CyberPower OR500LCDRM1U Review: A Slim 1U Rackmount UPS That Keeps the Network Up Through Blips
The CyberPower OR500LCDRM1U is a 1U rackmount, line-interactive UPS that packs 500 VA / 300 W of battery backup, Automatic Voltage Regulation and a multifunction LCD into a chassis only 1.75 inches tall. Owners use it to keep a modem, router, switch, NAS or NVR running through flickers and short outages, and report it switching over without a reboot and running light network loads for half an hour or more. The trade-offs are a simulated sine wave on battery, a 300 W ceiling and a network card that is sold separately. For a home lab, a small office rack or a network closet it is an easy, compact pick.
- Home lab and network racks
- Small office network closets
- NVR and security camera setups
- Modem, router and NAS backup
Pros
- Slim 1U rackmount chassis, shallow enough for small wall cabinets, brackets included
- Switches to battery fast enough that network gear does not reboot
- Automatic Voltage Regulation corrects low voltage without using the battery
- Long runtime on light network loads
- Multifunction LCD with load, battery and runtime
- RJ-45 surge protection for a gigabit line
- Hot-swappable, user-replaceable batteries and a three-year warranty that covers them
- USB HID port read by NAS units and Home Assistant through Network UPS Tools
Cons
- Simulated sine wave on battery, not meant for Active PFC power supplies
- 300 W ceiling and only 3 minutes at full load
- No external battery option
- No built-in network port; remote and phone monitoring need an optional card
- Fan can be noticeable under load
- No USB charging ports or coaxial protection
Who is the CyberPower OR500LCDRM1U for?
It is built for network and light server gear that lives in a 19-inch rack: switches, routers, cable or fiber modems, a small NAS, a mini PC or an NVR recording security cameras. The 1U chassis is shallow (9.25 inches deep), which owners appreciate in short wall cabinets, and the brackets come in the box; a few mount it under a desk or simply lay it on a shelf. Four of its six NEMA 5-15R outlets are battery backed and two are surge only, and an RJ-45 in and out pair protects a gigabit network line. At 300 W it is not meant for a heavily loaded server or a gaming PC.
What buyers love
The recurring praise is that it simply works: owners describe the unit taking over the instant the power flickered during a storm, with switches and modems not even rebooting, and several run it in multi-unit deployments at work without problems. Runtime at light loads is the other highlight, with reports of roughly 20 to 40 minutes for a router, switch, NAS and modem together, around 40 minutes for an NVR with cameras and close to an hour for just a modem and router. The LCD gets frequent mentions for showing load, battery and estimated runtime at a glance, and for timing out so it is not always lit. Automatic Voltage Regulation is a reason to buy for owners in older houses with sagging voltage, since it corrects the dip without draining the battery. Several owners also call it quiet enough to keep in the house.
What to know before you buy
On battery it puts out a simulated sine wave, not a pure sine wave, so CyberPower aims it at equipment without Active PFC power supplies; most network gear is fine, but many modern PC power supplies are not the target. The rated 3 minutes at full load and 12 minutes at half load are short, so it is a ride-through and clean-shutdown unit, and there is no external battery connector to extend it. There is no built-in Ethernet management port or Wi-Fi: monitoring is over USB with PowerPanel Business, and network, SNMP or phone monitoring needs an optional RMCARD205 or cloud card in its expansion slot, which one owner felt should have been included. One owner found the fan loud under load while others call it quiet, the front power LED cannot be dimmed, and one box arrived without the rack ear screws.
Is the CyberPower OR500LCDRM1U worth it?
Yes, if your load is a network stack rather than a server farm. It combines AVR, Ethernet surge protection, hot-swappable and user-replaceable batteries, a slot for network management, GreenPower bypass to save energy and a three-year warranty that covers the batteries, all in one rack unit. Its USB HID port is listed by Network UPS Tools, so a NAS or Home Assistant can read it and shut down cleanly. Buyers who need more than 300 W, a pure sine wave or long runtime should step up to a bigger rack model.
Frequently asked questions
Is the CyberPower OR500LCDRM1U a pure sine wave UPS?
No. It outputs a sine wave on utility power but a simulated sine wave on battery, and CyberPower recommends it for equipment without Active PFC power supplies, such as switches, routers, modems and many small servers.
How long does the CyberPower OR500LCDRM1U run on battery?
CyberPower rates it at 12 minutes at half load (150 W) and 3 minutes at full load (300 W). Light network loads last much longer, typically from 20 minutes to about an hour depending on what is plugged in.
Can the CyberPower OR500LCDRM1U be monitored over the network?
Not out of the box. It has an expansion slot for the optional RMCARD205 network management card (web interface and SNMP) or the RCCARD100 and RWCCARD100 cloud cards, which add phone monitoring through PowerPanel Cloud. Over USB it works with the free PowerPanel Business software.
Does it work with Home Assistant or a NAS?
Yes. The Network UPS Tools hardware list names the OR500LCDRM1U under its USB HID driver, so Home Assistant's NUT integration and NAS systems can read its status and shut down before the battery runs out.
How many outlets does it have?
Six NEMA 5-15R outlets: four with battery backup and surge protection, and two with surge protection only. It also has an RJ-45 in and out pair to protect a network line.
Can I replace the batteries myself?
Yes. The two 6 V / 7 Ah sealed lead-acid batteries come as the RB0670X2 cartridge, which is user replaceable and hot swappable from behind the right side of the faceplate.
