[SOLVED] simple UPS questions

[lavishmonkey]

Since the country I live in has occasional blackouts, I've been looking into a UPS for my newly built gaming pc, and the pinned post on UPS systems has helped me a lot. But I do have some questions that I can't find a solution for online, and are small enough that they don't need their own post so here they are:

The UPS I'm looking at says its waveform is Simulated Sine Wave. Is that the same as Stepped Sine Wave or is it the same as Square Sine Wave? According to the pinned post (UPS FAQ), Square Sine Wave is the hardest on PSUs, and I want at least an UPS with stepped sine wave.

My new PSU is a Cooler Master MWE White 80+ 550W Standard EU Certified. This was the only one I could get that fits my budget and seems decent enough with good hold up time. There was a Seasonic PSU (S12III 550W 80+ Bronze) that I considered, but its hold-up time was not listed so I decided not to take the risk. I've checked the PSU tier list and it says there isn't enough information on this PSU or it has minor issues, which is it? Should I switch to another PSU?


My UPS should have a higher hold up time (16ms) then my Line Interactive UPS (6 ~10), right? Is there anything else I should look into when buying a UPS?

Any other advice about UPS and PSU in general would be gladly appreciated.

 

[Ralston18]

What I will suggest is that you keep in mind the purpose of the UPS.

The proverbial "bigger picture".

A UPS is not intended for continued game playing. Which may be moot anyway because the internet devices (router, modem, switches, etc.) are likely to be down if power is lost.

The intent is for the UPS to run just long enough for the end user(s) to finish work, properly close files and apps, and otherwise shut down a system as is normally done.

A "graceful shutdown".

You need a UPS that keeps your computer and selected peripherals running just long enough for you to gracefully shut down the system.

A graceful shutdown prevents file corruption and/or data loss. Generally most systems only need a few minutes of UPS supported power to do so.

So you want a basic, reliable UPS that provides the necessary wattage and time for you to get back to the PC and shut down the system when power is lost.

Go to the various UPS manufacturers websites. They have calculators to help "size" the UPS with respect to power provision and time.

That is, in my mind, the most important requirement.

 

[AntonyLovric]

Further to what Ralston said, get a good UPS, make sure the interface (usually USB) works, test it one a year or so? Odds are good the power will fail when you are not at the computer. A UPS will keep you 'up' during a brownout (a dip in power for a second or so) but don't count on it to last while gaming.

 

[Krotow]

Indeed for continuous doing something on computer during blackout you need some 1200W diesel generator or greener alternative of it. To save your work on accidental blackout, good 600-700W UPS will suffice.

It is preferred to have UPS without built in fan. Friends from our IT admin community pointed out or some otherwise good personal UPS-es, completely impossible to use in living rooms due to built in fan which is loud and obnoxious. Even formerly good APC UPS models are now plagued with fans