Recommendation - Get a UPS

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YourfriendAnxiety@reddit

I was about to get one but got put on hold going down the UPS rabbit hole. Apparently there's a whole lot of specifications you need to keep in mind. One of the most brought up ones I've seen is with what waveform it outputs power; pure sine wave or modified. Apparently some people say it's fine and it won't make much of an difference and other people say if you don't get a pure sine wave one, which are much more expensive, your power supply will make a buzzing noise and wear down faster than it would've normally.

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Resbo@reddit

What a coincidence, I just bought one this week and installed it today. Finally got round to using my old PC plus parts to spin up a dedicated gaming server and the whole thing steamrolled. Now got containers for searxng, private aiostreams, vaultwarden and immich, I felt now was the time to buy a UPS.

My area doesn't suffer from many powercuts (I can think of perhaps 1 per year max) but it's nice to have that backup.

Plus I can do BIOS upgrades without fear of power loss and bricking, should I need to. My server has an 8 year old BIOS on it, might be time to update it.

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Celcius_87@reddit (OP)

Very nice!

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TheDiamondSquidy@reddit

I wonder how well a car battery with some janky electronics would work

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Fredasa@reddit

Not super expensive is relative. Especially when I factor in how the three times I bought one, they failed inside a year.

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lucian-samosata@reddit

This is a very helpful PSA, thank you. We need more PSA's like this, and also PSA's about backing up data.

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Celcius_87@reddit (OP)

I’m also a member of r/datahoarder lol

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lucian-samosata@reddit

lol yup great sub!

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bruh_the_person@reddit

Are there cheaper ones 😭 250 is pretty expensive

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OtherAlan@reddit

It's very expensive. You can still get 1500VA ones (CyberPower) for under $200, I think, and even better used for like $50, and just change the battery. Good as new.

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thebenson@reddit

If you think $250 is expensive, imagine having to pay current prices to build a new PC if a power outage/surge fries your PC.

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rulerdude@reddit

A $30 surge protector will prevent that just as well as a $250 UPS. UPS is only beneficial over a standard surge protector if data loss is a huge concern

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QuinQuix@reddit

Is a surge protector the same as those power boxes with lightning strike protection built in?

Because I have those.

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ParagraphInReview@reddit

Yes.

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George_MenethilW3@reddit

But is a surge protector good if the apartment you're living in doesn't have grounding? Because I think the old apartment I'm renting doesn't have grounding, it has the electrical wires in the walls from 1968... Or is a surge protector useless in this case?

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PeejPrime@reddit

The surge protector will stop a surge of power going IN TO your PC (Or any other device connected to it). It matters not a jot what the wires in the building are. They could be the best new built wiring buildings or it could be Edison's first ever attempt at wiring, whatever gets sent down the wires towards the PC is gonna be protected by that surge of power by the surge protector.

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George_MenethilW3@reddit

but doesn't the surge protector have to discharge that extra power / current that it "stored" in itself? and I thought you need grouding in the building connected to the earth otherwise these devices are useless since they don't have where to discharge. But I don't understand electricity or buildings that well so I'm just repeating what I learned from Chatgpt

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WulfTheSaxon@reddit

Yes. This is where there are no two-prong surge protectors.

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George_MenethilW3@reddit

I'm sorry but it's confusing what you said. English isn't my native language. From googling two-prong, it means like having 2 pins / 2 ends that go into the wall socket? In my country every power chord has 2 pins / 2 ends.

So in the end, you mean that the surge protector does indeed need a wall socket that has grounding to earth? that's on the contrary to what the other person said then

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idontappearmissing@reddit

According to Grok, you're correct:

Yes, electronics in older buildings are generally at greater risk during a power surge.

Here's why:

Lack of Proper Grounding (Biggest Issue)

Most homes built before the early 1960s used two-prong outlets with no dedicated ground wire.

Surge protectors rely heavily on a good ground path to safely divert excess voltage away from your devices. Without it, they either don't work properly or can't divert the surge effectively.

In ungrounded systems, surge energy has nowhere safe to go, so it’s more likely to damage connected electronics, travel through appliances, or cause arcing.

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WulfTheSaxon@reddit

If properly designed, some surge protectors might help with line-to-neutral (difference mode) surges, but for common mode surges you kinda need a ground connection, although I’m no expert there. Do you not have Schuko (Type F) plugs though? Those are grounded (earthed), just through flat contacts instead of a third pin. Something with a metal case like a computer should never be plugged into an ungrounded outlet like a Type C Europlug.

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QuinQuix@reddit

Thanks that made me feel very secure. Maybe I can daisy chain two protectors.

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George_MenethilW3@reddit

I know you must be joking but for anyone reading this that hasn't researched this, don't do this lol

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Hetstaine@reddit

I have never researched this, also never thought of doing it lol! What can actually happen?

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XiTzCriZx@reddit

Both a surge protector and UPS requires grounding in order to actually do the surge protection. If your apartment doesn't have any grounding at all then it likely doesn't even pass your city's code regulations either. Bad grounding is atleast better than no grounding at all.

