OT: New PC!

[Baron Munchausen]

Will said:
If you go to a site like NewEgg, they will tell you the VA rating, and the wattage it is designed for. I have an APC BE725BB, which is a 725VA, 450W UPS (I have a 450W PSU). It came with a little monitor utility that lets you set timers when on the backup, so you can have your computer automatically shut down after some time, or hibernate.

Plus, you can use it for general purpose stuff. During the big blackout in LA this fall, I took it down to the lobby, and plugged the radio we have down there into it to figure out what happened (some dude from PG&E cut a wire he wasn't supposed to, and the entire basin got its power cut).

According to references I have, a 'volt-ampere' is one volt at one amp, and so equivalent to one watt. Therefore, the VA rating should be exactly the same as the wattage it can support. I wonder what they are really describing if they don't rate the VA and watts as the same?