Running an average UPS on a modern high powered PC

GregH · 14 Apr 2014

Hi all,

Just wondering: I run my PC on an average no-name brand UPS to safeguard against sudden power outages. Not so uncommon in my part of the world so almost a necessity, not a luxury. Problem is that the UPS is nothing special while my PC is a power sucker - GTX780 Ti Super clocked, core i7 4770K over clocked, several USB devices, 2 SSD's and 1 HDD, multiple fans etc. All fed by a Corsair 1050W PSU. Will the UPS potentially reduce performance of the PC or cause it to BSOD if it cannot deliver enough power? It has not happened yet. Or does it not matter as long as the UPS is being fed from the wall plug?

LMiller7 · 14 Apr 2014

Running a high powered PC with a cheap UPS doesn't make much sense. Any UPS is going to have a maximum power rating, and with a cheap one the actual capabilities may not match advertised specs. If at any time the UPS is unable to supply the required current there are going to be problems. That means possible spontaneous shutdowns, BSODs, or damage to either the UPS or computer.

Not recommended.

GregH · 14 Apr 2014

Thanks, guess I'm going UPS shopping then. Not exactly an exciting part to buy for a PC but what should I be looking for for my system? Any advice on specifications and brands welcome ��

Mellon Head · 14 Apr 2014

Find, measure or calculate the total power draw of your computer and buy a UPS that has a power output rating at least 1.25 times that figure. Also, look at the surge protection factor. You want to buy the UPS with the highest surge protection rating (as well as the power requirements) that you can afford.

Be aware that some UPSes only battery backup some of the ports, and have a low power rating for those ports, while the other ports that are not backed up supply more Wattage. It's easy to plug into a backed up port with a low power rating and blow the backup circuit by drawing too much power from it. (We found this out the hard way at work. ) The non backed up ports usually have surge protection and that's it.

Just be aware that a good UPS should run your computer for 4 to 5 minutes if the power fails, giving you time to safely save your data and shut down.

I don't have a product model suggestion for you, but our server room at work uses APC products and they seem to work well according to the IT department.

GregH · 15 Apr 2014

Thanks Mellon Head, I have found a supplier here for the APC UPS units so I'll have a closer look at these. Seems prices vary considerably, along with spec. Thank for the pointers!