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bs2k2_point_0@reddit

Just keep in mind surge protectors are essentially consumable units. Each one can only handle so much fluctuation over its lifetime before it will no longer protect your pc. You should replace them every 3-5 ish years.

I use my old ones as non surge protecting power strips for things that aren’t a concern like for lamps and whatnot.

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First_Musician6260@reddit

A Type 3 and Type 1/2 SPD are drastically different from each other. One is meant as a permanent (within useful lifespan) solution while the other is not.

Type 1 devices are installed at the service entrance and provide by far the most protection. Type 2 devices are installed at the distribution panel and provide less but still sufficient protection for residential use cases. Type 3 devices are installed at the point of use (e.g. a wall receptacle) and may clamp any remaining energy assuming there is a higher grade device installed further up the circuit. They cannot handle strikes on their own, only a Type 1 or 2 device may do so.

Type 3 devices very often come in the form of power strips. Type 1/2 devices typically come as seemingly magical electrical boxes. All use MOVs, but Type 3's use by far the cheapest (and worst) ones.

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delsystem32exe@reddit

UPS is way better. A UPS regenerates the incoming AC power and cleans it by converting it to DC and then back again to AC. A surge protector is just a fancy switch and it can fail closed, a UPS cannot.

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PsyOmega@reddit

Yeah. A UPS typically has a weaker surge protector than actual surge protectors.

The popular Cyberpower 1500W unit has a 1500J surge protecting MOV.

Home Depot has cheap units rated above 4000J.

(neither of those will stop a real lightning hit, FYI. You'd want a "whole home" surge protector to stop anything serious)

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First_Musician6260@reddit

The popular Cyberpower 1500W unit has a 1500J surge protecting MOV.

It has multiple MOVs with a total rated protection of 1500J. MOVs max out at 350J per device. This is also the same method used by 1000+ J plug-in protectors (strip-style, of course) to achieve their ratings.

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WulfTheSaxon@reddit

Correct me if I’m wrong, but the way I think of it is that a Type 3 will handle EMP-induced current in your home wiring, but only a whole-home device has any chance of protecting against lighting hitting your power line.

If you read the fine print on a newer Type 3, they’re also only approved 30+ feet from your service entrance because they need the capacitance of your wires to work.

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First_Musician6260@reddit

Well, if the reclosers on the lines fail to do their job, then yes, that lightning strike would cause a lot of damage. Not even a Type 1 would be able to take that strike without failing in remarkable fashion.

If you read the fine print on a newer Type 3, they’re also only approved 30+ feet from your service entrance because they need the capacitance of your wires to work.

Unfortunately many consumers don't know this. 😞

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Cinara@reddit

Power dips can kill parts the same way surges can, it happened to me just last year. A surge protector won't do a single thing for that.

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Zeired_Scoffa@reddit

If you have dirty or inconsistent power they're also good.

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WulfTheSaxon@reddit

Even then, there’s a reason you can mark drives as removable or not. If it’s marked as removable, original data shouldn’t be deleted until the transfer is complete.

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Monotask_Servitor@reddit

A surge protector won’t keep your PC running during a micro-outage like OP describes. It’ll prevent damage due to power spikes but it won’t prevent the PC from resetting itself and losing whatever work you were doing at the time.

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rulerdude@reddit

That’s literally what I said

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Monotask_Servitor@reddit

Ah sorrry it’s 4:50am here and I just woke up :/

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George_MenethilW3@reddit

But is a surge protector good if the apartment you're living in doesn't have grounding? Because I think the old apartment I'm renting doesn't have grounding, it has the electrical wires in the walls from 1968... Or is a surge protector useless in this case?

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QuinQuix@reddit

It's not the outage that fries it but the turning back on immediately

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Substantial_Rest_251@reddit

Although I'll note than in Memphis TN I invested in a UPS because our power supplier is famous for blink outages

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iraveallday@reddit

Yup. If I had a UPS with my old PC I probably wouldn’t have a dead R9 390 after a power outage

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Kerrija@reddit

Did this, bought a used one from Ebay for $45 and put new batteries in it. Been great ever since.

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TremorOwner@reddit

Look at Amazon I have 2 1500va and a 450 or 600 all three Amazon basics they are IIRC made by cyberpower. The 1500va for my 65in TV, 6 port 1gig switch, ps5 and Xbox. The 450 or 600 for my router and my 2nd 1500 for my pc. Get the 1500va its an online ups meaning its always on battery. An offline charges the battery then waits to switch to battery when an outage happens the batteries dont last as long.

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Ok_Sprinkles_5687@reddit

Watch for deals on W00t!

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lexmozli@reddit

My first UPS was like 120$ but I'd definitely go for something more prem now like an EcoFlow River 3 (which I currently have).

