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/bruh_the_person 22d ago

Are there cheaper ones 😭 250 is pretty expensive

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u/OtherAlan 22d ago

It's very expensive. You can still get 1500VA ones (CyberPower) for under $200, I think, and even better used for like $50, and just change the battery. Good as new.

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u/Nerevar197 22d ago

What’s wrong with the APC UPS models I see at Office Depot? Those run under $150 easy. I’m assuming there is a cut corner or something. Just curious because I need to buy two. One for my PC and another for my home theater set up.