The 2020 CYBERPOWER CST1500S UPS

Needing a new UPS to protect my video edit workstation, I decided to upgrade to a higher power unit that included a pure sine wave output. A search led me to the CST1500S which while a bit more expensive then some of the other units provided me with to advantages I was looking for; one it had enough battery capacity to allow me to continue working threw an outage. Lessor systems only give you enough time to shut down, and I wanted to be able to complete a render or an upload. Two because it would have to power my workstation for more then a few minutes a stepped sinewave was not acceptable. The cpu power supply needed a clean power source and this unit ensured that.
Watch as we unbox and run threw all the buttons and features, plus a real world test of trying to render when the utility power goes out.

[@carmelsack]

Clear and concise video, no fluff. Excellent job.

[@cfldriven]

Thank you for the feedback and watching.

[@thebenvlog]

Bought this because of this review, very detailed! Thank you!

[@cfldriven]

Thank you for the kind words, I hope you are as pleased as I am with it.

[@chrom4ful]

Clear, concise, and complete This really helpful thank you

[@cfldriven]

That is what we aim for the three C's. Thanks for watching.

[@thomasdundon4093]

Excellent review especially the real world test. Your explanations are clear and concise (as stated in many of the other comments). You should teach the Geek Squad how to talk to their customers. :-) I was hooked when I saw that their app runs on Linux.

[@cfldriven]

Thank you for the kind words and for watching.

[@wfermier]

Thanks for posting this very clear and easy to understand video. I found it very helpful.

[@cfldriven]

Thank you for taking the time to watch and provide feedback. Good to hear it was helpful.

[@streetsluis96]

Hey man great job with the video, you nailed this review thank you.

[@cfldriven]

Thank you for the feedback, when reviewing I try to show how the product actually performs and not just restate what is written on the box.

[@michaelhubbard5013]

Thank you for reassuring me that this unit did actually come fully charged, despite the instructions saying that it wouldn't. Big help!

[@cfldriven]

Normally they ship with some charge, I always just let them charge to 100% before putting them in service. Thanks for sharing and watching.

[@AgentOffice]

Why's it matter

[@michaelhubbard5013]

@@AgentOffice Why wouldn't it matter?

[@AgentOffice]

@@michaelhubbard5013 because it's always charging itself

[@michaelhubbard5013]

@@AgentOffice just trying to be safe with my equipment and my house dawgie. my experience differed from their official instructions.

[@tweedeldee8122]

TY! Wow. I had no idea laser printers were that power hungry. I looked specs on mine and boy was I surprised. Max: Approx. 1,110W During Operation: Approx. 520W Standby: Approx. 4.5W Energy Saver: Approx. 1.3W

[@cfldriven]

Yeah they use lots of energy which is why I have my laser printer on switchable power strip so it is only using power when I turn the strip on to print.

[@louistournas120]

I guess laser printers have a fusor unit. It heats the paper once the powder is on it so that it melts and sticks to the paper. The toner is made of iron oxide particles coated in plastic.

[@user-ejxomyq]

Very nicely done.

[@cfldriven]

Thank you for watching.

[@vasiovasio]

Useful video! Thank you!

[@cfldriven]

Thank you for the feedback.

[@-freespirit-3314]

👍 thanks for the complete info

[@cfldriven]

Hope you found it useful. Thanks for watching.

[@RafaelPortoMediaServices]

Thank you so much!

[@cfldriven]

Appreciate you watching.

[@GRABARTI77]

Thanks for very informative video! I just purchased cyberpower 1300lcd model and waiting for shipment. Good price and full sinusoid was that why i but it . And if course easy battery change. Sry for my English btw. Take care! Ryzen 3900x with 1660 gtx should be no problem for that unit ;)

[@cfldriven]

No apologies needed, thank you for the kind feedback. I have had this unit for over two years and am very satisfied with it performance. Thank you for watching.

[@louistournas120]

I bought a CyberPower LX1500GU3 recently, which is also rated at 900 W. It looks like one of my laptops uses 12 W while idle and 36 W while watching KZbin. Another one uses 16 W to 50 W. This one is a work laptop. A router uses about 2 W. I don't know about my modem but I assume 5 W max, so the UPS should last about 3 h with all 3 devices. I can't run the laptop on the internal battery since a docking station is needed which needs 120 VAC and the docking station automatically sends some voltage to the laptop.

