APC Back-UPS Pro for Gaming BGM2200-UK review

The BGM2200-UK is a tower UPS rated at 2200 VA and 1320 W. It is sold as a gaming product, but the electrical design is a general one: line-interactive topology, pure sine wave output and automatic voltage regulation. That makes it relevant to homelabbers who want clean power for a workstation, a NAS, a router and a switch.

The unit is rated at 1320 W. That is the figure to check against the combined rated draw of your own equipment before buying, such as a NAS, network gear, a small server or a desktop PC. Output is single-phase from a 230 V input. The listed maximum current is 12 A.

The cost of that capacity is size. It is a tower with a 0U rack capacity, so it will not mount in a rack. The mains cable is 1.5 m long.

This is a line-interactive design with a pure sine wave output. APC lists a response time of 8 ms. Automatic Voltage Regulation corrects voltage dips and surges. The input operating window runs from 168 V to 302 V, so the unit has a wide range over which it can correct the supply before it needs to use the battery.

Protection includes a 1080 J surge energy rating, EMI/RFI noise filtering and surge protection for network connections. Owners praise its sensitivity and alerts on voltage dips. The audible alarms cover running on battery, low battery and overload.

It is not online double-conversion, so the load is not permanently isolated from the mains.

The unit has a USB port and an RJ-45 serial interface. It ships with PowerChute Serial Shutdown software for safe shutdown. Those are the connection options APC lists. Anyone planning to link it to a Synology, QNAP or TrueNAS box, or to NUT, should confirm the monitoring route they intend to use before buying.

APC lists 6.75 minutes at half load and 0.5 minutes at full load. Those figures suit a short ride-through and a clean shutdown more than a long outage. This is a single 24 V sealed lead-acid (VRLA) battery. APC lists a maximum battery life of 5 years, and the manual says typically 3 to 5 years.

The battery is end-user replaceable, and replacement batteries are sold for this unit under the cartridge code APCRBC216. That matters for a unit expected to outlast its first battery. Recharge time is listed at 16 hours, which is slow after a long outage. An automatic battery test and cold start are both listed.

There are six AC outlets. The outlet type is listed as a C13 coupler, so buyers who need a specific mix of UK sockets should check the exact outlet layout on the retailer listing before ordering.

APC lists the noise level at 45 dB, and owners praise the quiet operation. Owner complaints are minor: the buttons are unintuitive, and a new unit gives off a strong smell for about two days after start-up.

APC lists a 2 year repair or replace warranty, with 3 years for EU countries only. One reseller states 3 years, so check the terms with the seller you buy from.

With a 1320 W rating, the unit has a high power ceiling, and the pure sine wave output and AVR suit equipment that cares about power quality. The user-replaceable battery and a named replacement cartridge are practical for long-term ownership. The short full-load runtime, slow recharge and tower-only form factor are the trade-offs. It makes most sense for a mixed desk and homelab setup, and less sense for a tightly specified rack build.