What are the best recommendations for a good UPS?
What are the best recommendations for a good UPS?
Hello everyone, I’m planning to purchase a UPS to safeguard my equipment. I’ve seen many videos and read several guides, but I still have some uncertainties.
I’m considering a line-interactive UPS with pure sine wave output, as my power supply (RM850X) includes active PFC. After reviewing various posts, I think I’ll opt for an Eaton UPS. My setup consists of an i5-12600K with air cooling and an RTX 5070 Ti. My aim is to ensure the PC, monitor, and possibly the router stay operational for about 3 to 5 minutes during a power outage, allowing me to shut everything down safely.
I’ve learned about the non-1:1 VA-to-W ratio, which raises my first concern: before deciding on capacity, is there a dependable method to assess the actual power consumption of my PC at any moment? I want to prevent overestimating or underestimating the load, which could lead to unnecessary oversizing or insufficient capacity.
Additionally, I have some reservations about using a UPS with a power strip. I currently use a BESTEK power strip with independent switches and surge protection. I’ve read discussions about connecting filtered power strips after a UPS, but I’m unsure whether the filtering issue only affects simulated sine wave units or if it could harm a pure sine wave model. I tried to find more technical articles, but due to my limited understanding, I’m not sure if I should adapt the strip for another purpose or simply avoid using it altogether.
I’m searching for a UPS that matches these needs:
- Quiet operation
- This is crucial since the PC is in my bedroom and I dislike electrical buzzing or loud fans
- Even if it costs more, I want the most silent option possible
- Compact design would be best, though size isn’t my top priority
My budget is between 250 and 300€. I believe I’ve shared all the necessary details. Thanks!
I really appreciate tools such as this for tracking energy consumption. These usually display watts, amps, or VA values.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BR7Y5PYW
It looks like you understand the basics of UPS systems. When determining how long a UPS can operate, the batteries inside are crucial.
Manufacturers often try to mislead about how much time a UPS will last. This subject is quite intricate, depending mainly on discharge rates and their efforts to present a more favorable image.
Ultimately, you should verify the actual battery types being used. The total amp hours indicate the available energy storage. This number is usually linked to the UPS’s capacity—more batteries mean longer runtime and larger size.
I own several different UPS models; they are mostly quiet when not powered by batteries. If you’re only concerned about a short 5-minute backup, you can likely handle the noise from fans or the beeping sounds. Even without fans, some models produce noticeable humming when running on battery.
A power strip placed behind the UPS shouldn’t interfere. These devices are generally designed to shield against power surges. In fact, most include surge protection features similar to those in standard power strips.
There are a few power strips that block high-frequency signals, though I’m not sure why this is done. This would likely prevent interference from devices like network routers or Wi-Fi routers.
Does this indicate they will always produce sound or just when the power cuts? I wouldn't have issues with the latter, but I prefer avoiding continuous noise, particularly if it's louder than the audio from my PC. I've noticed low fan noise in the case next to my monitor without problems, but a steady hum would definitely bother me... I'll probably watch videos to understand the overall volume level.
The kill-a-watt gadgets referenced by bill001g will track the wall power usage.
I now have stable power, though previously I relied on an APC 1500 which performed well.
Reach out to APC for a sizing calculator to determine the UPS size; it should take about five minutes.
You might not require a power strip since the UPS provides several outlets, some with backup and others without.
In my experience, there was no noise even when powered through the battery.
APC offers a utility named powerchute that logs events and can mimic a power outage for testing purposes.
UPS batteries have a limited lifespan—plan for replacement around five years.
Contacting them should get you answers to any further queries.
Mine operates quietly except when the power is off, otherwise it remains silent. Line iterative can increase voltage during brownouts. I haven’t experienced that problem before, so I’m unsure if they would make noise then. The high-end dual conversion UPS runs inverters constantly, which probably creates some sound. Still, they’re quite costly to start with, suggesting the manufacturer tried to minimize noise. I’d really like this product but can’t make a solid decision. My power is very stable, and I only need a UPS when there’s an outage.
👍
Great choice.
There are ways, explained above. However, i'd still get the UPS that matches the PSUs max wattage output, if not bigger capacity one. More of that below;
In my opinion, every PC should have an UPS.
My 2x PCs (Aurora and Astral, specs/pics in my sig) do have their own UPS, 1x UPS per PC.
I have two of these in use: CyberPower CP1300EPFCLCD (1300VA/780W, true/pure sine wave, line-interactive),
specs:
https://www.cyberpower.com/hk/en/product...300EPFCLCD
UPSes can output 3 different kinds of waveform:
1. square wave - cheapest of the three. ONLY good for robust hardware, like power generators and motors.
2. simulated sine wave (aka stepped-approximated sine wave) - mediocre price. Good for most home appliances (e.g fridge, washing machine, lights).
3. true/pure sine wave - high price. It is the same as you get out of the wall socket. ONLY waveform good for sensitive electronics, like medical equipment, TVs, PC PSUs.
So, you want to have true/pure sine wave UPS. Simulated sine wave UPS may also work, but it may not. More of that below;
When looking for an UPS, there are 2 things to look out:
1. Output waveform (square wave, simulated sine wave and true/pure sine wave)
2. Design (stand-by, line-interactive and online)
From here you can read about the differences between output waveform,
link:
https://suvastika.com/why-choose-a-sinew...erter-ups/
And here are explanations about the UPS design,
link:
https://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1272971
Waveform and design
For PCs, line-interactive UPS would be more than enough since PSUs can easily handle the 2ms to 5ms transfer time of line-interactive UPS.
