Vertiv PSI5-3000RT120TAAN 3000VA/2700W 2U Rack/Tower Pure Sinewave UPS with RDU120 Network Card
Overview
The Vertiv PSI5-3000RT120TAAN is a 3000VA/2700W line-interactive UPS built for rack-mounted IT equipment, security infrastructure, and edge compute loads that cannot tolerate utility noise or transfer-time gaps. Drawing 120VAC input and delivering pure sinewave output at every load condition — not just during a battery event — it is the right call when you are powering active PFC power supplies in servers, NVRs, or managed switches that misbehave on the stepped approximations cheaper UPS units produce.
The 2U chassis converts between rack and tower orientation without tools, keeping it equally at home in a short two-post telecom rack or a standard 42U cabinet. The Vertiv Liebert lineup sits at the top of the commercial power protection category, and the PSI5 series occupies the mid-range rackmount tier — enough capacity for a dense edge closet without the footprint of a 5kVA or 10kVA unit. If you are building a physical security or network video recorder stack that needs both runtime flexibility and remote management, the TAA designation on this SKU also makes it procurement-eligible for federal and SLTT contracts.
Key Features
- 3000VA / 2700W True Capacity: At 0.90 power factor, this unit delivers its full 2700W nameplate to real loads — not a derated figure buried in fine print. That headroom matters when you factor in the inrush from spinning hard drives or PTZ camera motors at startup.
- Pure Sinewave Output: Delivers clean sinewave power under all conditions, on battery and on line. Active PFC supplies in modern servers, NVRs, and IP-PBX systems require this; a simulated or stepped sinewave from a lesser unit will cause instability or premature component failure in those loads.
- Hot-Swappable, User-Replaceable Batteries: VRLA batteries can be swapped under load without powering down connected equipment. In a 24/7 surveillance environment where taking the NVR stack offline for battery maintenance is not an option, this is a practical operational necessity, not a luxury feature.
- Runtime Scalability via External Battery Cabinets: Base runtime from internal batteries can be extended by adding external battery cabinets — no new UPS required. This lets you right-size runtime for the deployment rather than over-buying capacity upfront to hit an extended runtime target.
- IntelliSlot RDU120 Network Card Included: The RDU120 management card is included in this SKU, not an add-on cost. It enables SNMP, Modbus TCP, and web-browser monitoring — meaning your BMS or DCIM platform can poll real-time load, battery health, and runtime estimates without a separate network management license.
- ANSI C62.41 Category B Surge Protection: Rated for the higher-energy surge environment defined by Category B (outlet, panel, and distribution-level transients), not the more lenient Category A standard. Relevant in industrial or warehouse environments where motor-driven equipment on shared circuits generates repetitive transient events.
- USB Management Port: The local USB port enables direct connection to a server or workstation for automatic, graceful OS shutdown via Power Assist or Power Insight software — no network connection required for basic shutdown automation. Useful in isolated closets where the management VLAN may not reach every rack.
- Power Assist and Power Insight Software: Both management applications are included. Power Assist handles graceful shutdown sequencing for connected hosts; Power Insight provides centralized visibility across multiple units. Either integrates with the RDU120 card for full network-based monitoring.
- TAA Compliance: The -TAAN suffix confirms Trade Agreements Act compliance, making this unit procurable under GSA schedules and federal IT contracts where country-of-origin restrictions apply. Verify against your specific contract vehicle, but the designation is part of the SKU on this model.
Integration and Compatibility
The RDU120 card supports SNMP v1/v2c/v3 and Modbus TCP, which covers the polling protocols used by most enterprise DCIM, BMS, and SIEM platforms. The power protection stack integrates with Vertiv's Power Insight software for multi-unit fleet monitoring, and the USB port provides a local shutdown path independent of the network card. For environments using VMware, Hyper-V, or Linux-based hypervisors, Power Assist ships with shutdown agents for those platforms.
