Question I need a reliable UPS for a Gaming PC ?

[Stealth3si]

Sometimes the fuse in my house trips and I lose power for 10 minutes and I would like to buy a good reliable UPS to keep it running during downtime.

This will be my first time looking for a UPS so I don't know what is a good brand or how much power I should be aiming for. The PSU for the PC is EVGA Supernova 750W G3 and the GPU is a 2080 Ti and the CPU is Intel 9900KF. They are overclocked. I have other devices such as a MSI Optix MPG341CQR monitor, a 55" LED HDTV, a SVS PC-2000 Subwoofer and a Denon AVR-X3300W receiver.

However, I intend to only plug the PC into the UPS b/c the gaming session along with opened tabs and work-related documents is what I want to protect and save. Basically I'm doing a lot of stuff and have a lot of stuff open and I don't want to be interrupted. I don't really care ab the other devices since they turn back on in a few minutes and have no data or anything like that. In the distant future, I may plan to upgrade the PSU and GPU to a higher wattage. i.e. nvidia 5090, etc.

Any help is appreciated!

 

[Lutfij]

Where are you located? How much have you allocated towards your UPS purchase? Preferred site for purchase? If you're going to upgrade the PSU, what are you eyeing?

 

[Ralston18]

UPS's are intended for users to have some amount of time to gracefully shut down the supported system.

The more time you want and the more power that is needed will increase the cost of the UPS. Power requirements being determined by the connected devices.

Plus many UPS specs are based on ideal circumstances. Unlikely that you will get the same times and power in most working environments.

My recommendation is to go online and carefully read the User Guide/Manual for any UPS being considered. Pay close attention to all fine print, warnings, disclaimers, warranty coverage, EULA, etc.. Go online to the manufacturer's website to get "up-to-date" information, check FAQs, and Technical Support pages (if any). Look for what is said as well as what is not said...

= = = =

Being able to save work in progress is at the top of the list. Continuing to game is at the bottom of the list....

The UPS must support the computer and at least one monitor being used by the computer.

You still must continue to do regular backups and ensure that the target device is being protected as well. Not good to have a backup crash due to loss of power.

That all said:

Has anyone checked the fuses (actually breakers) . Breakers can and do get "old" and can fail. However, the breaker may be tripping for other reasons: overloaded circuit or some developing electrical problem. An intermittent short somewhere.

Some developing problem with potentially more serious end results than just power loss to the computer and peripherals.

If the tripping problem is constant - a qualified electrician needs to be called.

Just my thoughts on the matter.

 

[geofelt]

There are two metrics to a UPS.
1. How much power must it handle.
Your current usage can be measured with a kill-a-watt device that plugs into the wall.
They go for about $20.
2. How long should the UPS deliver power during an outage.

For a long time, I used a APC 1500VA unit for a setup like my sig.
My recollection is that the run time was 15 minutes or so.
APC comes with software (parachute)that can track events that I found useful.
My suggestion if you are in the US is to give them a call and get answers from an expert on their products.

Be aware that batteries do not last forever. Think 4/5 years.

 

[punkncat]

I highly recommend APC.

They have a calculator on site that you enter your load parameters and desired run time and they spit out some model numbers to consider. Be aware that very high power and long running backups get quite expensive.
The APC that I currently use is actually an older model designed for use with A/V equipment, but it has fit my needs well. It uses a battery pack with a spacer that is now unavailable, but I figured out just to order a couple of SLA and replace them, tape back together with the spacer.

The one I own and likely any better make will run a periodic check to see if the batteries are good and should throw you a warning. If you wish to make SURE the batteries are in top shape, start with good ones and replace every three years on a schedule. No less than every five years even if the test returns them as good. As SLA deteriorate they lose Ah and runtime w/o power would be shortened.

 

[Stealth3si]

I just want it to stay on until I can shut it down. In 99% cases, the power goes out and comes back on its own in 5-10 minutes. I just need the UPS to keep it running for 5-10 minutes until the power come back on. I don't want it to shutdown my PC for me, just leave it running. Once the power comes back on after 5-10 minutes, will the UPS go back to using the electricity from the wall or continue to use from its battery? The main thing I am concerned ab is keeping the PC itself running which from the kill-a-watt meter shows 450-ish watts under load. IDC ab the monitor or TV b/c the power comes back on its own in like 5-10 minutes. I am looking for something that is double the amount of that to be safe and "future-proof" which can last 5-10 minutes while the power to the room resets itself. It's not the gaming session I am concerned ab as much as other data and work documents. I am a power user who has a bunch of stuff open, w/ a lot of settings and configurations that can get corrupted or lost due to power outages.

As for the fuse tripping issue, it's been happening for many years and yes I had electricians service it quite a few times over the past decades but the house is just v old (over 30 years old) and has poor design, faulty wiring and parts and was initially built w/ shoddy workmanship when the neighborhood got a grant from the city to build a housing project in the middle of an impoverished district. Whenever the issue is fixed, everything is great until it comes back after a year or two and then we replace the faulty parts again. Rinse and repeat. I've been dealing with this for most of my adult life and it just take one day out of the blue to ruin a session where important data is lost. I don't think it's an over use of electricity, the wattage meter is showing 450ish watts from the wall. The trip affects only the room where the PC is in, meaning the power to the room goes out and comes back after a few minutes while it resets itself. No other room in the building is affected by the fuse trip. But yea it's probably faulty wiring or parts which happens to only affect that one room.

Thanks! I looked into the APC and found a model on Amazon "CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD PFC Sinewave UPS System, 1500VA/1000W, 12 Outlets, AVR, Mini Tower,Black" b'c it was cheaper and was similar as well. There also a an APC Smart version.

 

[geofelt]

I can only talk about my APC experience.
It will resume normal operations when the power comes back on.
The software has a test facility which will cut power to test backup operation and then resume.
The software has an option to gracefully shut down the pc when the battery limits are near exhaustion.

Cyber power is popular, but my sense is that it is not of the same quality as APC.