APC Smart-UPS On-Line, 5kVA/5kW, Rack/Tower, 230V, 2x IEC C13+1x IEC C19+Hard wire 3-wire (H+N+E) outlets, Network Card, W/O rail kit

Product Overview

AI-generated summary

For £3,479 ex‑VAT, this APC Smart‑UPS “On‑Line” is the sort of UPS you buy when you can’t afford downtime and you want cleaner power than you’d get from cheaper line‑interactive units. The on‑line topology is typically a good fit for servers, VoIP, networking gear, and any IT stack where brief power excursions can cause weird, hard-to-troubleshoot issues. The fact it’s 5kVA/5kW and rack/tower gives you options for how you physically deploy it, and the inclusion of a network card is a real advantage in a busy office/data closet—monitoring and alerts mean you’re not relying on someone noticing problems the hard way.

That said, I’d be careful: £3k+ doesn’t automatically mean “best value” if your load is light or your battery runtime requirements are modest. You’re paying for capacity and responsiveness, so if you only need a short ride-through for a couple of racks, there are often more cost-effective APC or equivalent options (especially ones that don’t include features you won’t use). Also, “hard-wired” installation isn’t just a detail—it affects who can deploy it safely and may add labour cost. Overall: this is a solid choice for medium-sized IT environments that want dependable, professionally managed power protection, but only worth it if you actually need the on‑line performance and have a clear plan for installation and the runtime you require.