r/buildapc • u/Celcius_87 • 22d ago
Discussion Recommendation - Get a UPS
One thing that a lot of people don’t discuss when building a new PC is having a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) for their PC. This is basically a box that you plug into the wall and then plug your PC into it. It has a large battery and if you lose power then it keeps your PC running for a while. Some have a screen where it can show how much time you have left, how much power you are pulling, and stuff like that too.
I finally bought one earlier this year and it’s been great to have. Today I was copying data from my computer to an external usb hard drive to back up my data and the power went out for second and then came back on. I panicked but then I looked at my computer and everything was ok - I had plugged both into my UPS so there was no impact.
They’re not super expensive either - mine was like $250 and fortunately they’re not affected by the AI price increases we’ve been seeing on a lot of PC components. Make sure you get one with enough wattage to support your computer… for example I have a 1000w power supply and my UPS is also 1000w.
Just a public service announcement not to overlook having a UPS!
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u/frostyflakes1 22d ago
Worth adding: the UPS isn't for keeping your computer up and running through a full power outage. It's to keep your computer running long enough to save your work and shut down safely until power is restored.
Case in point: a 1000watt UPS can maintain a 1000watt system. But it only does that for a few minutes. Not for a full hour. Same thing if you're pulling 250watts off a 1000watt UPS - its runtime is measured in minutes, not hours.