Should I get a UPS Battery Backup for my PC?

[Iggy Wolf]

I don't get blackouts that often in my area, but they have occured literally in the middle of me gaming. I have my gaming PC connected to a surge protector though. If I did need or wanted to get a battery backup, what should be the minimum wattage so I can have at least 10 minutes to shut down?

[sonikku dammit]

i have an APC Pro 1000 and fairly similar specs to yours. my setup idles around 120 watt load. i always keep my PC on 24/7 and the UPS helps to keep that uptime. this model supports ethernet filtering, in case lightning strikes and power surges through your ethernet line. i think only two of the AC ports on the back are battery, the rest are surge. so only my PC and my main monitor are on battery. i've also used this UPS as a battery-operated power source to keep my phone charged during an extended blackout (tree fell on the power lines one time). you can also connect it to your PC via USB and it will add the little battery icon to your system tray, and it communicates how much charge it has left, and estimated runtime.

on battery it lasts about 7-15 minutes with the PC at idle. it's a convservative estimate since i've never actually ran it down to 0% on battery, i just know that the max it's ever told me was 15 mins. i usually just shut down gracefully when the power goes out, but has the added benefit of keeping your equipment on if the power goes out temporarily when you are not home. plus the charge rating could depend on battery age. i've had this thing for a long time, it's been good to me. haven't replaced the battery once yet. i think it has a feature that kicks over to battery just to use it every once in a while, i hear it click sometimes. that keeps the battery life healthy i guess.

it's $230 and it's also a bit bulky, i put it behind my case. the unfortunate thing about my setup is that it blocks a heating duct, and the battery gets a bit warm because of it. this doesn't affect operation really.

the question of do you really need one, well you don't. modern operating systems are certainly more robust than they used to be. if updates fail they automatically roll back, but i have had registry entries corrupt from suddenly shutting the pc off before (i accidentally pulled the power cable out while i was dusting my machine out while it was still on) the question is really are you willing to invest in protecting your PC from ever shutting down against your will? do you lack the technical mindset to deal with the crap i just mentioned? (it was really annoying to fix the registry)
if yes to either, pick up an APC. they're great.

[Tiberius]

For any expensive electronic, ups is always worth the extra cost

[Jamebonds1]

Ursprungligen skrivet av Cosa Nostra:

You need a proper UPS.

You need a pure sine wave ups NOT a simulated sine wave.

A pure sine wave will PROTECT your system while a simulated sine wave UPS will only harm the system in the long run and waste of money as those have ZERO protection nor true joule-protected power.

Sure, pure sine wave ups cost more, but trust me, a simulated sine wave is a piece of junk and is only recommended for automotive duties.

The best UPS on the market are APC and CyberPower.

APC brand has a very STRICT QC and are top shelf in this industry.

Both APC and Cyberpower batteries can be replaced and it is recommended to replace the UPC battery up towards around 5 - 8 years for both these brands.

If your area is prone to brown-outs, 100% invest in a UPS.

If your area has blackouts, it is wise to get a UPS, but it is not totally recommended unless you need saving data backup (i.e. work duties).

Brownouts, power surges, dumps, etc.. are what kills PC's not blackouts (total power shutdowns).

Blackouts will merely lose your data if you don't save, while a brownout may increase the risk of fires and hardware destruction; however, multiple blackouts within a short period of time can also cause extreme hardware degradation.

Blackouts are safer than brownouts - fun fact.

If your region is prone to brownouts, 100% invest in a UPS.

If you have like 2 - 4 total blackouts per year, a UPS is a waste of money unless you use the system for work or school.

I'm afraid modified sine wave only affects any device with power transformer. After power outage does create surge.

[_I_]

square wave is fine for anything with a switching power supply, those get filtered and run through a diode bridge, and then chopped up for its own high frequency transformer for much greater efficiency

60hz brick transformers are better with sine wave, but can work with square wave

[76561199648916059]

I had one a long time ago, I had it in storage unplugged from the battery, the battery still swelled up , you can refit most ups with those small size battery packs, they take 2 you can buy most for 30 to 24 dollars, if you have a ups that stopped working, most likely you just need a new cell., it's like a tiny car battery but smaller, like a lawn mower battery.