[@cfldriven]

We just lost power yesterday for about 90 minutes and this UPS keep the router and thus the WiFi going. Really handy in our poor cell reception area.

[@Fedinchyk]

Thanks, great review! But I'm wondering about the fan noise. In the video it seems pretty quite but I wanted to be sure. I'm thinking of replacing my current UPS because it's too loud.

[@cfldriven]

The fan only runs when it providing backup power and recharging, and is fairly quite. In fact during outages I can't say I have ever noticed it. I have had the unit for over half year and am very pleased with its performance. The only thing I don't like is that you have to turn it on the unit if you want to use it to recharge a device via USB during an outage. This runs the inverter even though you don't need to power any high voltage items. Wish they had a separate circuit bypassing the inverter for USB power. Thanks for watching.

[@Fedinchyk]

@@cfldriven thanks!

[@EliteRock]

Possibly not a good idea to pull the plug to simulate a power cut, you're disconnecting the system from ground/earth, but without a switch on the mains socket I guess it's difficult to do otherwise. Here in the UK they have switches (not sure if it's mandatory, but they are the norm).

[@cfldriven]

When the unit switches to backup mode power it is supplied from the battery to the inverter out to the plugs. As there is no ground on the battery side I believe the system is using a floating ground until power is re-establish. Most power banks kzbin.info/www/bejne/jF7FmmBondJgl5I go with floating grounds although depending on the manufacturer some like Milwaukee can be earth grounded kzbin.info/www/bejne/fpnEi5qiZsdleas. There are pros and cons to either way. Always interesting to hear how things are done in other places.

[@EliteRock]

​@@cfldriven All true, and I guess because the ground/earth pin makes contact first, powering down/up by unplugging/plugging-is fine. Still, switches on the sockets are pretty useful to have, it's definitely easier to isolate something in a hurry, particularly if the socket's somewhere difficult to reach.

[@javaman2883]

@@cfldriven By code in the US there should be no switch on the ground side. So when it's running on battery it still must be connected to ground.

[@cfldriven]

@@javaman2883 Thank you for sharing your insight and for watching.

[@michaeljames8408]

Thank You for taking the time to do this Video,,, I just bought one at Costco and I did not know any of this... So Thanks again.. I saw your older video as well... ALSO,,, Are You still using the same Backup after 3 Years??? Just Curious as to how well this Until help up...

[@cfldriven]

All the other CP1500 continue working without issues so far. Just ran a self-test on the oldest from 2020 and it claims a runtime of 54 minutes, which is sufficient to safely shut down the workstation. In my area not unusual to lose power due to storms and trees several times each year. I expect within the 1 to 2 years I will need to replace the battery. Thank for writing in with your question.

[@spektred]

I only use my coaxial cable for high speed internet. I need to make sure that one of these will enable my internet to stay on if the power goes out. I read that the high speed internet could still be okay even with a power outage? I just need to plug my modem/router and computer into this device correct?

[@cfldriven]

Yes plugging the modem/router and computer into the UPS will keep them going during an outage. We have Uverse and as long as the lines aren't cut (by falling trees) we continue to have service during a blackout. Now note that having router and computer on the UPS will give you X number of minutes of power, if you were to provide the router with it own UPS you could get a longer run time. If you have a laptop then switching to its battery would achieve the same results. Nice thing about this unit is it gives you an estimated run time when carrying a load. Hope this helps, and thanks for watching.

[@pinoyozzyworld]

Will a simulated sine wave UPS be fine on a mid-range gaming PC with an active PFC PSU? I just want to have enough time to save my work and properly shut down my PC maybe 3-5 minutes. thanks

[@cfldriven]

Modern day electrics are sensitive thus the best protection would be from a UPS with full sine wave. Some inexpensive units use stair step waves and these can cause issues. If you are experiencing frequent voltage fluctuations and/or outages get full Sine wave. If you can't remember that last time you had any issues then a cheaper UPS won't do any damage for the short one or two minutes that its running your system once a year.

