APC's Back-UPS CS 350VA is more compact and lighter than the other UPS units on test. It has the lowest rated power output in the group at just 350VA. This means it will power a PC and monitor only if their total requirement is less than 210W, so powering a quad-core gaming PC is out of the question. It has three IEC UPS sockets and an IEC surge protection socket. Two IEC cables are included in the box.
The Back-UPS 350VA
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is a standby UPS, so it will switch to battery power more readily than a line-interactive UPS, which has circuitry to boost the mains voltage. It kept our test PC going for 16 minutes and one second on battery power, which was slightly longer than Trust's 600VA UPS. Considering the small battery it lasted for an impressive period of time when the PC was under load, running for over nine minutes.
The Back-UPS 350VA connects to your PC with a USB cable, and comes with APC's PowerChute software. This is very easy to use and integrates with Windows XP and Vista. You can specify what your PC should do when running on the UPS's battery, such as turning off the monitor or going into Hibernate mode. The software can also save your files and shut down Windows in the event of a power failure, and provides a battery charge readout and wattage load display.
APC's Back-UPS CS 350VA comes with excellent software, but it can't provide enough power for most mid-range PCs. The more powerful ES 700VA is better value.
By Chris Finnamore
SPECIFICATIONS:
Three UPS sockets, one surge-only socket, Windows shutdown, Windows file save, modem protection
