Needing guidance on buying a UPS for PC

JorgeMenderp

Reputable
Aug 4, 2014
14
0
4,510
I'm looking to buy a UPS for my computer, but I frankly know nothing about what to look for. I'm not looking for something that'll last me any longer than 30 minutes, as I just want to be able to safely turn off my PC without feeling incredibly rushed to do so.As a result, a monitor would also be connected to it. My PC's power supply is an Antec HCG-620, so the max the PSU will ever pull is 620W. Other specs include a:
Gigabyte 970A D3 mobo
8GB RAM
Asus GTX 760 2GB (upgrading to a strix 980 down the road)
AMD FX 6300
Adata 128GB SSD
Toshiba 7200RPM 1TB drive
A NZXT Sentry 3 with 5 fans total connected

If someone could recommend a UPS, but also explain to me why it would be good for me(knowledge is power), I'd greatly appreciate it. I just had my power out today, and lost some files, so I'm learning the hard way. I'd love to be able to tuck it under my bed, but if one of those mini-towers are necessary, so be it. Thanks.

TL;DR: Need a UPS for a 620w PSU and a monitor.
 
Solution


It looks like it should be OK. I looked at the software screen shots that were available of the management software. The coax and RJ11 jacks mean this is tailored toward an entertainment audience. You will probably never look at the fancy screen. Those are all features you are paying for that could be put toward something with more runtime.

kanewolf

Titan
Moderator
I would recommend an APC unit. Especially a Smart-UPS or Smart-UPS-Online. These are the commercial units. You can find a used Smart-UPS 1500 on e-bay with no batteries. Buy new batteries and you have the best of both worlds. You can then connect the UPS to your computer via a USB cable. There is software that can automatically shut your PC down cleanly when the battery is almost exhausted.

30 min of runtime is ambitious, but a good quality commercial 1500W unit should give you that much runtime.

You didn't specify a budget. My recommendation would cost $50 to $100 for the UPS chassis and $100 for new batteries.
 

kanewolf

Titan
Moderator
I am not a fan of the "home" models. They overrate the capacity. My recommendation is still a used commercial unit from e-bay. All three of the units I currently use came that way. Search: "Smart-UPS" 1500 -(replacement). Sort by lowest price + shipping ....

If that is not to your liking, then a new APC 1000 from one of the warehouse clubs would be the next best step. You still get the USB connectivity but not the capacity of the commercial units.
 

kanewolf

Titan
Moderator


It looks like it should be OK. I looked at the software screen shots that were available of the management software. The coax and RJ11 jacks mean this is tailored toward an entertainment audience. You will probably never look at the fancy screen. Those are all features you are paying for that could be put toward something with more runtime.
 
Solution