[@vidform]

If we can't plug a laser printer or paper shredder into this UPS, then where do we plug them? Do we plug the printer and shredder directly into the wall outlet or do we use a different kind of UPS or surge protector?

[@cfldriven]

Interesting question. The manual states not to plug these devices into the BATTERY AND SURGE PROTECTED OUTLET, however this leaves the four full-time surge protected outlets available. Just don't exceed the units 900 watts capacity. I would use a separate surge protected power strip for these devices.

[@fat_pigeon]

It's interesting that your unit shows up in the Windows software as a CP1500PFCLCD - that's the similar model sold at other retailers to the Costco-exclusive CST1500S. However, the specs are not exactly the same (CP1500PFCLCD is rated for 1000 W whereas the Costco one is only rated for 900 W).

[@cfldriven]

Good eye, usually the model number will be slightly different for exclusive products and the specs may vary. Its a way of avoiding price matching since the model numbers aren't exactly the same. Thanks for sharing your experience.

[@j.d.3269]

The layout is like GX1325U, and the specification is like GX1500U.

[@fat_pigeon]

@@j.d.3269 GX1500U is the Best Buy-exclusive model. cfldriven is probably right that it's to avoid price matching.

[@j.d.3269]

@@fat_pigeon Yes, that makes sense. I saw a video did very thorough tests for GX1325U. I'm wondering whether I need to buy the exact same model, or any cyberpower UPS with true sine wave of the same capacity would perform the same.

[@jeffkardosjr.3825]

I'm guessing if you have a laptop with it's own battery power connected into a surge only outlet, you can still have the UPS communicate with the laptop to turn off?

[@cfldriven]

Jeff, I would imagine you could, but why not plug it into the battery side? The UPS can only communicate with one device regardless of whether it is plugged into the ups or not.

[@johnk7451]

You should have it charged or charging for 16 hours in 1500va units. Not just connect products and use immediately. For longevity

[@ShadowLinkxMaster]

Most will come fully charged already, negating the need for charging the battery. It’s pretty much ready to go. If it sat in storage for a very long time, then it would be customary to plug in and charge first before use.

[@slowzu512]

hey i have a question beacuse i just order this ups can it ran 2 gaming pc and one monitor 1080p??first one has 850w psu(rtx 3060/i911900K/32gb ram/2tb ssd/nvme/ and second one has( 650w psu/ i510400f/1050TI/16gb ram 2ssds)my main one with 850w psu is only for gaming 1080p and the other one is only for streming and browsing and staff like that

[@cfldriven]

The UPS is rated for 900 watts, so you would need to add up the actual wattage each device draws that you plan running together. For example my workstation and 32" monitor draw 108 watts even though the psu is rated at 650watts.

[@gipnor]

Can a laser printer be plugged into the surge protection only side? Thanks for making such a clear/concise video!

[@cfldriven]

As long as the printer load does not exceed the power rating for the until you should be able to plug into the "surge only" side of the unit.

[@feng443]

Cyberport website saying plug laser printer is not suggest Ed and will void warranty.

[@Alex11223l2]

@@feng443 That's not what it says. > we ask that you do not plug laser printers in to the >>>>>>>> battery backed outlets

[@Aranimda]

APC (Competing brand) recommends not connecting a laser printer to either battery protected or surge protected outlet of an UPS. If you still want to surge-protect your laser printer, you can use a separate surge protector for it. If you want to print during a power outage, you should opt for an inkjet printer as it uses much less power. If you have to use a laser printer on UPS power, I would recommend measuring the peak wattage during printing and buy a quality sine-wave UPS rated for that wattage.

[@NintendoFanBoii]

This is the only video that I could find that has the same exact model that I have, do you have a video on how to replace the batteries for this unit? I have already purchased the batteries however every other video I've watched so far has been from a different model and they all have this plastic thing in between the batteries that mine does not have and my batteries look smaller as well, I made the mistake of taking the batteries out and not paying attention how that it was put together and that was months ago because I ended up moving, and now I'm trying to get the batteries that I've purchased back into the system but I'm baffled about how to get them together.

