[SOLVED] Whats the Safe operating voltage range for computers?

[Dadrian Daedalus]

I would like to know what's the safe operating voltage range for sensitivitve electronic devices like computers.

In my country, the utility power is typically around 220-230v.However i reside in a rural area which experiences a great degree of voltage fluctuations everyday.

To protect my computers from voltage anomalies, i have decided to get a new ups - i found a model from APC(BE700Y-IND) which has a built in AVR and reportedly boosts or bucks the input voltage when it goes below 190v and exceeds 250v.

Is this ups suitable for a desktop pc?Are its voltage regulation capabilities acceptable and safe for every day use with computers?

 

[kanewolf]

I would like to know what's the safe operating voltage range for sensitivitve electronic devices like computers.

In my country, the utility power is typically around 220-230v.However i reside in a rural area which experiences a great degree of voltage fluctuations everyday.

To protect my computers from voltage anomalies, i have decided to get a new ups - i found a model from APC(BE700Y-IND) which has a built in AVR and reportedly boosts or bucks the input voltage when it goes below 190v and exceeds 250v.

Is this ups suitable for a desktop pc?Are its voltage regulation capabilities acceptable and safe for every day use with computers?

It depends on the power supply in the PC. Many work from 90VAC to 250VAC -- You will have to check the specs of the power supply you have.
Some only work on a limited voltage range. The best are voltage independent.

 

[jonnyguru]

Depends on the PSU. A good quality one will support all the way down to 90V or 100V.

A garbage PSU only goes down to 200V.

If your PSU onll supports 200~240V, you should get rid of it.

 

[NightHawkRMX]

It depends on the PSU as others have said. If you are having issues with voltage fluctuation it may be a worthwhile investment to buy a UPS to help with this.

 

[Dadrian Daedalus]

Can a computer and its peripherals (such as monitors, speakers etc) function properly if the voltage of the utility power is within 190-250v?
I read somewhere that in places where the line voltage is supposed to be around 230v,anything greater than 240v might not be safe for sensitive devices like computers - is it really so?

The ups that i have selected only regulates voltage if it goes below 190v or exceeds 250v-is it worth buying?

 

[jonnyguru]

Why are you unwilling to tell us what PSU you have?

 

[Dadrian Daedalus]

There are 2 pcs, one with corsair txm 550,another with seasonic s12ii 620.

Can these psus tolerate voltages between 190-250v?

 

[NightHawkRMX]

Neither pic came through.

Both PSU supports active power factor correction and officially supports an input range of 100-240v

 

[Dadrian Daedalus]

in that case are they likely to sustain any damage if the voltage was to exceed the 240 v mark and stay between 240-250v?

 

[jonnyguru]

There are 2 pcs, one with corsair txm 550,another with seasonic s12ii 620.

Can these psus tolerate voltages between 190-250v?

It says right on the side label of the PSU what the minimum and maximum input voltages can be.

 

[jonnyguru]

The ups that i have selected only regulates voltage if it goes below 190v or exceeds 250v-is it worth buying?

I think 250V should be fine. You're using good power supplies. And higher voltage is actually, generally safer for a PSU since the current drops as voltage rises.

 

[Dadrian Daedalus]

^thank you for the inputs-if higher voltages are relatively safer,then why is there the common perception that they are harmful and may prove detrimental for devices in the long run?I've heard people saying that high line voltage fried their PSUs. Whats the max. amt of high voltage a psu(like the ones i have) can withstand before it starts sustaining damage?

And how about other peripherals like monitors,speakers etc? Can these tolerate voltages in excess of 240V ie ~250V?

I did a bit of research and found that its not just the APC model that i intend to buy,but most of the UPSes that are currently available here have an output voltage range of around 190-250V,some even go as high as 260V.

I used to have an older APC ups that had an output of 200-240V,which was considerably better-if the line voltage dropped below or exceeded that limit,it either regulated the voltage via its AVR or switched to battery.Sadly however such UPSes are almost non-existent nowadays,it seems.Even some of the more high end models in APC's lineup(like the BR1000/1500G-IND) only regulate voltage outside of the 190-250v range(as per official specs).

 

[jonnyguru]

^thank you for the inputs-if higher voltages are relatively safer,then why is there the common perception that they are harmful and may prove detrimental for devices in the long run?I've heard people saying that high line voltage fried their PSUs. Whats the max. amt of high voltage a psu(like the ones i have) can withstand before it starts sustaining damage?

Probably in the neighborhood of 264V.

I know it's a weird number, but it's specified as such because a good design should be able to operate +/- 10% (e.g. 240V + 10% = 264V).

 

[Dadrian Daedalus]

Well,thanks once again! Will a good quality psu shut itself down or trigger any protection mechanism to prevent damage to connected equipments when the line voltage exceeds safe levels?

 

[jonnyguru]

Well,thanks once again! Will a good quality psu shut itself down or trigger any protection mechanism to prevent damage to connected equipments when the line voltage exceeds safe levels?

The MOV should absorb any too high voltages, but not for too long. For example, if the voltage goes up to 300V for 30 seconds within an hour's time span, then the MOV in the PSU will likely fail.