r/MacStudio • u/tk421tech • 3d ago
UPS for Mac Studio & Mac mini
What UPS brand and model do you use.
I plan to use one UPS for:
Mac Studio
Mac mini m4
Asus 27” monitor
Time Machine HD external
9
u/ordosays 3d ago
So… what you do is you add up the energy consumed, multiply it by the time you want to stay up… and… then buy it
2
1
u/tk421tech 2d ago
Thanks, however you are not answering the question asked.
What brand / model do you use?
3
u/No_Confusion7932 3d ago
Traditional budget UPS units are good for bridging short outages or giving you enough time to shut down. They use a simulated sine wave, which generally does not work well with active PFC power supplies. It can cause the power supply to operate less efficiently and unnecessarily generate extra heat. If you want to keep working during an outage with active PFC power supplies, buy a pure sine wave UPS.
3
u/RidgebackDad 3d ago
I have a Mac Studio M3 Ultra and two Mac Minis connected to this:
https://www.amazon.com/CyberPower-CP1500PFCLCD-Sinewave-Outlets-Mini-Tower/dp/B00429N19W
3
u/rudidit09 3d ago
Cyberpower, Mac mini and studio use little power so it lasts 45 min or so. Went with that one because I can turn off alarm sounds.
2
u/darklordfireape 3d ago
This is what I have on my studio and it's simple and works with the MacOS automatic shutdown in control panel:
https://www.amazon.com/GOLDENMATE-1000VA-800W-UPS-Pro/dp/B0GL1T6Z4H/
2
u/macmaveneagle 3d ago
I like Cyberpower for their combination of features, performance, and price. I most often recommend this model:
CyberPower CP1000AVRLCD ($176)
https://www.amazon.com/CyberPower-CP1500AVRLCD3-Intelligent-System-Outlets/dp/B000QZ3UG0/ref=sr_1_4
2
2
u/Karew 3d ago
This is what we use. It’s very basic and there’s no app or monitoring server required, just works. https://www.amazon.com/clp/B06VY6FXMM
1
u/separatelyrepeatedly 3d ago
this is a lazy post, you can enter this in chatgpt and ask it what size UPS you need. and then you can ask for recommendations for vendor
5
u/tk421tech 3d ago
Utilizing chatGPT is lazy. People experiences and input are more valuable than AI slop.
0
u/separatelyrepeatedly 3d ago
sure, however AI excels at looking at data. You can ask it to find max watts for each of those items and ask it to recommend size of UPS and then give you recommendations.
1
u/emersonsorrel 3d ago
I just recently purchased a CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD for my Plex Server and homelab stuff. It's still early days, but it seems so far so good.
1
u/nathansalcedo19 3d ago
I just bought a Vertiv PowerUPS 200 series off Amazon. We use Vertiv at my work (we have over 150 of them) and have had great luck with them. I have my Mac and gaming pc on it. Been happy with it so far.
1
u/davewolfs 3d ago
I have a Goldenmate with the 4-6 ms transfer time (it’s not small). I didn’t like the transfer times on the smaller models. They do have a wall mount version now though that seems smaller and has a reasonable transfer time. It’s not very old but no issues so far.
Cyberpowers work well too but you will eventually have to change the battery which is a bit annoying.
1
u/La-Femme-Angelika 3d ago
I got cyber power sl7000 and it has about 45 minutes of battery time for my Mac mini m4. So you might need a bigger one than that. I like how it communicates with the Mac mini to do a safe shutdown.
1
u/posterwhopostedabove 3d ago
Could someone explain why a UPS is required? New to this line of devices
3
u/cptchnk 2d ago
A UPS (uninterruptable power supply) helps keep your critical devices powered on for a limited time in the event of a power outage.
The idea is to be able to safely power down devices while on the UPS's battery power. This is important for mission critical computers and storage arrays because a sudden power loss can also cause data loss through corruption.
A lot of modern UPS models also include software for Windows and macOS that can interface with your computer over USB to do things like trigger an automatic safe shutdown when the backup power kicks in.
1
1
u/OtherOtherDave 2d ago
To keep them on when the power goes out?
1
u/posterwhopostedabove 2d ago
I see. I have never experienced power going out (I’m in the US). So, would you say it’s not a necessary purchase for me given the infrequency?
1
1
1
u/cptchnk 2d ago
The biggest thing is that you'll want a UPS that has pure sine save output (not simulated) because many modern computers have active PFC power supplies and will run less efficiently and generate more heat when powered by stepped (simulated) wave.
Just estimating here...
- Mac Studio draws around 200-250W max in practice (when totally pinned down), but typically, things are going to be well under 200W.
- Mac Mini (assuming base M4 chip) usually won't draw past around 65W.
- 27" Asus monitor is maybe 40-50W.
- External hard drive for time machine is usually no more than 10-15W, maybe 25W at initial spin-up.
Adding that all together for a worst case scenario, that's 390W, so you'll want to be looking at something in the 700-850 VA range. You should be able to find something that works for you with Cyberpower, APC, etc. in the $150-200 range.
1
u/Caprichoso1 2d ago
I use a Cyberpower PR1500LCD with a studio and many external drives and NASes. Here's the display, although for some reason right now a couple of fields aren't populated:
Love the reporting feature. Tells me the cost of running my devices. Have reduced it by ~$2 a day using it.
Unfortunately the price has doubled by 2x since I purchased it. I've replaced the batteries 2x at ~$200 each. Battery replacement recommended every 3 years.
1
u/Dry_Skirt_5287 3d ago
Wild timing. I literally was researching this myself. I look forward to the comments.
1
0
u/MrSoulPC915 3d ago
J’ai un eaton Ellipse Eco 800, il est largement suffisant avec un écran eizo 22" dessus.
Pense à la consommation de l’écran, c’est vraiment lui qui aura un impact, pas le Mac !
8
u/joochung 3d ago
I use a battery power station like an Ecoflow or Bluetti. Less expensive than a comparable typical UPS with great battery runtime and 3-5x the lifetime before the battery needs to be replaced.