As far as output waveform goes, true/pure sine wave UPS is best used. While simulated sine wave UPSes are cheaper than true/pure sine wave UPSes, PSUs with Active PFC aren't compatible with simulated sine wave. You might get simulated sine wave UPS running with Active PFC PSU but there can be some major issues. Here's what, how and why.
How do you know which PSUs have Active PFC and which ones don't?
Simple, every PSU that has 80+ certification (e.g 80+ Bronze or 80+ Gold) has Active PFC.
What is Active PFC?
Further reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_fact...near_loads
What can happen when using simulated sine wave UPS with Active PFC PSU?
When simulated sine wave UPS switches over to the battery power, one of 3 things can happen:
1. UPS displays error resulting PC to shut down immediately.
2. UPS shuts down resulting PC to shut down immediately.
3. UPS switches to battery power resulting PC to power off from UPS (PC stays on).
Why it happens?
Simulated sine wave UPS produces a zero output state during the phase change cycle resulting in a power “gap”. This gap may cause power interruption for active PFC PSUs when switching from AC power output to simulated sine wave output (battery mode).
What to do next?
As stated above, your PC can run off from simulated sine wave UPS but be prepared when you face issues with it. When issues do rise, your best bet would be returning the simulated sine wave UPS and getting true/pure sine wave UPS. Or you can go with true/pure sine wave UPS off the bat.
Wattage
As far as UPS wattage goes, you need to consider the power draw of your PC and monitors. Maybe speakers and wi-fi router too if you plan to plug those into the UPS as well. Though, printers, scanners and other such hardware (full list on your UPS manual) don't plug to the UPS since their startup power draw (inrush current) is way too much for UPS to handle and you can fry your UPS.
Taking PSU's max wattage as a baseline is good idea since it will give your UPS more headroom and you can get longer runtime out of your UPS. Since your PSU is 850W, at least one monitor is added on top of it. Depending on the monitor size, they use between 23W to 52W. Wi-fi routers don't consume much power. For example, my Cisco EPC3940L consumes 12V at 3A which means 36W.
Good UPS brands to go for are CyberPower, TrippLite/Eaton, APC and Delta Electronics. While there are other UPS brands as well, those are the best out there.
Note: The more powerful UPS you have, the longer UPS can keep your PC running before it's battery is empty.
For total silence, i can vouch for CyberPower PFC Sinewave series UPS.
There are two of them, the Old one (which my UPSes also are), lineup:
https://www.cyberpower.com/eu/en/product...._1#models
And the New one, which i'm planning to upgrade to, lineup:
https://www.cyberpower.com/eu/en/product...._2#models
I've had my UPSes in use for the past ~6 years now and i can say for sure, that they are dead silent. Only when there is power loss and UPS switches to battery mode, there is loud beeping alarm, to let you know. But you can disable that too if you want complete silence.
As for other brands, APC UPSes usually have constant airflow noise with them.
And so do the CyberPower PR-series for business use, lineup:
https://www.cyberpower.com/eu/en/product...wer#models
For your build, i'd suggest CyberPower CP1600EPFCLCD (1600VA/1000W, true/pure sine wave, line-interactive),
specs:
https://www.cyberpower.com/eu/en/product...600epfclcd
amazon DE:
https://www.amazon.de/-/en/CyberPow...-I...B0CRVFXY78
On a ~600W load, it has runtime of 7.1mins, which is ample time for you to safely shut down you PC.
Btw, that 1600VA/1000W UPS is the very same one i'm planning to upgrade to, once i upgrade my GPU and PSU (i'm pairing it with 850W PSU and expected max load for my build would be ~550W).
CyberPower PFC Sinewave series UPSes are actually quite small and compact.
Spoiler:
Pic of my UPSes (click here to view)
Note: for size comparison, the blue fans are 140mm ones.
I just observed this question. The suggestion is to avoid connecting a power strip directly behind the UPS. Instead, the preferred setup is wall → power strip → UPS. This way, incompatible devices like printers can be plugged into the power strip, while the UPS handles the PC, monitor, router, and possibly speakers during outages. CyberPower offers suitable surge protectors and power strips, which I intend to purchase and upgrade from my current model. Here are some options:
https://www.cyberpower.com/eu/en/product...nal#models
8x Schuko socket, amazon DE: https://www.amazon.de/-/en/CyberPower-Pr...B084HFH2NS
4x Schuko socket, amazon DE: https://www.amazon.de/-/en/CyberPower-Pr...B084HF32FV
I can easily connect the UPS to the wall, my concern was about linking the strip (BESTEK model with surge protection) into the UPS since my room only has one socket and many devices. Most of them aren't heavy users (phone chargers, headset chargers, external HDD power supplies, etc.). But I noticed that using a power strip with surge protection isn't recommended, and a simpler option would be better. The advice is often very technical, so I'm unsure if it always applies or depends on the quality of the sine wave.
It doesn't matter what the output waveform is, but adding extra protections doesn't really matter. In fact, a standard line-interactive UPS already includes an AVR and surge protector. Therefore, it doesn't make sense to install another surge protector (power strip) at its output socket. The main concern is the overload situation. The UPS is built with each output socket rated for a certain Amps. Most devices don’t exceed this amperage unless they have very high inrush current or a powerful 1+kW PSU. But if you connect a power strip to one of the sockets, you could overload it by connecting 4-8 devices without realizing it, which might damage the UPS. As I mentioned before, the best setup is: wall -> power strip -> UPS. Or: wall -> proper surge protector -> UPS. This way, all connected devices are protected, not just those plugged into the UPS itself. Regarding surge protectors, they vary in quality. For more details, you can check this (in-depth) reading about them: link: https://forums.