Labs

Uninterruptible power supplies

APC Back-UPS CS 350VA [Computer Buyer]
COMPANY: APC	PRICE: Ł56inc VAT
RATING:	ISSUE: 199 DATE: Oct 07

Verdict: This compact unit offers lots of features but not much power capacity. The software is excellent, but the power rating it low. The ES 700VA is worth the extra £6.

APC's Back-UPS CS 350VA is smaller and lighter than most of the other units in the group. Its 350VA and 210W rating is the lowest, so it's only suitable for low-end PCs. The UPS has three IEC battery backup sockets and an IEC surge protection socket, and comes with two IEC cables.

The CS 350VA can communicate with your PC through a USB cable, and comes with APC's PowerChute software. This integrates with Windows XP and Vista, giving you all the power options you'd normally have on a laptop PC, such as going into standby or hibernate mode after a certain amount of time. It can also save any open work and shut down your PC after a set period of battery operation.

Considering its small power rating, the UPS lasted for a reasonable 16 minutes in our idle test, and nine minutes and eight seconds under load.

By Chris Finnamore