Bigger battery (like 10x), better battery (don't have to change it like clock work every 2 years) and in my case it only was like ~2.5 the price of a regular UPS (so ~300$)

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Spittl@reddit

I got a used one for free and just replaced the batteries for about $60

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Maakus@reddit

This is how you do it, that way you learn to how to date and replace the right size for your UPS.

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TurdFerguson614@reddit

They require service to? This sub has convinced me to not get one lol

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Maakus@reddit

You'll need to service the lead acid battery every 3-5 years, used or new. Lead acid batteries are affordable and you just have to match the black/red terminal to the black/red plug while the ups is turned off.

If you buy a more expensive lithium ion phosphate one it will probably last 10-15 years.

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IrrelevantTale@reddit

Bluetti Elite 30 is mine. 600w output is enough for my PC and is about 220.

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Zarathustra_d@reddit

I did a similar thing with a larger unit.

If we are going buy a >$200 surge protector, may as well get a LiFePO4 battery with enough charge to keep the system running for an hour or more.

Installed a home surge protector in the circuit panel, have a cheap surge protector before the battery/inverter, then have all my PCs on the power station.

Keeps the server and local wifi up, and protects he gaming rig for the few hours we almost always loose power during lightning storm season every year.

Now I can keep watching that jellyfin server library when the power is out ... Lol big time stuff.

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IrrelevantTale@reddit

Same i also have a Bluetti AC200L that I use. Ive also got a few solar panels feeding into it each day that saves me a ton on electricity. Most days im gaming off pure solar power.

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Zarathustra_d@reddit

I also have solar.

I just haven't gone full home battery system yet, as the tech and tax credit situation is in flux, I have TOU solar for years to come, and just wanted the expensive electronics, that are my largest power draw (other than AC), to have UPS and the peak shaving and being able to run for a few hours during the yearly series of short grid outages is just a little bonus.

I run a manual transfer switch for the rest of the house, but haven't needed it yet. (I just DYI installed the switch and home surge protector myself, I'm cheap).

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Zeired_Scoffa@reddit

250 to is too much to protect your potentially 2000 PC and potentially priceless data?

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Its-A-Delimited-Life@reddit

At the risk of reliability (yes, I know) you can get lucky and find them at thrift shops! I managed to snag a 1500VA Cyberpower UPS for $30 CAD at a local Value Village. Even if/when I replace the battery for $70, I feel I'm still in the money by $100.

Otherwise the used market is your best bet. But I now have two in my office; one for the TV/home server and the other for my PC and monitors. Definitely has saved me several times over.

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botmatrix_@reddit

refurbups.com is where I've gotten all of mine

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OkStrategy685@reddit

I see one at newegg ca for $150 CAD. Lasts 8 minutes, 2.3 at full load.

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snarkmoo@reddit

A lot of them went up by at least 35% last year due to the tariffs and a majority of them being produced in China

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drxwninglessxns@reddit

i got one for 100 in my country.

APC 1600VA.

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Symphonic7@reddit

I don't know if all UPS are like this, but mine recommended their 1200w spec for 1000W of continuous interrupted power. I have a 1000W power supply, and even though my PC doesnt pull that unless its a transient load, I made sure to spec up just in case.

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Celcius_87@reddit (OP)

Just curious, what brand do you use?

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Symphonic7@reddit

Cyberpower. Actually I just checked its the 1500 VA which I'm pretty sure just means 1500W. I was reading the box at the store and it had some recommendations on it thats why I specced up.

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Celcius_87@reddit (OP)

VA and W are two different things. For example I also use Cyberpower and mine are both 1500 VA but one is 1000 W and one is 900W.

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Symphonic7@reddit

Ah interesting. I thought it was Watts since voltage*amperage = W. I just checked their website and I have the CP1500GAVR, which is indeed 900W. I was at the store since it was an emergency, so I was quickly trying to get something that worked. Thanks for the clarification.

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globaldu@reddit

W is power output, VA is battery capacity.

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Symphonic7@reddit

Disclaimer: I'm not an electrical engineer.

I was doing some reading and found this on matsusada precision's website:

Watts (W): Active Power Also known as "Real Power" or "True Power," this represents the power actually converted into useful work, such as heat, light, or mechanical motion. It is the power consumed by the resistive load.

Volt-Amperes (VA): Apparent Power This is the total electrical capacity required by the circuit, calculated as the product of Voltage (V) and Current (I). It is the vector sum of Active Power (W) and Reactive Power (var).

AC power sources are typically rated in VA because the internal components must handle the total current (Apparent Power), regardless of how much of that power is actually performing work (Active Power). Conversely, DC power supplies are rated in Watts because, in DC circuits, voltage and current are in phase, making VA and W identical.

So as I understand it, they're both power measurements but one is for AC and one is for DC. And for DC its the Power Factor =1 they're the same. Its only for AC where VA>W

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globaldu@reddit

Oh.. I stand corrected!

So VA is just V*A.... which is, as you said, the wattage.

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Symphonic7@reddit

Would it be possible you were thinking for Watt Hours (Wh) as a measurement of battery capacity. Because thats voltage*amp hours.

