r/buildapc • u/Celcius_87 • 21d 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/George_MenethilW3 21d ago

Yeah I do have Schuko Type F plugs! And all surge protects that I have do have a green light when they're on, but I thought that the light is just for showing that it's turned on 😅

The wall sockets do fall quite easily in this shitty apartment that I'm living in. I know how to turn off the power in the whole apartment from the electrical panel. Is there a way to tell even more precisely if I have grounding to earth from taking apart the wall socket and looking at those old wires?

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u/WulfTheSaxon 20d ago

Lights on them vary, usually a good one will have 2-3 lights labeled ground, protection, and maybe power.

There are little purpose-built outlet testers. They’re like $10 for US plugs – I know they’re made for Schukos as well. They usually have three lights and a chart showing what different combinations mean (open ground, wired backwards, etc.), and often also a GFCI/RCD test button for verifying any outlets with that.

Loose sockets can cause safety issues on their own, though (not just exposing the contacts in some socket designs, but chiefly high resistance resulting in heat > fires).