[@cfldriven]

Just follow this Cyberpower link www.cyberpowersystems.com/product/ups/battery-backup/cst1500s/ then select download and get the manual. On page 6 there are detail directions on how to replace the battery. Hope this helps, thank you for watching.

[@NintendoFanBoii]

@@cfldriven thanks man

[@cfldriven]

@@NintendoFanBoii Most welcome

[@mircogelain6760]

It seems that one battery is installed upside down? Is it safe?

[@cfldriven]

These are sealed jell batteries so nothing to leak out. Besides there is a spacer in between that separate the contacts that are at opposite ends and allow the cable through. So while one battery is upside down it safe, no need to be concerned. Thanks for the question and for watching.

[@sonickitch]

I can't get the software to detect the ups. The ups works fine, but would like it to shutdown for me

[@cfldriven]

Have you tried swapping out another USB cable? Also try a different (slowest) USB port on computer and don't go through hub.

[@spudcooper]

Does Windows shutdown automatically and properly after the 5 minutes left is reached or do I have to manually shut it down?

[@alarce129]

If you download the free software from CyberPower and hook up the UPS to your computer via the included USB cable it will safely close programs and shutdown computer. You can set when a shutdown will be trigger either by remaing battery life or time since outage.

[@kentcooper4058]

Thanks...all hooked up.

[@baandinos]

just got two power outages today and ordered one expeditiously. i have had enough

[@cfldriven]

Of course realize that depending on the load it won't last long during the outage. In my area outages tend to run at least an hour, but at least I can save all my work and safely shut down. I have one plugged into the router so that we can have wifi for a while after the lights go out.

[@baandinos]

@@cfldriven I just got it in the mail today and I just need to clarify some things I couldn't find googling. Does the unit have onboard memory that saves the PowerPanel Software settings or do I have to have it plugged into my system at all times?

[@cfldriven]

@@baandinos Good question that got me thinking. I switched on email notification for events. While connected to the computer I would get emails reporting an event (I unplugged the UPS), if I shut down the computer and repeat the event, there is no notification, and upon turning computer on there is no mention of power outage. Only the first event is in the logs. So based on this the software needs real time data, as the second event was not stored on the UPS and then provided to the event log. I would think you would lose your UPS settings if the battery drained and it would then default to manufacture settings until you connected the two via USB data cable. If you discover different let me know.

[@alejandromag5046]

I just bought this Ups and I realized that even is this turn off, it still passed electrical current, Is this normal?

[@cfldriven]

There are two power buses on the back of the unit. One provides back up power and surge protection, and it will shut down with the power button. The second bus is surge protection only and is always on regardless of whether the UPS is on or off. Hope this helps, and thanks for watching.

[@alejandromag5046]

@@cfldriven Thanks 😊

[@AgentOffice]

Green icon means you're using line voltage no AVR

[@cfldriven]

Thank you for sharing this info.

[@michaellauffenburger]

Can more than one computer be connected to the UPS, and will the UPS shut down multiple computers in the event of a power outage?

[@cfldriven]

While you can plug in multiple computers and devices to the UPS, you must not exceed the output rating for the device, the more devices plugged in the less run time during an outage. The USB/Serial connector will only shut down one computer via the Cyber Power panel. If you are running servers you may want to place each one on a UPS, unless you can afford a commercial UPS. Thanks for the question and watching.

[@michaellauffenburger]

@@cfldriven , I thought since the CST1500S has USB as well as a Serial connection, I might be able to connect 2 pcs - 1 via USB and 1 via serial? I understand about loads and runtime relative to the number of devices connected. I'm not as concern about run time as I am about a nice shutdown in the event of a power outage. Thanks for your prompt response. Mike

[@cfldriven]

@@michaellauffenburger The serial port is just old legacy, you can use either one but not for two separate computers. I hear there are scripts that can work around the one computer limit, but don't know if they really work.

[@michaellauffenburger]

@@cfldriven yeah, I found some info on those scripts. Will look into it. Thanks again. Mike

[@j.d.3269]

@@cfldriven Maybe a USB hub would work for more than 1PC?

[@semi5alpha]

Is it still good till now?