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globaldu@reddit

Yep, I assumed it was something to do with amp hours.

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Symphonic7@reddit

Gotcha. It certainly is not easy for the layman to understand everything, sometimes it feels like things are obfuscated by the battery companies.

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globaldu@reddit

Thanks for being kind, but it was just me being dumb... but surely capacity is something that's nearly as important as wattage?

Looking at OP's UPS, the run time of that unit @ 1000W output is 2.5 minutes. which is plenty of time to shut the PC down... if you're at it.

In the specs though, I can't see if it can automate shutdown, or if you have to pay more for a LAN board to enable that feature.

It'll save you from a glitch, but if you're AFK for 2 minutes and, if it doesn't shut your PC down cleanly, then there's no point having it.

Again, if that was a built in feature, I'd expect it to be in LARGE PRINT, not something I'd need to dig for.

Regardless, I'm fortunate that my power is clean and I rarely have power cuts so UPS isn't something I've ever considered outside of the offices I've worked in, where the purchasing decisions haven't been mine to make.

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yehiko@reddit

I've literally never had an issue with the occasional power out. Multiple pcs over the last decade. None of them had any issues. 3 of them on all the time too.

Such a non issue unless you actually have outages like regularly

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pirate_starbridge@reddit

Not until they get with the times and start making them with lifepo4 batteries, not this last century lead acid BS.

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guterz@reddit

I use the Goldenmate Lifepo4 UPS’s from Amazon.

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pirate_starbridge@reddit

I swear I searched recently and didn't find any that looked very good, I will check that out!

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rohit275@reddit

https://www.amazon.com/GOLDENMATE-800W-Lithium-Protector-Lifespan/dp/B0D5QSYK69?th=1

I've got one of these guys on my homelab setup and honestly it seems pretty good so far.

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guterz@reddit

I use these as well. Have them on my network rack, pc, wfh office, tvs, gas fireplace fan, and tables water heater. They are great products

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Willing1613@reddit

whats the difference

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this_dudeagain@reddit

Run time is way longer during an outage and you can use it camping if you want.

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Chanw11@reddit

Draining a lead acid battery to near 0 can be a death sentence for it. Lifepo4 is a lot more durable.

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this_dudeagain@reddit

They tech used to power these things is ancient yet they still charge way too much for them.

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Dean_VW@reddit

Goldenmate sells a bunch of LiFePO4 powered backups. I grabbed one a few months ago—so far, so good.

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schnitzel-kuh@reddit

I believe some companies like Ecoflow make power stations that switch to battery fast enough for most PC Power supplies to handle

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Criss_Crossx@reddit

You could look at a power station instead. More expensive but the system should last a lot longer than standard UPS batteries.

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r_lind3r@reddit

Make sure that it is a PURE SINEWAVE UPS! Simulated sinewave versions can stress your power supply and make it sound like you're making microwave popcorn in battery mode.

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Warcraft_Fan@reddit

I'd like an UPS that can be connected to the computer to send a hibernate now signal in case of power loss. I don't need huge battery for several minutes of on time, just a few minutes to finish the hibernate.

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BeautifulBlueNight@reddit

I bought one for my homelab, but since I added my router and my switch to it.

I since discovered that my home alarm actually does send me warnings if the power goes out. I just never received them before because my router went down straight away once the power went out 😅

They're definitely a necessity and a great thing to have! I plan to buy more for elsewhere in my house, once money allows.

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ThereAndFapAgain2@reddit

I certainly would not call them a necessity for like 90% of people. They're nice to have, but most people aren't doing any home lab stuff, so a surge protector is sufficient.

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lucific_valour@reddit

99% of people, more like.

To make sense, they'd have to:

Live in an area where electrical security is a concern (frequent outages, poor delivery infrastructure, living off the grid etc.); and
Have consequences for unexpected shutdowns (long-duration transfers of sensitive files, high-security scenarios, constant uplinks etc.)

It's why this sub and every sane PC builder never mentions it unless the user specifically brings up a specific usecase which requires it.

Recommending a UPS as surge protection instead of an actual surge protector feels like the sort of overkill solution that a UPS company salesman would push.

Good to have if you've got spare cash, but even then, there are so many other parts that would give better returns for the average user.

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Celcius_87@reddit (OP)

Yeah I have two and they’re super useful

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jump101@reddit

i bought one but it died after like 2-3 years, the battery won't hold charge anymore?

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mpete76@reddit

I have 4 ups at various points in the house. One at the Router, Fiber Connection and Switch, one at my main work computer, one at my Living room TV/Gaming Computer/AppleTV and one in the Bedroom TV/AppleTV/BedroomPC. We living in an area where power is sometime unstable, especially in the hot summer time. We drop power and it comes back a few minutes later, so they are super helpful in keeping things up and running smoothing things outs and dropping work in the middle of things.

