I’m hoping this is an ok community to post this in…
I’m looking for a surge protector with battery back up for my computer. I’ve looked up a few on Amazon but some of the reviews have left me leery. There’s so much junk on Amazon I’m hoping that someone here might be able to recommend one they’ve used.
TIA!
Uninterruptible power supply, or UPS.
When it comes time to replace the battery, I suggest avoiding the cheap aftermarket ones. They don’t last very long.
APC work well. I have a 600-series connected to my NAS.
Important to pick one that has USB output to the computer (more expensive) - so that it can automatically command a system shutdown as its internal battery reaches low power conditions.
I second APC. I’ve had a Back-UPS 700 for over a decade on my computer with only a single battery change last year. Wife replaced her unit instead of just the battery. Smaller unit, but newer so it has USBs for her to charge with.
Neither of us use the software that came with it. My computer isn’t running when I’m not at it, hers runs 24/7. They do come in handy when the power is out as you can squeeze the battery for a phone charge.
Awesome - thank you!
CyberPower CP1500AVRLCD (various version iterations) UPS units have been cheap, reliable go-to choices in many instances.
they are stepped square-wave units, but are used quite a bit in home-lab setups and are pretty well supported by NUT if you are on linux.
edit: I have used them for years to replace APC units. only issue has been cosmetic input voltage vs output voltage reporting mismatch via USB on very early v1 units.
The CP1500PFCLCD is a bit higher MSRP but I’ve seen it frequently at around the same price point as the AVRLCD. Personally, I find it worth the extra even at MSRP for the true sine wave output instead of simulated/stepped.
Thank you! I will look into this
I bought the Cyberpower 1500 six years ago, and I have no complaints. Just last week it worked perfectly when the power went out.
I use it to keep my NAS and router running, they will last about two hours on battery. But a desktop + monitor might have higher power requirements.
You brought up a good point.
It would be helpful to know OP’s use case for the UPS. Just need enough time to save your game/work? Want to keep your modem and router running so you can have wifi while the power is out?
Something to keep in mind is, without a massive battery and a very expensive UPS, you won’t be gaming in the dark for very long. Maybe 15 minutes max with most consumer-grade UPS. Even commercial-grade UPS only stay on long enough to gracefully shut down services. For anything more, a generator is best.
This is a good point. I’m mostly concerned with keeping the computer on for running Plex when I’m away. I do t care so mu h when I’m at home, it’s easy enough to turn the computer back on but when I’m on the road I have no such luxury. I don’t need the server to run, or internet or anything. It can stop working for a power outage, just when the power comes back on od like access.
I hope no one gets upset I posted in a gaming community, the pc communities are either geared towards building or gaming and this was neither…
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The problem with UPS is the fact that you have to replace the battery reasonably often. It can get quite expensive. What you might want to consider is a power conditioner. Furman makes some that are excellent and pyle Makes some great affordable ones.
Regardless of which direction you go, don’t cheap out.
Uh, no. A decent UPS is $300-500, and replacement batteries can be had for under $100, and if you keep the unit cool and clean, batteries should last 3 to 5 years.
Also, if your UPS has 12V 7Ah batteries, you can sometimes find 12V 9Ah batteries in exactly the same form – so you get slightly longer run times after you replace the batteries the first time.
12V 9Ah batteries
I have 4, now I want to build my own UPS
Edit: turns out I must have given away my good-er inverter, the one I have now is rated at 240w/2.1A continuous
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Yes because people commonly have $300 to $500 lying around to buy a UPS.
If you’re balling on a budget then a power conditioner can be a nice middle ground.
