Should I replace my 4 year UPS?

[davidst95]

Hi, I have a CyperPower 1500VA UPS.   It's about 4 years old.   Is there a lifespan on these UPSs?   I read an article saying they should be replaced about every two years.    I used a PSU calculator website and it says my desktop draws about 600 watts so if I did replace I think I would get something a little smaller.  I currently have an I7-6800 and an ASUS Strix 1080 OC and 64GB DDR4 RAM (I need to run multiple VMs for work).  

 

Also, I have a 1200W Seasonic Platinum PSU.   I bought when I had an AMD 295x2 but now it's way overkill.    Am I wasting electricity using a 1200W PSU on a desktop that needs about half that wattage?  Thanks for any advice.

 

David

[STRMfrmXMN]

9 minutes ago, davidst95 said:

Hi, I have a CyperPower 1500VA UPS.   It's about 4 years old.   Is there a lifespan on these UPSs?   I read an article saying they should be replaced about every two years.    I used a PSU calculator website and it says my desktop draws about 600 watts so if I did replace I think I would get something a little smaller.  I currently have an I7-6800 and an ASUS Strix 1080 OC and 64GB DDR4 RAM (I need to run multiple VMs for work).  

 

Also, I have a 1200W Seasonic Platinum PSU.   I bought when I had an AMD 295x2 but now it's way overkill.    Am I wasting electricity using a 1200W PSU on a desktop that needs about half that wattage?  Thanks for any advice.

 

David

I don't know enough about UPSs to commend about the first thing, but to the second point about the ex-295X2, nah, just keep your PSU. You'd lose far more money in replacing it and buying a lesser unit than if you just kept it. It's a freaking amazing unit.

[Mr.Meerkat]

16 minutes ago, davidst95 said:

Am I wasting electricity using a 1200W PSU on a desktop that needs about half that wattage?

Well technically you're saving money as a PSU is most efficient at (roughly) 40-60% loads so...nope, you're not wasting electricity  

And yes, the PSU can supply a maximum of 1200W but will only draw how much your components need. 

 

UPS wise, IDK but I'd presume the batteries of a UPS wouldn't last too long so changing it wouldn't be a bad idea? 

[bgibbz]

23 minutes ago, davidst95 said:

Also, I have a 1200W Seasonic Platinum PSU.   I bought when I had an AMD 295x2 but now it's way overkill.    Am I wasting electricity using a 1200W PSU on a desktop that needs about half that wattage?  Thanks for any advice.

1200 watt psu doesn't mean that it always draws 1200 watts from the wall; a system a 2000 watt psu and an identical system with a 400 watt psu would draw roughly the same wattage, with the 2000 watt probably drawing slightly less. 

[davidst95]

Hi, thanks for the responses.   I'm really glad it seems it's not necessary to replace my PSU.   I'll look into how my a battery replacement is for UPS.   Thanks again!

 

David

[scottyseng]

57 minutes ago, davidst95 said:

-snip-

The higher quality UPS units can last a long time, as they only need battery replacements. I would only worry if somehow your building got hit by a large surge of power, then potentially the surge protection system in the UPS may have been damaged.

[W-L]

2 hours ago, davidst95 said:

-SNIP-

In most cases your battery is what will need to be replaced as it ages, but for general home use you can usually run far past the recommended replacement dates. I've had a unit for I think it's somewhere at 8 years now and still going without any issue.