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orclownorlegend@reddit

I bought one for 250 that was supposed to be good quality, around 1kw i think, it was useless since it only worked for 30 seconds if pc was idle and even light gaming would just simply turn the PC off immediately as soon as the light went out. Thankfully i was able to get a refund cuz it literally did nothing

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Hollowsong@reddit

Protip: you need to upsize your UPS.

The power draw out of your 1000W power supply is not 100% efficient, so if your GPU spikes or you have another peripheral like a monitor plugged into the UPS as well, it might shut down your whole PC unexpectedly (I used a 3090 and yes it did trip my UPS and shut my whole system down when under high load).

Do the math needed. I have a 1200W power supply and a 1200W GPU and my whole system crashed/shutdown without warning several times in one month before I figured out the issue.

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Celcius_87@reddit (OP)

Interesting, I have a rtx 3090 but haven't had any issues

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XiTzCriZx@reddit

Also there are some pretty good deals on used ones if you can find them locally (the shipping costs kill pretty much any good deal that'd be online). Most use a replaceable battery so a new battery + used UPS can be over $100 cheaper than buying new, or you could get a higher quality one for the same price as the low end ones.

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QuinQuix@reddit

Yeah dirty power area is the variable.

Where I live power outages are extremely rare.

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hugemon@reddit

I have experienced single digit number of power outages in my 40+ years of life and all of them was in the 80s...

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BavarianBarbarian_@reddit

I had one happen just yesterday (Germany). There was an electrical storm, and I guess lightning hit somewhere nearby. The building's power was off for like a second only but that was enough for the PC and the routers to switch off.

That was the first outage I've experienced since I was like 10 years old.

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QuinQuix@reddit

That's probably the one to be afraid of when it comes to expensive hardware.

My issue is I want to protect a 1600w pc which is expensive as hell.

Maybe a surge protector is 95% of the security for 5% of the cost.

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DARIF@reddit

Easier to get an electrician to fit a surge protector to your main fuse box that protects everything in your house.

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qtx@reddit

Surge protectors are dirt cheap.

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BavarianBarbarian_@reddit

Yea, I always have a surge protector between my PC and the wall. From what I read back then, they aren't 100% lightning proof either, but their warranty will reimburse you for the cost of the PC if it gets fried within a few years of buying it.

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FromDeepestFathom@reddit

I’ve experienced a double digit number of power outages this year and I live in a 1st world country

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natrous@reddit

Agreed. Most are about 2 seconds only around here; I believe it's mainly when there's an outage somewhere else and things click off for a second as the power re-routes or something.

But a few times a year I definitely need to get out the generator.

And really, I don't think about it all that much. Just part of rural-ish living.

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Controller_Maniac@reddit

same here, the winters ain’t pretty

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ThereAndFapAgain2@reddit

UK here, I've literally never experienced a power outage in the UK, and I'm turning 35 this month.

The only power outage I've ever experience was in Mexico back in like 2006 or something, and that was during a hurricane.

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Conpen@reddit

When I lived in Florida as a kid there would be frequent power drops, especially during storms. Usually just a second or two but obviously enough to shut off a PC and disconnect the Internet. I couldn't afford a UPS back then but I wanted one.

Now I live in NYC and the power never shuts off so I never bought one.

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TomTomMan93@reddit

I'm glad I'm not crazy for noticing this. Grew up in FL and my dad had an UPS. I remember every storm that thing beeping like crazy when the power went out.

Moved to Chicago long ago and that just doesn't happen. Maybe lost power like twice and both times were some service related mishap instead of a natural event.

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za419@reddit

Yeah, similar story here. Since I've moved to Chicago several years ago, I lost power exactly once, and it was a planned several-hour outage overnight while my apartment complex needed to do work on the power infrastructure. Not the situation you get a UPS for.

It's like... I want one on philosophical grounds, but I absolutely cannot justify actually paying for one when my power is this reliable.

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Substantial_Rest_251@reddit

Buried power lines for the win

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No-Ladder-506@reddit

even if the power stays on, brownouts and voltage spikes are still real. a cheap power supply unit might handle it once or twice, but eventually it eats your motherboard or gpu. paying for a ups is just cheaper than replacing a 4090 later.

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Symphonic7@reddit

I live in a west coast state in a very nice area. The city is old as hell though, and the apartment I'm currently at has probably been here since the 60s. Unfortunately the wiring just doesns't deliver very clean power. So sometimes if the fridge compressor kicks on, and my PC is running it will trip the breaker. I got a UPS and all problems went away.

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nagyee@reddit

Psa or shameless plug for a ups? :) never had one and even if i copy files and my pc freezes or turns off i dont run to the hills. I just continue the copy where it was left off

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CrazyTuber69@reddit

My PC can survive like 1 to 1.5 seconds of power outage, it got a titanium PSU or whatever's the highest (I forgot), but it was pretty expensive (bought in 2023).

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Celcius_87@reddit (OP)

...that's not how titanium power supplies work

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CrazyTuber69@reddit

Why don't you tell us how they work if not for the better efficient components and much larger capacitors, u/Celcius_87? Please don't tell me you think the wires are made of titanium.