The IntelliSlot architecture on PSI5 units accepts a range of optional interface cards beyond the RDU120, allowing the management personality to be changed later without replacing the UPS chassis. Review Vertiv's IntelliSlot card compatibility matrix for your specific BMS integration before ordering an alternate card type.
For larger surveillance deployments, this unit pairs cleanly with a managed PoE switch stack and downstream NVR — the 2700W capacity handles a 48-port PoE+ switch plus a multi-bay NVR with room to spare for runtime margin. Consult our power protection planning guide for load calculation methodology before finalizing battery cabinet count.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is the PSI5-3000RT120TAAN TAA compliant?
A: Yes. The -TAAN suffix in the model number designates Trade Agreements Act compliance. This makes the unit eligible for federal procurement vehicles such as GSA schedules where country-of-origin requirements apply. Confirm against your specific contract vehicle requirements.
Q: Does the PSI5-3000RT120TAAN include the RDU120 network management card?
A: Yes. The RDU120 IntelliSlot network card is included in this SKU. It provides SNMP, Modbus TCP, and web-browser-based monitoring out of the box — no separate card purchase required.
Q: Can the batteries be replaced without shutting down connected equipment?
A: Yes. The PSI5-3000RT120TAAN uses hot-swappable, user-replaceable VRLA batteries. Battery maintenance does not require powering down the load, which is critical for 24/7 surveillance and IT environments.
Q: What is the warranty on the PSI5-3000RT120TAAN?
A: Vertiv covers the PSI5-3000RT120TAAN with a 39-month UPS warranty. Verify current terms directly with Vertiv at time of purchase as warranty programs are subject to change.
Q: Can runtime be extended beyond what the internal batteries provide?
A: Yes. The PSI5-3000RT120TAAN supports external battery cabinets for runtime scalability. This lets you add runtime incrementally rather than oversizing the UPS itself to hit a target runtime.
Q: Does the PSI5-3000RT120TAAN output pure sinewave power on battery?
A: Yes. Pure sinewave output is delivered under all operating conditions — both on utility power and during battery operation. This is required for loads with active PFC power supplies, including most modern servers, managed switches, and NVR appliances.
The PSI5-3000RT120TAAN is the SKU I recommend when a project needs TAA-compliant rackmount UPS capacity with network management already in the box. The RDU120 inclusion is the differentiating factor here — most comparable units at this price tier ship without a management card, and adding one later often costs more than the delta between SKUs. At 2700W on a 0.90 power factor, this unit has honest capacity numbers for real mixed IT loads.
Technical Highlights:
- Pure Sinewave on Battery: Active PFC supplies in NVRs, servers, and managed switches will throttle or fault on simulated sinewave; the PSI5's true sinewave output eliminates that failure mode entirely, regardless of operating mode.
- Hot-Swap VRLA Batteries: Replacing batteries under load means zero scheduled downtime for battery service cycles — a real operational advantage in unmanned edge closets and 24/7 recording environments where a maintenance window requires advance scheduling and a technician on site.
- 39-Month UPS Warranty: The coverage period is longer than the 12–24 month windows common in the SMB UPS space, reducing the total cost of ownership calculus on a unit likely to run continuously for 5+ years.
Deployment Considerations:
- The 2U rack/tower convertible form factor fits standard 19-inch rails, but confirm your two-post rack's depth before ordering — shorter two-post telecom racks sometimes need a relay rack adapter for proper rear-rail support on a unit this size.
- External battery cabinet runtime extension is supported, but each cabinet is a separate SKU and requires a compatible EBC model — verify the current compatibility matrix with Vertiv before sizing the runtime extension, as not all EBC models are interchangeable across PSI5 generations.
The PSI5-3000RT120TAAN is the right fit for a federal or SLTT physical security deployment — specifically an edge IDF stack running a PoE switch, NVR, and access control panel — where TAA compliance is a contract requirement, remote power monitoring is non-negotiable, and the team cannot afford downtime for routine battery swaps.
