INTRODUCTION

   Each year whether the season is too hot or too cold since people tend to use their air conditioners and fans/heaters in mass the electrical grid as expected loads up and starts to fluctuate. This of course is what happens regularly where i live but i imagine that it's the same all over the world and this is also one of the reasons UPS (uninterrupted power supplies) devices can now be found in countless homes and not just offices and stores like in the past. FSP might be a company name mostly tied to the design and manufacture of power supply units (both their very own and as OEM for many others) but they've also released numerous UPS models over the years and for the past month I've been using their Champ 2K (PPF16A1905) model.

   FSP Group is one of the global leading power supply manufacturers. Since its establishment in 1993, FSP Group has followed the management conception “service, profession, and innovation” to continuously fulfil its responsibilities as a green energy resolution supplier. With the combination of its leading role in power supply technology and the cultivation of green energy field, FSP Group now provides more competitive quality products and makes itself the most reliable partner for customers, consumers, and suppliers with joint creation of maximized values.

   The Champ line of UPS devices by FSP includes both tower and rack models at 3 different capacities (1000/2000/3000VA) all of which feature pure sinewave output waveform (AC to DC to AC conversion) together with online topology (high sensitivity - filters even the fastest power quality disturbances) thus rendering them ideal for use with sensitive electronic equipment like PCs, NAS, etc (also generator compatible). The 2000VA/1800W model which I’ve been using for a month now also sports a large multi-function LCD screen at the front, microprocessor control for optimal reliability, power saving modes (ECO, advanced ECO and Green modes - up to 88% efficiency), converter mode, low transfer time of 4ms (typical), active cooling (two 80mm front intake fans), automatic voltage regulation (corrects low and high voltages), user adjustable voltage sensitivity, adjustable charging current, failure notifications, resettable circuit breaker, serial and USB connectivity (ViewPower software), intelligent slot (extra communication options) and 4 IEC outputs. The Champ 2K may not be FSP's top model but it doesn't seem to lack anything so let's see how it does.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

FSP uses a plain cardboard box to ship their Champ series with the model name, capacity, serial number, barcode and address for FSP printed on a sticker located on the left side.

Typically, the Champ UPS is wrapped inside a plastic bag and placed between two thick foam spacers.

Along with the Champ 2K and its power cord inside the box you'll also find a USB host cable and the user manual.

THE CHAMP 2K

The Champ 2K is a mid-sized tower model that measures 397mm in length, 145mm in width and 220mm in height and weighs 17kg.

At the front we find the LCD screen along with 3 buttons used to switch between screens and adjust various settings.

Turning the unit around we find the intelligent slot, USB host port, RS232 serial port, 4 IEC power plugs, circuit breaker and the power port.

Opening up the enclosure is very easy and so end users should also be able to swap batteries.

Taking a look from the right side reveals the two 80mm intake fans at the front.

This particular unit uses a total of four 12V/9ah sealed lead batteries by CSB.

The LCD screen offers various information about the unit such as load, battery charge/level, mode in use (line/battery/bypass/ECO) and possible faults/errors.

VIEWPOWER SOFTWARE

For a more complete experience (and more control) over the Champ 2K you should download the ViewPower software (HTML based) directly from FSP.

As expected, the first software tab displays information about the UPS such as input/output, used mode and the battery.

From the 2nd tab you can check possible event logs, statistics and diagrams.

Third tab is all about settings/parameters so from here you can adjust the features of the Champ 2K along with voltage frequency ranges and battery related ones.

Moving to the 4th tab from here you can turn on/off the UPS and its alarms and perform self-tests (can also be scheduled).

If you click on the drop down menu, you'll also get more tabs from where you can also adjust the date format and temperature units.

TESTING METHODOLOGY

   I decided to test all UPS models that make it here in real world scenarios so what better way to do that than to use one of my TV sets and one of my test rigs? So, to check battery life I’m using a 55-inch SONY 4K TV paired with the HD Dune Pro 4K II player (4K MVK playback) and the X79 test rig (while playing several game titles). Needless to say, power draw is not 100% fixed but I did measure the minimum and maximum numbers during all tests which don’t exceed 10W for the first and 20W for the latter (so do keep this in mind).

   To simulate real power outages, I will be turning the corresponding power switch in the lab a total of 5 times (5 for each test), 3 of which I will pushing it back on immediately and 2 which I will allow a couple of minutes to pass. If any of the UPS models I test fail to protect the connected equipment (or fail to keep it running) I will be sure to mention it at the end of the review.

   As for noise levels I’ll be using the ExTech HD600 decibel meter placed 5cm away from each UPS model (i will not however be recording beeping sounds coming from their internal speakers).

TEST RESULTS

CONCLUSION

   FSP has been manufacturing UPS devices for a long time now and so since i was always interested to see how they'd perform it was nice to see not one but two of their models arrive in the lab in late December. The first of the two is the Champ 2K and even though it's certainly not a unit that will stand out due to its design it still passed all my tests with flying colors. On top of that battery life is very good, especially since it scored the 2nd highest numbers in the charts at both loads. Yes, efficiency is not quite on par with that of the SMT1500IC unit by APC but it's still very good so really no complaints from me in that regard. Unfortunately, however not all is perfect and so the two front 80mm fans work at full speed from the moment you'll plug the unit into a wall socket (not even turn it on – same thing with both mains and battery operation) which pretty much means that this isn’t a unit one can use in a quiet environment (home mostly). I was hoping this wouldn't be the case since this is a tower model but since this isn't a home oriented model (just like most pure sinewave output models) it does make sense for the fans to be on at all times (still it would be nice if the fans were at least temperature controlled). Also having just 4 IEC power ports available may just be too few for some people, especially for an 2000VA/1800W UPS model. As for the ViewPower HTML based software, well it’s very easy to navigate and use and as you can see in this review it has a plethora of available features one can adjust (just remember to restart your system once you’ve installed it).

   So just how much will the Champ 2K (PPF16A1905) UPS by FSP set you back if you decide to get it? Well, at the time of this review it retails for USD613 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 412.51Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) a price tag which is quite balanced for a 2000VA/1800W Pure Sinewave model (at least on this side of the Atlantic). Overall, I can’t say that I have any complaints about the FSP Champ 2K UPS. Yes, it may not have the highest efficiency from all the pure sinewave models I’ve used and reviewed and the fans spinning at full speed all the time can get annoying in a quite environment but on one hand this is clearly not a unit meant for quiet environments and on the other performance is very good across the board and for that the Champ 2K deserves the Golden Award.

PROS

- Very Good Battery Life
- 2000VA/1800W
- LCD Display with Adjustable Menus
- ViewPower Software (Local/Remote Access)
- List of Features
- Typical Transfer Time (4ms)
- Serial & USB Connectivity (Intelligent Port Available)
- 10 Available Models (Champ Series)

CONS

- Price (USA)
- Fan Noise (Full Speed At All Times)
- 4 IEC Ports