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CrazyTuber69@reddit

Why don't you tell how they work if not better components and larger capacitors? And please don't tell me you think the wires are made of titanium.

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omnicious@reddit

My problem getting one is I can never get a clear answer about a good one to get that's on sale. I see deals for them all the time but someone will say it's junk or not pure sine or whatever.

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Celcius_87@reddit (OP)

https://www.microcenter.com/product/353897/cyberpower-systems-pfc-sinewave-series-ups-(cp1500pfclcd)

Here's the main one that I use (in store you'll see it's the newer CP1500PFCLCDa model), currently on sale for $240. Pure Sine and great unit. 1500 VA, 1000 W.

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3ofUsDeez@reddit

I run 4 AM5 setups in my home .. each PC has its own 1500va/900wtt UPS

UPSs protect against power surged and power outages/brown outs .. which can damage electronics as well

Plus .. a UPS will provide "clean" power to your PC of which can help with issues like coil whine

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qtx@reddit

Is you local electricity network so bad then? I can't remember a power cut in over 30 years here.

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3ofUsDeez@reddit

Not horrible ... But the wiring in my old house is not great .. plus we get blips here and there during bad storms where the power will blink off and back on

I've never had issues with coil whine anything

It's a layer of protection that is worth the investment

But.. a few years ago I won a watercooled NZXT mini-itx case. I had no use for it and listed for sale. A local guy offered to trade 2 APC 1500va/900wtt UPSs for it.. I said, "You bet!"

My other 2 are same spec'd Cyberpower units that I bought new

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SolidSnakeCZE@reddit

online UPS will provide clean power but offline not.

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Celcius_87@reddit (OP)

That’s true!

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Waah_Realist@reddit

Agreed, although $250 seems quite high. A decent UPS can be bought under $130.

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frostyflakes1@reddit

And most people don't need 1000watts.

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jakebeleren@reddit

Buy once cry once. If you go smaller you’ll find that your next upgrade is too much for your UPS.

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Elzerythen@reddit

I had a an UPS that couldn't run my PC when MINIMALLY connected to it. It would trip the UPS and shut everything down because it had too much power draw. Check the specs of your PC and add about 10% to that. That is what you need. I know have an APC 1350. Saved me a handful of times. Bonus: Clean power and built in surge protection.

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frostyflakes1@reddit

Worth adding: the UPS isn't for keeping your computer up and running through a full power outage. It's to keep your computer running long enough to save your work and shut down safely until power is restored.

Case in point: a 1000watt UPS can maintain a 1000watt system. But it only does that for a few minutes. Not for a full hour. Same thing if you're pulling 250watts off a 1000watt UPS - its runtime is measured in minutes, not hours.

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LamentableFool@reddit

Then Windows decides that you MUST update RIGHT NOW. With no option to shutdown now without updating before you lose backup power.

Source: power went out today. Thankfully update managed finish with 4 mins left on backup power.

Glad I went with the big boy UPS.

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Celcius_87@reddit (OP)

True!

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Bottled_Void@reddit

Maybe this is a US thing. In the UK the power usually stays on and is well regulated.

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AngeloPappas@reddit

Truly worthwhile since they do so much to protect your PC from more than just providing power during outages.

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UnCommonSense99@reddit

I live in a modern country where the mains power supply is reliable. I have had computers since the year 2000 and never needed a UPS

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ShaftamusPrime@reddit

It can also smooth dirty power and help with system stability and life of components if you don't get super stable voltage from your outlets or when someone starts something like an ac or vacuum

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this_dudeagain@reddit

That's the job of a good PSU.

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ShaftamusPrime@reddit

Never hurts to add another layer of protection though.

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Pristine-Copy9467@reddit

They are expensive and you’re luck to get 30 damn seconds of power if you have a beefy rig and multiple monitors

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that_motorcycle_guy@reddit

Not worth the money for a home setup imo. Batteries only last 3-5 years.

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Fadelesstriker@reddit

Just bought an Online 1600 VA Online UPS, and am using Network Ups Tools on Linux to monitor/configure it (eg. was easily able to disable the beeper). A brown out killed my IPS monitor 2 weeks ago. Have set up my system to shutdown 20s after power outage, to minimise usage on the Sealed Lead Acid batteries. Since it’s second hand I replaced all 6.

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Celcius_87@reddit (OP)

Did you replace it with another IPS monitor or go OLED?

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Fadelesstriker@reddit

Looking to go OLED :)

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Relevant-Line-1690@reddit

I’m sure there are cons but I’m too lazy to look them up

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WulfTheSaxon@reddit

If they aren’t true sine wave they might hurt some PSUs. They’re also often worse surge protectors than a nice ISOBAR or something, yet daisy-chaining them may void your warranty. They also waste power – not much if they’re the standby type, but quite a lot if theh’re the online type.

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Celcius_87@reddit (OP)

Cons to having your data (and hardware to a certain extent) protected? The only con is the additional cost.

