In the market for a UPS for 2012 PC build and future upgrades.

[mesopotamian]

As indicated by the subject title, I am in the market for an Uninterruptible Power Supply for my PC built in 2012. None of the specs have changed since I built this system but I am planning a number of hardware upgrades soon in addition to finally getting my feet wet with overclocking. I know very little about UPSs outside of the fact that they provide power protection and a backup battery. I would like some recommendations and suggestions in UPS models for not only what is in my PC tower, but also upgrades and overclocking along with support for my monitor, photo scanner, and 5.1 speakers. Current upgrades that I have planned include, a new video card, a dedicated sound card, and if necessary for the academic program I am currently enrolled in: more internal storage drives and RAM. I currently live in southern New England. Energy costs here tend be among the highest in the USA, compared to some other key areas of the country. That said, I am looking for models that are as energy efficient as possible.

My system specs:

Intel Core i7 3770k @Stock 3.5 Ghz
Cooler Master Hyper 612 PWM CPU Cooler
Asus P8Z77-V Pro
16 GB Corsair Vengeance LP
3GB Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 Dual-X@ 1000/1450 Mhz Factory Overclock
Crucial M4 SSD 250 GB
Seagate Barracuda 1TB 7200 RPM
Asus DVD Burner
Seasonic Platinum 860W PSU
Corsair Carbide 500R Arctic White Case
Microsoft Sidewinder X4 Gaming Keyboard
Razer Abyssus 3500dpi Gaming Mouse
Logitech Z5500 Digital 5.1 Speakers with Onboard Audio (Realtek ALC892)
Dell U2410 Monitor (1920x1200, 60hz)
Windows 10 Pro 64-bit

 

[glamdringfh]

The best UPS model right now for your specs would be the CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD for $215.

http://www.amazon.com/CyberPower-CP1500PFCLCD-Sinewave-Compatible-Mini-Tower/dp/B00429N19W

- Up to 900W (Exactly the right support for your rig/ PSU)
- Pure sign wave technology to ensure your PSU gets clean power from the backup
- Great visual LCD for battery life and charge information
- 3 year warranty

 

[mesopotamian]

The best UPS model right now for your specs would be the CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD for $215.

http://www.amazon.com/CyberPower-CP1500PFCLCD-Sinewave-Compatible-Mini-Tower/dp/B00429N19W

- Up to 900W (Exactly the right support for your rig/ PSU)
- Pure sign wave technology to ensure your PSU gets clean power from the backup
- Great visual LCD for battery life and charge information
- 3 year warranty

This one does look good. I must ask though how much of an increase in power consumption would overclocking my i7 3770k cause. I don't know how aggressive of an overclock I am going to pursue given that I am a beginner. I don't know if I am going to further overclock my graphics card before upgrading. I most likely will overclock the GPU I upgrade to at some point. I know that I have the power supply that can easily handle the overclocking and components. Is a 900w UPS sufficient for use with also my speakers and monitor in conjunction with my PC when its overclocked? I do not know how much the Logitech Z5500 consumes during normal listening. I realize that I can figure this out by obtaining and measuring with a kill-a-watt meter. I do not think though that I will get around to that before making a UPS purchase.

My other question is regarding the usefulness and purpose of the software the most UPS come with. What exactly is such software for, and should I use it (unless it is unnecessary bloatware)?

 

[glamdringfh]

1) Yes, the UPS I linked will be able to supply reliable power for your rig, even if you have a heavy overclock. As long as your PSU can handle it, so can the UPS above. It will also be able to power your speaker and monitor without an issue.

2) The software is handy for having a GUI display that tells you how healthy the battery is, as well as gives you options like setting up an auto-shutdown command to your PC when the battery gets low so you can reduce the risk of shutdown related errors.