CyberPower’s “Advanced and Reliable PFC UPS” claim?
Certification & Technology
The CP1350EPFCLCD has Cyberpower Greenpower UPSTM technology certification. This means it is the most energy-efficient UPS in its class, using less energy compared to competitive models. It also means it is manufactured in accordance with the Restriction on Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive, making it one of the most environmentally-friendly UPS on the market today.
The CP1350EPFCLCD delivers sine wave output, which is ideal for seamless operation of computers using high efficiency switching power supplies with Active Power Factor Correction (Active PFC). This means that the PFC Sinewave series of UPS are compatible with equipment requiring active PFC power supply (as opposed to UPS that use simulated or stepped sine wave power)
The CP1350EPFCLCD also possesses Automatic Voltage Regulation (AVR). This feature evens out any irregular voltage that gets delivered to your house or business. Spikes in voltage can wreak havoc on sensitive electronics, so AVR is absolutely essential for computing equipment.
Unboxing and set-up
CyberPower have gone with a plain, brown, cardboard box with black text (and line drawing of the unit) for their aesthetic. It’s not going to win any style awards, but it gives you all the information needed. The unit is packaged well, with a minimum of supporting foam to provide protection without unnecessarily adding waste.
Inside the box is an information pamphlet showing all the technical specifications and product callouts, a user manual, the unit itself, a power cable, and a USB type-A to Type-B cable.
While reasonably compact, measuring 100 x 280 x 355mm, the units weighs a whopping 10kg (the 1600VA model has an added heft bringing it to 11kg’s), so keep that in mind before going to pull it out of the box one-handed. That said, CyberPower UPS units from 2016 tipped the scale at just over 23kg, so they have significantly improved in that regard.
Installation is a breeze. With the UPS unit switched off, you plug it in at the wall, and press the power button. Simple.
However, the instruction manual carries the warning that the product should not be used for Laser Printers, Paper Shredder, Copier, Space Heater, Vacuum, Sump Pump or other ‘large electrical devices’ as the power demands may overload and damage the unit.
The warranty will also be voided if you use it with an extension cord, outlet strips, and surge protector strips. Thankfully I had read this, because for me, this restriction meant pulling my desk out from the wall to access the wall outlet, as my cable management had everything previously running to an easily accessible surge protection powerboard under the desk, but out of sight.
Operation
After turning it on, there is a setup button that allows you to change a number of options, such as the sensitivity of the unit. For equipment that can tolerate more power events (for example unstable power often associated with stormy weather) you can set it to Low Sensitivity, which will cause the UPS to switch to battery backup less often.
There is software that you can download, providing Energy Consumption Statistics and allowing you to schedule shutdowns / restarts of the UPS or computer at specific times, along with providing active UPS Status monitoring, however I didn’t download or use this.
The LCD screen on the unit displays key information, such as estimated runtime, current load, and error messages. This screen has several tilt settings, so if you place the unit on the floor you can easily read it while sitting without having to bend down.
The recommendation is to charge the unit for at least 8 hours on first use, which is also the time it takes to charge the battery from empty to about 90%. From this, you get around 2.1 minutes runtime under full load, and around 9.6 minutes at half load.
During a severe blackout or brownout, the unit will sound two short beeps to indicate it’s operating from its internal batteries. The beeping is quite audible and loud, so it’s not something that will be easily missed.
If the power event continues the unit starts beeping every ½ second to indicate you need to save your work and shut down. This is really my only complaint – I wish there was the ability to customise the alarm tone (who wouldn’t want a Star Trek or Star Wars themed siren instead of a standard beep).
There are two USB ports (A USB-A, and a USB-C) port on the front of the unit, while on the back there are a total of 6 surge-protected three-prong power ports (for plugging in a computer or monitors), two RJ45 ports (one input, one output) to protect your network cable, a USB type B port, and a serial port.
The USB A and C Power is obtained from a direct 5V DC voltage line from the circuit board.
I found the 6 power points to be more than needed, even with a multiple monitor setup on my system. One added benefit of these power points is that they are spaced quite wide apart, allowing enough clearance for wider power packs to be connected without preventing use of the neighbouring port (nothing is more annoying than losing a power point thanks to an oversized brick.)
CyberPower are also on the ball with the design of the reset switch, which while easily accessible, is recessed so won’t be accidentally knocked or triggered.
Conclusion
Digital Reviews Network have been testing and using CyberPower systems for many years. And they just keep getting better.
Given the critical nature of backup power for your computer systems, I highly recommend the CP1350EPFCLCD. Unlike basic, cheaper UPS, the CP1350EPFCLCD will compensate for inconsistencies in the mains power supply, particularly when the voltage exceeds or dips from the expected range.
While there are cheaper, and higher capacity UPS available, there isn’t a lot of choice out there for pure sine wave UPS in the 850-2200VA range. However, the CP1350EPFCLCD by CyberPower offers great value for money with this option, and represents a good value proposition for those needing pure sine wave UPS – and even those just wanting an advanced and reliable UPS.
The Cyberpower CP1350EPFCLCD has a RRP of $539 but Amazon has it on sale for $349 at time of publish. How about giving the gift of uninterrupted gaming for Valentine’s Day this year?
I would like to thank CyberPower providing the review unit, I will certainly be using it as my system protection from this point on.
Technical Specifications