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Noxious89123@reddit

Always copy data from your PC to an external drive, and vice versa.

Do not ever cut data when transferring.

This can prevent data loss.

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Celcius_87@reddit (OP)

Yeah I meant to say that I was copying actually, not moving

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sirduke456@reddit

I disagree that it's commonly overlooked. Very few people need a UPS. If you need a UPS you'll know.

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this_dudeagain@reddit

I just use the auto power on after power loss function in the bios for my server and gaming rig. For the money I'd go with something like an ecoflow for dual use and much longer battery life.

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Electronic_Syrup3879@reddit

Seriously, everyone spends two grand on a gpu and then plugs it directly into a wall outlet like a lunatic. It is just expensive insurance for when the grid inevitably blinks.

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this_dudeagain@reddit

A surge protector and your PSU have the same protections.

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hawksdiesel@reddit

For a piece of electronics that's about $3 K, yeah a UPS is def on the list of things....WHY WOULDN"T YOU GET ONE!?!?!?!

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zap3150@reddit

A surge protector might be a good option instead. They are generally much cheaper.

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Secure-Evening8197@reddit

Any good value recommendations for a desktop PC?

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Celcius_87@reddit (OP)

Personally I use the Cyberpower CP1500PFCLCDa.

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globaldu@reddit

A 900W UPS would be fine for your PC.

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Celcius_87@reddit (OP)

Perhaps but I just wanted the extra headroom

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globaldu@reddit

If your PC's PSU pulled 1000W it'd trip itself.

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Sithil83@reddit

Any recommendations for AVR? My APC 1500va died last week during a storm and power flickering. Now it doesn't register power from the wall. Over 4 years old so batteries were getting pretty weak also.

Should I stick with APC, or should I try Trip Lite or Cyberpower?

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Celcius_87@reddit (OP)

Hi, here's what I use: https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc/comments/1ttugjt/comment/op57iam/?context=3&utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

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gamer_no@reddit

Jokes on you. My power quality is so bad it bypassed my ups

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Single-Ad-3354@reddit

“Not expensive at all” bro then proceeds to say it’s the retail price of a very good CPU

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-Aces_High-@reddit

Having as UPS is so clutch when the power goes out I just keep going like nothing happened for about 30 min. But gives my NAS and things time to shut down proper

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ThunderSparkles@reddit

I have home battery back up

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brunostborsen@reddit

I son’t think I have ever had a power outage happen while I was using my computer in 25 years. And power outages, while they do happen, are extremely rare.

UPS is a nice to have but not a priority for me at least.

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BrewingHeavyWeather@reddit

Meanwhile, I get several a month. Most are short, and while I'm at work. The joys of being outside of greater metrpolitan areas and suburbia.

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Phoenix__Wwrong@reddit

Does UPS have an age? Like I have to replace it after a number of years regardless of usage.

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Celcius_87@reddit (OP)

The batteries would just need to be replaced after so many years. For example, I think a 3 year warranty is common.

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rgdarkchild@reddit

Happy I got one power went out like 3x this weekend luckily shutdown both my server and desktop safely.

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Djs2013@reddit

I got one for my Plex, AFTER an accident accords the street took out a pole and cried my RAID. Now it's hooked to both my Plex PC and my main PC.

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RamXid@reddit

Last time we had a power outage was like 4 years ago and even that lasted for maybe a second.

Surge protector is pretty much all you need unless you live in Texas or equivalent where the power grid is held together by hopes and dreams.

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Celcius_87@reddit (OP)

Oof you got me, I’m in Texas haha

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thajugganuat@reddit

Storms knock out power here all the time, however brief. Definitely a major plus to have.

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ThePensiveE@reddit

Sam's Club and Costco have them on sale from time to time. I have all my electronics on them.

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-3055-@reddit

Eh, just get a $20 power surge protector and call it a day

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SilverShotgun@reddit

TIL $250 is not expensive LMFAO

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Pyreknight@reddit

Get yourself one for your Internet and Wi-Fi. Usually get them cheap enough and they'll give you an hour or two of uptime.

BIOS update = get one as well. It's basically a law.

If you get one, try and make sure the battery for it is something you can find easily. The first one I bought used some battery that was OEM only.

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Elijah_72@reddit

"They’re not super expensive either - mine was like $250" the main group of people that would benefit from a ups are those from 2nd and 3rd world countries and those ppls pcs on average are like 200$, 250 is way too much for something that doesnt even increase performance

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kirk7899@reddit

I used to have a UPS, it was the size of a mini-itx machine and beeped on startup. Nowadays, I don't see the benefit of a ups when it takes so much space and only is for the sole purpose of being there when the power is out.

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George_MenethilW3@reddit

I wanted to buy one too. Sadly my PC runs on quite a lot of power. I have an Intel i9 14900K and an AMD 7800XT. From what I've read I need a beefy UPS if I want to keep my PC going for at least a few minutes in case the power goes off in the house while I'm gaming and I need time to react and quit the game

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nockeeee@reddit

Not everyone needs one. I lived in Germany and now live in Switzerland. I had 2 outages in the last 15-20 years or so. I knew both of them 10-14 days before the outage. They even offered free ups or something similar if we needed one for medical reasons, etc.

