Eaton 5PX G2 UPS Review
The Eaton 5PX G2 rack mount/tower UPS is the latest addition to the Eaton family of critical power protection. Ideal for small data centres to server rooms located at the edge, the 5PX G2 UPS is designed for power protection for industrial, manufacturing, medical and telecommunication applications.
This review involves getting hands on with the 5PX G2 3kVA UPS with its installation & operability, whilst reviewing its key features and capabilities. We will even simulate a power outage whilst copy data to the SAN and cloud. Lets find out how reliable is the Eaton 5PX G2 UPS.
Eaton 5PX G2 UPS vs Eaton 5PX Gen1 UPS
Lets first take a look at how it compares against its predecessor. Whilst the now end of life 5PX Gen1 UPS was a reliable backup power protection solution, the new 5PX G2 UPS range provides some interesting quality improvement over its predecessor. The first noticeable change is the depth of the new 5PX G2 3kVA UPS, coming in now at 1.8in shorter at 603mm deep, whilst the new 5PX G2 1.5kVA model comes in 3in shorter at 448mm deep. This is fantastic news especially for short depth racks, allowing better cable management, and improved airflow. A big win!
The 5PX G2 3kVA UPS is noticeably more quieter, with the fan completely turning off when the UPS was at 100% charge to further improve efficiency. The reduction in noise makes the 5PX G2 3kVA UPS a very interesting option at the edge or where IT racks are located near employees and office space.
Lastly there have been some improvements to the LCD display. The new high contract LCD display is now much easier to see, whilst the navigation through the menu has also improved and is easier to use. The LCD display start-up configuration wizard was a walk in the park, making it faster to configure and commission the UPS. In addition a coloured LED bar has been added at the bottom of the LCD display to show the UPS status. The LED bar can change from two different colours (Blue: On, or Red: Active Alarm), as well as switch from solid to blinking (Blinking Blue: Battery mode/battery warning, or Blinking Red: Power fault), to easily identify and visualise the status and issue. Overall, the above improvements have been well thought of, practical and useful.
Eaton 5PX Gen1 (End of Life)
Eaton 5PX G2 (New)
What's included?
When unpacking we found it took two people to safely remove the 5PX G2 3kVA UPS from the packaging. We found the UPS came with the usual safety and quick starter guide as well as the USB and RS232 communication cable, and the stabilising feet should you wish to deploy in a tower position. The 4 post rack mounting kit was found under the UPS once the UPS was removed from the box. An IEC C19 to BS1363 3pin UK plug mains input cable was also included, although this may vary depending on the various models available. We also found IEC C13 to IEC C14 output power cords to connect your IT equipment to the UPS, along with a handy cable locking system to secure the power cords in place. In general it covers all the essential items to get the UPS up and running from input and output power cords, mounting accessories, and a preinstalled network card.
Flexibility and Design
The 5PX G2 3kVA UPS boasts a sleek and modern design thats sure to turn heads, whilst the build quality feels premium. It comes in a 2U rack mountable/tower design. We were pleased to see that the UPS came with both rack mounting kits for installation in an IT rack, and stabilising feet to stand up vertically where rack space is either very limited or unavailable. Installation of both the rack mounting kit and the stabilising feet respectively were relatively easy and straight forward.
Connectivity
Looking at the rear of the 5PX G2 3kVA UPS we are presented with a C20 input to power the UPS. You are also presented with a 9 pin RS232 serial port and a USB port to connect a computer directly to the UPS to communicate via the Eaton power management software.
The two green connectors are labelled "Relay Out" and "RPO/ROO". The Relay Out allows you to report on the battery, load, status and faults. As for the RPO (remote power off), this is used to shutdown the UPS remotely by thermal relay in the event of room over temperature. The ROO (remote on/off) allows remote action of the button to switch on/off the UPS. Whilst we did not test the relay or RPO/ROO, we understand the process was quite straight forward to setup.
If you have any extended battery modules (EBM), you can connect the EBM cable to the black and red battery connector port (easily identifies the negative and positive) and the battery communication cable to the battery detection port to extend the runtime autonomy. The LCD display automatically displays the new runtime when the EBM is connected, making it a plug and play system.
There are also a set of black and grey IEC C13 and IEC C19 outlets. The black outlets always stay powered on and are designed to power critical IT devices. The grey outlets are split into two groups and are designed for less critical equipment which can be controlled automatically or manually in the event of a power outage to extend the runtime of the UPS to power your critical IT equipment.
An optional network card was also included with the network card bundle allowing remote monitoring, alerts and notification, as well as integration with the Eaton power shutdown software to automate graceful shutdowns in the event there is a power outage.
Start-Up
Before we could start-up the UPS, for safety reason the positive connector on the UPS was disconnected. To access the positive connector the front bezel would need to be removed. We found it just as easy to remove the front bezel if the UPS was sitting horizontally, or standing up right vertically. Whilst connecting the positive connector, you could also rotate the LCD display to the desired position before reinstalling the front bezel. Following best practice guides we first connected the IT equipment to the UPS using the supplied IEC C13 to C14 outlet cables, before connecting the supplied IEC C19 to BS1363 3pin plug input cable.
To turn on the UPS, we pressed and held the power button for several seconds to notice the new LED bar lit up blue as well as some icons on the main display to show the status of the UPS. If there were any power issues then the LED bar would have been lit red (solid or flashing). The new LCD display showed all the relevant information at a snapshot such as the load power consumption, remaining battery runtime/percentage, as well as the UPS status and the status of the grouped outlets, all on the same display without navigating through the menu.
