UPS overloading ?
UPS overloading ?
Hello,
I own an APC BX950GR/950VA UPS and experience the battery light staying on with a long beep during high-demand games like CP2077. The manual suggests it’s an overloading problem. I’ve connected my PC and one monitor. My PC has a 750W PSU, i9-13900K, RTX 2070, while the monitor draws up to 48 watts. I receive a LED notification when the UPS is powered on. Is this a battery-related issue or just normal behavior because of my UPS’s limited specifications? Also, if a 1500VA UPS could support two monitors with this configuration, would it be sufficient?
There are two related figures on UPS, VA and watts. They tend to emphasize the VA number more often because it is larger. I’m not sure why these values differ, but the most crucial one is always watts. I haven’t seen a UPS where the wattage surpasses the VA.
In your present UPS...I believe I’ve identified the right one. It lists a VA of 950 but only 520 watts. That’s still quite substantial power to draw, especially with a 2070. A better UPS would clearly show the exact power usage.
Regardless, always consider both VA and watts. Most 1500VA UPS exceed 1000 watts, though some come close to reaching the full capacity. Another point is to look for true sine wave UPS. Modern power supplies require very clean electricity, which can sometimes cause issues if not handled properly. Most just shut down when they detect poor power quality.
I don’t think the sine wave problem is the main reason, since the UPS passes city power through. It’s usually the battery backup that causes non-sine wave output. But it’s important because many users claim their PC shuts down during power loss, even though other devices like monitors and routers continue to work on battery power.
The UPS might simply be overly cautious and alerting you that it can't handle your power needs. In reality, it's cautioning that it won't assist you if the city power goes out.
It's also possible that the internal components or wiring, whether on battery or grid power, are insufficient to supply the required energy.
You probably don't need a completely different UPS after all.
Most units will automatically shut down when overloaded while running on battery to protect themselves.