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timschin@reddit

Keep in mind it very much depends on what country or even part of that country you life in. Imo cause, yeah for people where outages acutaly happen even remotly often i agree but in my life time ( granted below 30 years) i never experinced or even heard of a blackout in our lager region. I got a UPS eventualy for my homelab just cause of paranoia and wave quality.

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TickleMyFungus@reddit

I used to have one years ago that would power my PC + Router for like 3-4 hours. It dieded though.

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ParagraphInReview@reddit

Honestly I recommend not getting one unless you need it. The cheap ones usually don't stop your computer from turning off/blue screening since they have to switch from mains to battery. If you want one that stops your pc from shutting off you need an expensive one with an always active inverter. If there wasn't a ram shortage a good UPS would probably cost as much as your pc.

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Jeep-Eep@reddit

I have been on this pulpit for years. It's especially pressing now.

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akanatrix@reddit

UPS is a great investment. We have a battery backup on the house that powers everything that is supposedly quick enough to switch over when the power goes out, still opted to get a UPS and very happy with stability of power now. Have two computers and four monitors hooked to it as I only need a split second of power to ensure the house battery backup switches on.

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NunButter@reddit

I just got the same one. Glad I did

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Celcius_87@reddit (OP)

Nice!

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danielfletcher@reddit

I hope you mean you were copying data to an external and not transferring it.

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Celcius_87@reddit (OP)

correct, copying

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_hephaestus@reddit

All the models seem to have “this caught fire” reviews and not sure how much capacity is enough

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Aedonr@reddit

If you can't afford a UPS then at least put your PC onto a new highly rated highly reviewed surge protector.

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HybridPS2@reddit

not only for storms and such, but if you have any other big appliances on the same circuit (fridge, dish washer, AC) then it can protect against those small dips as well.

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No-Use2860@reddit

Wrong.

I've never owned one but boy o boy the number of friends who owned one, had it plugged in, and years later when their power goes out their computer shuts down instantly....

Then the thing beeps for 30 minutes telling you "battery dead" and you throw it out. Because it's such old fucking battery tech that you have a better shot starting a 93 Ford ranger than getting a upc to provide backup power.

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mycheese@reddit

Lead Acid UPS you need to replace at least every 3 years. It's old tech.

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VacuumsCantSpell@reddit

This so much. An electricity flicker can turn that $3000+ box into a doorstop. Protect your electronics, people!

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DoktenRal@reddit

It also protects you from undervoltage, which is why i first upgraded from a battery backup to a UPS, due to some idiosyncrasies with the circuit im on in my house.

What's also great now is i have a standing desk and it makes it so all my cabling moves with the desk properly and there's only 2 cables that I need to plug in

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Desperate_Put_4568@reddit

If you live in an area with occasional to routine power outages and can afford one, then sure. There are use cases for investing in an UPS and it depends on where you live and the kind of work you do. Alternatively, I would tell people to get a 2000 joules at minimum surge protector if you can't afford a UPS. The risk of frying PC components with the latter is incredibly low. Those range from 20-30. Provides the biggest mitigation.

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supjackjack@reddit

UPS literally fixed my PC issues

Last year I was having random shufoe issues with my PC. I tried troubleshooting it from tweaking the software, and replacing the parts like PSU, GPU, SSD, memory, etc

Nothing fixed it until I bought a USP & plugged it in.

Turns out it could be the outlet. All these time I could have saved so much time and effort had I just bought a PSU.

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capacity04@reddit

I had to get one because every time my air conditioning kicks on my monitors would black out

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giveUcancer@reddit

Depends on your Area man.

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Criss_Crossx@reddit

+1 for the recommendation.

To be clear, a UPS should be used for safe shutdown after a couple of minutes with no power. Extending power-on time is a bonus, but that depends on the load and age of the battery.

Anybody who thinks the added cost isn't worth it, go through what it would cost to replace your system and data. Personally, I include my time to troubleshoot, build, and configure too. The cost exceeds the UPS price quickly.

Keep in mind solid state drives don't do well with sudden power loss. If they can't fulfill their write cache, it gets nuked when power is cut.

Data can be corrupted with power loss, always. Just because it hasn't happened to you, doesn't mean it is impossible. Using and maintaining a UPS is one control you have as a user.

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Dr-Salty-Dragon@reddit

No kidding. My current UPS is useless because it's not powerful enough for my PC.
This is a work PC and I've lost work on a project because the power fluctuated slightly.

I can imagine a 1000watt UPS would be amazing for my system.

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Yodl007@reddit

Also a warning: They get hot and are hot to the touch even if they are turned off (not disconnected from mains, just turned of). So if you have a problem with heat this won't help.

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Celcius_87@reddit (OP)

Really? Mine don’t seem to generate much heat?

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