Eaton 5P 850i G2 UPS review: protection at the edge

The Eaton 5P 850i G2 is an advanced UPS that fits perfectly into an office setting thanks to its tower size. The unit can protect an IT cabinet or an office island full of workstations from power outages and worse, without too much complexity.

The Eaton 5P 850i G2 is a rugged UPS tailored for edge environments or more modest IT installations. Eaton provides the second generation of this UPS system in two sizes. We get to work with the Eaton 5P 850i G2 Tower variant. This is the size of a compact desktop and can be easily put away somewhere. Eaton also has a 1U rack version for server cabinet environments.

Our unit has an output of 680 watts, can handle 200-240 volts and has an adjustable output between 200 volts and 240 volts. 220 V is of course available which makes this unit completely suitable for use with the local power grid.

The tower model features six IEC C13 outlets to connect external devices. Eaton provides two cables in the box for use with external devices. A cable to plug the UPS into a wall outlet via the IEC C14 socket is not included, but is easy to find or recover from a device you want to protect.

You can optionally equip the Eaton 5P 850i G2 with a communication card with RJ-45 connection. That option allows you to manage the UPS with Eaton’s own Brightlayer software, but our copy is not equipped with such a port. A serial RS232 connection does draw present, as does a solid USB-B port.

Informational screen

Up front, the UPS has a clear LCD screen with a few icons around it. Through the screen, Eaton guides you through the modest setup process. A QR code on the unit sends us to the manual, which certainly helps. In case the UPS is in an accessible location, you can protect the settings with an eight-digit PIN.

After activation, the screen immediately displays the status at a glance. We can see that the protection against power surges is active, and what is the current power passing through the UPS. Of course, we can also read the status of the battery.

Broad compatibility

We pair the UPS for this test with a Qnap TS-432X-NAS via the included USB-B-to-A cable. Eaton is an established player in the UPS world, so the device is immediately detected correctly by the Qnap NAS. We also previously tested Eaton hardware with NAS appliances from Synology, with the same seamless experience.

You can connect six devices to this UPS through two sets of three outlets. Three of them are for critical hardware: that will power the UPS for as long as possible when mains power is lost. The other three are programmable. For example, you can set less critical hardware to be disconnected faster so that the most important devices can take full advantage of the battery. You do all that through the LCD screen. It’s not entirely intuitive, so keep the manual nearby.

Not (always) silent

After initial startup, the UPS has to fill up. This is not fast, and also causes the fan to enthusiastically run overtime. This is fairly audible during charging. In an open office environment, where the UPS is used to protect workstations, for example, this is a bit disturbing.

Fortunately, charging doesn’t last. We let the UPS blow for a day and the next day the battery was full and the unit was silent. In normal use, you won’t be bothered by the Eaton 5P 850i G2 so you shouldn’t have to tuck the thing away in a closet.

Firm autonomy

If the power goes out, you’ve known it. A loud beep every few seconds signals to you that something is not right. A clear LED strip on the UPS starts flashing slowly at the same time, while the LCD gives all the necessary info.

For example, we see an estimate of the time until the device is empty. That info, by the way, the Eaton 5P 850i G2 communicates perfectly via the USB-B connection. Unfortunately, the estimated protection time is not very valuable when the coupled devices generate a variable load. It seems that the UPS always looks at the very recent load and extrapolates battery life from there, rather than taking a broader average.

Either way, the hefty battery in this unit can last a while. If we only hook up the Qnap NAS and run it under light load, we lose about ten percent battery charge per hour, which would imply an autonomy of ten hours. In an office environment, your server, router and computer can hook up to the UPS and easily survive an average Belgian power outage without losing productivity. After that, of course, the UPS has to recharge the battery, which again causes mild noise pollution.

Smart battery management

That battery won’t last forever. New in this Gen 2 version of the Eaton-UPS is the integration of ABM+ technology. With the help of algorithms, the device can predict battery life as best as possible. Thus, you normally get timely alerts when the battery needs replacement.

Eaton is aiming for a three- to five-year battery life, but that is very dependent on its use. If you need to replace the battery, you can hotswap it (as long as AC power is available).

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Eaton 5P 850i G2 UPS review: protection at the edge

We previously tested a very small UPS from Eaton with the 3S Mini, and a larger one in the form of the Eaton 3S 700. The Mini was especially relevant for small niche devices that may not go offline, and the Eaton 3S 700 is ideal for protecting critical office infrastructure.

Office or server room?

The Eaton 5P 850i G2 is a lot more advanced. It offers more features and comes with greater power. The Tower version of this UPS is on the borderline between what you need in an office, and what a server room requires. We see this UPS as an ideal addition for an SME or satellite office that wants to protect a bit of critical hardware such as a few servers and a switch from power outages or surges.

Especially for satellite offices, the remote management option is relevant, although we were unable to test it ourselves. Eaton points out that the network card features security mechanisms to prevent misuse.

To protect workstations, the advanced features of the Eaton 5P 850i G2 are somewhat less relevant, but the form factor is all the more so. For example, this unit can ensure that a 3D designer does not suddenly lose crucial work when the mains power is cut. In a small server room with rack space left over, the 1U-rack version of this unit fits perfectly.

In any form, the Eaton 5P 850i G2 is an excellent choice for those looking to protect a modest collection of IT equipment behind a quality UPS. Capacity, LCD display and battery life management make this product an excellent overall package for edge environments.