CyberPower CP1500AVRLCD Review

Great design & solid performance give this UPS high marks

By
Tim Fisher
Photo of Tim Fisher, Lifewire GM and Writer
Tim Fisher
Senior Vice President & Group General Manager, Tech & Sustainability
  • Emporia State University
Tim Fisher has more than 30 years' of professional technology experience. He's been writing about tech for more than two decades and serves as the SVP and General Manager of Lifewire.
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Updated on June 22, 2022

The CP1500AVRLCD UPS from CyberPower is the best battery backup in its class that we've had the pleasure of reviewing.

The attractive design, out-of-box usability, and unique battery and energy conservation features make this the easy UPS choice for high-end PCs.

CyberPower has been in the UPS business for over a decade, and it shows. The Automatic Voltage Regulation and GreenPower UPS features alone are enough reasons to choose the CP1500AVRLCD over a similar UPS.

CyberPower CP1500AVRLCD UPS
CyberPower CP1500AVRLCD UPS. Amazon.com

If you're looking for the best UPS for your high-performance computer then your search is over. Buy this one.

What We Like

  • Slim, rounded design is an attractive alternative to standard box-shaped battery backups.

  • No battery connection required; ready right out of the box.

  • GreenPower UPS significantly reduces energy requirements compared to devices without this feature.

  • Battery life as high as six years.

  • Weighs a bit over 25 lbs; lighter than most competing UPS devices.

What We Don't Like

  • It provides only four battery backup outlets.

More About the CP1500AVRLCD

  • Four outlets provide battery backup plus surge protection, while four additional outlets provide surge protection only.
  • The integrated LCD screen displays anything you might want to know about the UPS's status.
  • GreenPower UPS technology bypasses the UPS transformer when incoming power is normal, drastically reducing energy usage.
  • Unlike some other UPS units, the batteries come pre-connected, making this unit ready to go.
  • The AVR maintains a safe voltage during minor power fluctuations without using the battery, greatly extending battery life.
  • Maximum capacity is a powerful 900 Watts / 1500 VA, perfect support for today's high-performance PCs.
  • This CyberPower UPS only weighs 25 lbs, which is noticeably lighter than other battery backups in its class.
  • PowerPanel Management software and a USB cable are included to help manage the UPS from your computer.
  • Empty-to-full battery charge takes about 16 hours, but chances are the UPS will be at least partially charged when purchased.
  • The included user manual is surprisingly easy to read and understand.

Thoughts on the CyberPower CP1500AVRLCD

We were extremely impressed with this UPS. We've recommended several battery backup systems for high-performance computers before here on Lifewire, but the CP1500AVRLCD trumps them all.

Two features set it above similarly powered battery backup devices that we've reviewed: GreenPower UPS Bypass and Automatic Voltage Regulation.

GreenPower UPS Bypass is an energy savings technology proprietary to CyberPower. In a traditional UPS design, incoming power is always routed through a transformer that helps regulate voltage—even when the incoming voltage is fine.

The CP1500AVRLCD, with GreenPower UPS technology, bypasses the transformer during the huge majority of the time that the power from the outlet is performing as expected. This reduces the energy needed to run the UPS, saving an estimated $70 per year on your electricity costs!

Automatic Voltage Regulation (AVR) is a technology used to stabilize the inconsistent power you sometimes receive from the outlet. Your computer needs 110V/120V to operate properly. In a standard UPS, the battery will provide power if the incoming voltage drops below this level.

In the CP1500AVRLCD, the AVR provides consistent power to your computer system when the incoming voltage drops to as low as 90V or increases as high as 140V, greatly reducing battery use and extending the life of your batteries. The CP1500AVRLCD operates as a traditional UPS when incoming voltages are outside this range.

The unit contains two identical batteries that you can replace yourself when they do eventually stop working properly. You can replace them with any HR1234W battery.

Unboxing and setting up the CP1500AVRLCD couldn't have been easier. There was no battery hookup required on our part, a reason alone to choose this UPS over some other ones.

With a 900W maximum capacity, this UPS is an excellent choice for performance systems. We tested on a high-end desktop computer with two 19" LCD monitors, and according to the LCD front panel on the UPS, it's at 16% load and can expect approximately 40 minutes of runtime.

The only thing that keeps us from giving it a full five stars is the fact that there are only four battery backup outlets. To be fair, that's probably plenty for the majority of people, plus there are four surge-only outlets. Eight outlets should cover the gamut of computer-related devices in most workspaces.

CyberPower's CP1500AVRLCD UPS is very simply the best UPS device we've ever tested. We have no reservations whatsoever about recommending it to anyone looking for a UPS for a high-end computer system.

After Years of Use

We've been using this UPS on a large computer setup for over ten years now without a problem. A battery backup can look great on paper, but real, long-term use is the only real test, and the CP1500AVRLCD passes that one with flying colors.

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