[@cfldriven]

This unit is still going strong after handling countless power outages and over and under voltage. It continues to protect edit work station and monitor. I would buy this ups again. Thanks for the question and for watching.

[@ivanbutenko8778]

ИБП CyberPower CP1300EPFCLCD, это мой ИБП меня он устраивает но.......Я пользуюсь этим ИБП и можно было сказать что проблем с ним нет, но у меня такой вопрос почему он теряет связь с электросетью и начинает работать от аккумулятора? и при этом он дико громко гудит, с недавнего времени я на ночь отключаю ИБП, т.к. эти звуки по ночам мне мешают спать! Вот если кто ни будь ответит как вылечить постоянные обрывы соединения электропитания, буду благодарен.

[@cfldriven]

Если напряжение в сети становится выше или ниже определенного предела, устройство подает сигнал тревоги и активируется для подачи правильного напряжения на подключенные устройства. Чтобы отключить звук будильника, нажмите и удерживайте центральную кнопку, пока на дисплее не появится изображение колокольчика с перечеркнутой чертой. Надеюсь это поможет.

[@ivanbutenko8778]

@@cfldriven звуковой сигнал я отключил ещё с момента покупки дома когда подключил чтобы не пищал постоянно, основная проблема мне кажется это очень частые скачки напряжения или же плохая старая проводка от того и частые обрывы соединения отсутствие питания ИБП от электросети.

[@XxVendetaxX1]

What large electrical products should i not plug in? I'm wanting to plug in my tv, gaming desktop, and ps4.

[@cfldriven]

Any high ampere appliances like pumps, toasters, irons, dehumidifier, refrig, microwave, AC, coffee maker, hot plate and similar items. I would plug the tv, and ps4 to the surge side only and the gaming desktop to the power back up. That way either the ups or I can manually save and shut down the game computer. If you are using the tv as your gaming monitor then you'd probably need that on back up so you can see what you are doing on screen during the outage. Hope this helps answer the question. Thanks for watching.

[@XxVendetaxX1]

@@cfldriven you answered it perfectly and your video is amazingly straight forward and filled with information. Thank you.

[@cfldriven]

@@XxVendetaxX1 Thank you for the kind words and stay safe.

[@r0ck3tdr1v3r]

Pure sine wave not necessary. Running APC USV with modified sine (2nd) for years and had no problems with poweradapters, servers, monitors, wireless charging stations, printers. BR

[@cfldriven]

Modern electrics are sensitive to the shape of the sine wave, for best performance and longevity a true sine wave UPS is best. Thank you for sharing.

[@r0ck3tdr1v3r]

@@cfldriven the most low to midrange (established brands) use a modified sinewave.

[@cfldriven]

@@r0ck3tdr1v3r The consumer has a choice of buying modified or pure sinewave inverter, and although it cost more for pure sinewave device, I would rather not risk damaging my electronic equipment which cost more than the a pure sinewave UPS. Like most things the information is readily available as is the choice, it is up to the individual to decide what cost/risk level they are comfortable with.

[@louistournas120]

I would like to see what the simulated sine wave looks like with an oscilloscope.

[@jeffkardosjr.3825]

The fans would like a pure sine wave.

[@jacksmith3951]

you do nice video but battery life not good need 2000 watts inverter 12 volt lithium battery 100 amp do much better

[@cfldriven]

Jack, over the last two years this unit was done a fantastic job at surge protecting, and supply back up power for my video edit work station system. As you probably know, although not really mentioned in product literature, runtime is a function of power draw. In my situation it provides enough run time for me to save my work and safely shut down the system. I would not use this for running a refrigerator, but within its capacity it could easily run a wifi router and keep everyone connected during an outage. Something like the Vector power station kzbin.info/www/bejne/jF7FmmBondJgl5I is more useful for running a frig, but it is not a UPS. Thank you for sharing.

[@holidayrap]

Use car batteries on this baby for way more capacity.

[@cfldriven]

They just won't fit in the case. lol

[@holidayrap]

@@cfldriven duh!

[@jeffkardosjr.3825]

Would this even be capable of charging them without strain?

[@holidayrap]

@@jeffkardosjr.3825 YES. I have mine set up like that.