Extended Battery Modules (EBM)
The extended battery modules are plug and play and are designed to scale to your needs. We found it was possible to connect up to 4x hot swappable EBMs to help extend the runtime autonomy for longer power availability. Each EBM was 2U high, and offered option for both rack mounting (includes rack mounting kit) and floor standing (includes stabilising feet) depending on how your UPS is deployed. Simply connect the EBM power cable and the communication cable from the EBM to the UPS and the UPS LCD display will present the new runtime autonomy available.
Ease of Operation
The 5PX G2 UPS features an innovative graphical LCD display and an easy start-up configuration wizard, simplifying setup and configuration processes. Remote management and firmware upgrades via an optional network management card streamline maintenance tasks, while advanced battery management and hot-swappable battery options ensure minimal downtime during maintenance operations.
Security and Resilience
The 5PX G2 UPS offers compatibility with Eaton's Intelligent Power Manager for energy metering and management, enhancing security and operational efficiency. Features such as load segment control for power switching and disaster recovery, as well as advanced virtualisation capabilities for Enterprise and Edge IT applications, prioritise resilience. The software is available separately and requires a network monitoring card to be installed in the UPS. The Eaton network card provides remote management and monitoring, ensuring control over power systems from any location. Simply remove the two screws from the cover plate at the back of the UPS, and replace with the network card.
With an optional network card installed, this sets a high standard with dual cyber security certifications (UL 2900-1 & IEC 62443-4-2), ensuring robust protection against cyber threats. Connection to Eaton's Cyber Secured Monitoring cloud via the Network Card further bolsters security measures and provides comprehensive protection against evolving cyber threats.
Efficiency
According to Eaton the 5PX G2 UPS is energy star 2.0 compliant whilst providing energy metering capabilities for each outlet group. This promotes environmental sustainability and enables users to monitor and optimise energy usage effectively. In addition the 5PX G2 UPS provides power factor unity (3kVA = 3000W) delivering efficient power to connected IT devices and optimising reliability. This means you can power up to 3000W IT load, where other competitive solutions are limited to 2700W.
We also found that the UPS was >98% efficient, and with the ABM technology it extended the service life of batteries by up to 50% with its 3-stage charging. This alone will help save on power consumption and lowering operating costs. It is worth noting again that the 5PX G2 UPS was only 40DB loud, with the fan switching off when the IT load was at 30% at full charge to demonstrate its efficiency. To put things into perspective 40DB is the equivalent of a quiet office or a home refrigerator, making the 5PX G2 UPS a sure favourite for deployment at edge locations.
Critical Power Protection
I want to first point out that the Eaton 5PX G2 UPS is a Line Interactive UPS providing both backup power as well as power conditioning to protect the connected IT equipment. The 5PX G2 UPS ensures clean filtered power is delivered to the connected IT equipment whilst providing protection from power failure, sags, surges, under voltage and over voltage. It uses automatic voltage regulation (AVR) to correct abnormal voltages without switching to battery battery mode. As a result the life of the battery is extended. When voltage crosses a low or high pre-set threshold value, the 5PX G2 UPS will detect and use transformers to boost or lower the voltage by a set amount to return it to the acceptable range. Line Interactive technology is ideal if you experience power fluctuations either intermittently or regularly and it is designed to protect servers, switches, SANs, VOIP and other telephony equipment in small to medium size server rooms and comms rooms.
Simulating a Power Outage
We were able to connect and power a couple of servers and switches, a SAN and an internet gateway router to simulate an approximate IT load of 900W in preparation of putting the 5PX G2 UPS through its paces. The UPS LCD display stated we would be able to achieve about 22 minutes runtime. For a thorough test, we initiated copying data from the server to the SAN, and also from the SAN to the cloud. We simulated a power outage where the 5PX G2 UPS immediately switched over to battery mode. I am pleased to share that none of the connected equipment was disrupted during the power outage as both the server continued to copy data to the SAN over the network, as well as the SAN transferring data to the cloud uninterrupted with a live internet connection. We were even able to gracefully shutdown the servers after the data had been copied to extend the runtime even further and then shutdown the SAN before the UPS battery gave up at around 40 minutes. Certainly for larger environments where more time is required to gracefully shutdown a number of servers, an EBM would be recommended to extend the runtime as required.
Conclusion
Overall the 5PX G2 3kVA UPS has not disappointed. It was easy to install and configure whilst operating at only 40DB. It also has an intuitive and easy to use LCD display, with flexible mounting options, and a shorter depth chassis compared to previous models which simplifies installations. Whilst we were impressed with the comprehensive power conditioning and backup power when simulating a power outage to critical IT equipment, we learnt that the 5PX G2 3kVA UPS also comes with 3 years warranty as standard for complete peace of mind.
We were impressed with the solid build quality of the 5PX G2 3kVA UPS, providing a premium look and feel. The 5PX G2 3kVA UPS will certainly appeal to those interested in critical power protection at the edge and where they have small to medium size server rooms or distributed comms room across campus with power hungry PoE switches, servers, routers, firewalls, and SANs, especially with its competitive runtime autonomy. For those looking for extended runtime, the 5PX G2 3kVA UPS supports 4x EBMs (extended battery modules) providing scalability, whilst the ABM technology extends the service life of the batteries making it a worthwhile investment.
Some of the standout features include the 40DB silent operation and how easy it was to start up the UPS. We were also impressed with the user friendly intuitive display with the LED bar indicating the status at a glance, and the UL certification on the network card for cyber security ensuring complete protection.
We can conclude that the Eaton 5PX G2 3kVA UPS is a reliable and efficient solution providing backup power and power outage protection for server rooms and network closets. So whether you have servers, switches and storage devices providing critical services, with essential connectivity and vital data, or CCTV delivering safety and security; the Eaton 5PX G2 UPS will deliver superior power outage protection to help keep IT up.
Eaton 5PX G2 UPS
1 - 3kVA Line Interactive UPS
Scalable power outage protection
