Power issues on the XPS 9000

[watashiwabaka]

I have a XPS 9000, plugged into a APC Back-UPS XS 1500. Everytime I get a power flicker my computer shuts off. After doing some research I found out that the PSU requires a pure sine wave in order to function. So I want to replace the PSU with something less picky, does any body have any suggestions?

 

[jsc]

All computer PSU's work the same way: They take in the line power and rectify it, turning it into DC. That dc runs high frequency power oscillators that produce the actual operataing power.

I think you need to approach this from the supply side and find a UPS that outputs something close to sine wave power. Those will be expensive.

 

[watashiwabaka]

That was my first thought, but when I will have to spend $300+ on a ups to do that, or around $150 for a decent power supply. I am looking at the cheaper option first.

 

[themunchkinman]

I hope this post helps. Since I've done some legwork, I want to help as many as possible so I'm posting on all the various forums related to this issue.

While many will blame your UPS saying that it isn't good enough for PFC/APFC power supplies, this is somewhat unfounded. It is true that some power supplies, such as the one that Dell impractically selected for the StudioXPS 9000 do not play nice with approximated sine wave outputs, the majority work fine.

I have a replacement system that is in warranty limbo. I swapped the power supply with a Corsair TX650. This eliminated all of the funky power symptoms associated with my UPS (an APC ES750G). Just FYI, newegg.com has it for $89 and you can get an additional $30 off with mail-in rebate. While pricey it is much cheaper than a $400-$500 UPS.

Just note that the factory Dell supply is oversized physically and has a slightly different mounting pattern, only two screws line up exactly, but they are sufficient to hold the power supply securely, and thus no case mod necessary, except for a little tape or custom plate to fill the gap. (I'll be posting a video of the whole thing soon).

Here is my post on the APC forum: http://www.apc-forums.com/thread.jspa?threadID=3885