My Experience with the Eaton 5PX UPS

A few weeks ago, Eaton sent one of their 5PX enterprise-class uninterruptible power supplies for testing and evaluation. If you haven't seen what Eaton has to offer in the power protection space, I definitely recommend checking it out. I knew the company beforehand but had no direct experience with their products. Having experimented with the 5PX for a few weeks now, however, I suspect I will be using more of their products in the future.

The Eaton 5PX came in a relatively large box and was quite heavy; While I didn't drop it on a scale, the box had to weigh at least 75 pounds (the 5PX alone weighs 63 pounds). Opening the box revealed the UPS itself, some user documentation, mounting hardware, a screwdriver, and of course, a power cord. Everything was well packaged and relatively easy to unpack despite the weight.

As with most UPSs, the Eaton 5PX requires some assembly work. The device can be rack mounted, which requires the installation of some mounting brackets on both sides. Or it can be placed vertically, which also requires the installation of some stands. Either way, it's just a few screws to tighten, and since the thing came with a screwdriver (and a nice one at that), installing the mounting hardware should be a breeze for anyone. I should also point out that regardless of how the 5PX is mounted, the logo and even the LCD can be rotated on the unit for easier reading/viewing.

In addition to installing the mounting hardware, users need to connect the internal battery. Eaton made some good design choices in this regard, with the battery cables neatly hidden behind a panel on the front of the unit. All it takes to get the 5PX ready is plugging in the battery cables and snapping a cover over them. It really couldn't be easier.

After attaching the mounting hardware and connecting the battery, I set up the 5PX in my server closet, with three attached NAS units (17 drives total), a home server system, and a handful of networking gear. Loading on the 5PX has been minimal to moderate, but in the weeks since it was set up it hasn't faltered, despite a few brownouts in my area. However, this is to be expected from a UPS. Stable performance and maximum uptime are what a UPS is all about, but they are not all created equal.

The front LCD of the Eaton 5PX

Having explored the Eaton 5PX's convenient front panel LCD display and Intelligent Power Software suite, I can say that the Eaton 5PX is no ordinary store-bought UPS. The 5PX's software is relatively easy to set up and offers all the features you'd expect from a high-end UPS (smooth shutdown, email alerts, etc.). The front LCD also offers countless information "at a glance". If you want to see how the LCD works for yourself, Eaton has a cool, interactive demo on their website.

MSRPs for the various capacity 5PX models range from $739 to $1999, but street prices are significantly lower. At these prices, the Eaton 5PX is probably not something that most home users will be interested in, but SMBs and enterprise users who need a high-end UPS should definitely consider the Eaton 5PX. The Eaton 5PX is well built, easy to set up, powerful and has some excellent features. You can't ask for much more in the room.

By: My Experience with the Eaton 5PX UPS