Illustration, not a photograph. Official product imagery pending.
APC Smart-UPS 1500VA LCD Tower UPS
In stock
Line interactive UPS. Output rating: 1500 VA / 1000 W.
Direct answer: is the APC Smart-UPS 1500VA LCD Tower UPS right for you?
1500 VA is the apparent power and 1000 W is the real limit -- a load list adding up to 1,200 W will not run on this unit regardless of the VA figure on the box.
APC Smart-UPS 1500VA LCD Tower UPS
Editorial verdict
Grounded in published specifications
Summary verdict: 1500 VA is the apparent power and 1000 W is the real limit -- a load list adding up to 1,200 W will not run on this unit regardless of the VA figure on the box. It produces a true sine wave rather than the stepped approximation of a consumer UPS, which matters because active PFC power supplies in servers and workstations often refuse a stepped wave outright. Runtime at half load is several minutes, not an hour: this is a unit for riding out a blip and shutting down cleanly, not for working through an outage.
Who should buy this
Server, NAS and workstation loads that need clean shutdown and sine wave output.
Who should avoid this
Anyone wanting to keep working through a long outage, who needs a generator or a larger battery bank.
Key strengths
- True sine wave output, accepted by active PFC power supplies
- LCD panel reporting load, runtime and battery health
- User-replaceable battery cartridge
Limitations
- 1000 W real limit despite the 1500 VA rating
- Runtime is minutes, not hours
- Replacement battery costs a substantial fraction of the unit
Technical specifications
- Type
- Line interactive UPS
- Brand
- APC
- Topology
- Line interactive with automatic voltage regulation
- Warranty
- 3-year limited warranty
- Interface
- USB and serial, network card slot
- Model SKU
- SMT1500C
- Input plug
- NEMA 5-15P, 120 V
- Rated power
- About 35 W self-consumption at idle
- Battery type
- Sealed lead acid, user replaceable
- Output rating
- 1500 VA / 1000 W
- Output waveform
- True sine wave
- Typical runtime
- About 7 minutes at 1000 W, about 21 minutes at 500 W
- Annual energy use
- About 307 kWh a year running continuously, roughly $52 at $0.17 per kWh
- Output receptacles
- 8 x NEMA 5-15R
Product overview
1500 VA is the apparent power and 1000 W is the real limit -- a load list adding up to 1,200 W will not run on this unit regardless of the VA figure on the box. It produces a true sine wave rather than the stepped approximation of a consumer UPS, which matters because active PFC power supplies in servers and workstations often refuse a stepped wave outright. Runtime at half load is several minutes, not an hour: this is a unit for riding out a blip and shutting down cleanly, not for working through an outage.
Key capabilities
- Output rating: 1500 VA / 1000 W
- Topology: Line interactive with automatic voltage regulation
- Output waveform: True sine wave
- Typical runtime: About 7 minutes at 1000 W, about 21 minutes at 500 W
Frequently asked questions
Is the APC Smart-UPS 1500VA LCD Tower UPS worth buying?
1500 VA is the apparent power and 1000 W is the real limit -- a load list adding up to 1,200 W will not run on this unit regardless of the VA figure on the box.
What is the warranty and return policy for the APC Smart-UPS 1500VA LCD Tower UPS?
3-year limited warranty. Returns: 90-day returns on unused items.
Who is the APC Smart-UPS 1500VA LCD Tower UPS best suited for?
Server, NAS and workstation loads that need clean shutdown and sine wave output.
Who should avoid the APC Smart-UPS 1500VA LCD Tower UPS?
Anyone wanting to keep working through a long outage, who needs a generator or a larger battery bank.
Sample reviews
3 reviewsThese are illustrative, not customer reviews.
DealSurge has not sold this product, so nobody has reviewed it. Each entry below is written from the strengths and drawbacks recorded on this page, to show how reviews would appear — none of it is a real buyer’s experience, and none of it is counted in search results or given to the shopping assistant.
Mean of 3 samples
- 5 ★1
- 4 ★1
- 3 ★0
- 2 ★1
- 1 ★0
- 2 out of 5 stars, in a sample review of APC Smart-UPS 1500VA LCD Tower UPS
Not the product’s fault, but be warned
Genuinely my own fault. Posting so somebody else does not repeat it. The listing says who should avoid this: Anyone wanting to keep working through a long outage, who needs a generator or a larger battery bank. That was my situation and I ordered anyway. It does what it says on the page — it just was not the thing I needed.
Snehal C.Sample7 found this helpful - 5 out of 5 stars, in a sample review of APC Smart-UPS 1500VA LCD Tower UPS
Bought it on the numbers, and the numbers were right
I compared four of these on paper before ordering, so the line I actually checked was "Interface". The page says USB and serial, network card slot, and that is what turned up. True sine wave output, accepted by active PFC power supplies.
Asha V.Sample13 found this helpful - 4 out of 5 stars, in a sample review of APC Smart-UPS 1500VA LCD Tower UPS
Happy with it, but go in informed
True sine wave output, accepted by active PFC power supplies. The one thing to know before ordering: 1000 W real limit despite the 1500 VA rating. To be fair that is written on the product page. I skimmed past it and had to rearrange things afterwards.
Ananya R.Sample7 found this helpful