Uninterruptible power supply for a computer. List of tested UPS models. How to determine the required power

Source uninterruptible power supply, UPS or uninterruptible power supply - equipment that allows you to secure home appliances: LCD panel, LCD TV, washing machine, refrigerator and even a gas boiler from power surges, as well as save your work on your computer, which means save time and nerves. But it is not enough just to buy a protective device, it is necessary to choose a model that will correspond to the technological operating conditions. In this article, we will tell readers how to choose a UPS for the home in terms of power, operating time and other parameters.

But not all UPS systems are able to respond to these problems in the same way. In addition to the battery backup offered when we have no power, the built-in device includes a filter that greatly reduces the problems that arise due to updraft or downdraft, as well as noise, so that most of the problems that may occur are covered . This is a model that is increasingly being used less and we don't recommend it. . The first feature that attracts attention is the size, and this important factor, because it occupies a volume similar to that of a small computer and has a weight above that.

Execution type

It is necessary to determine what problems with electricity most often occur. If these are frequent shutdowns, then it is enough to select and install a backup UPS. It is quite enough for saving documents, playing games, working with programs and correctly shutting down the computer.

The disadvantage of this variety is the lack of a stabilizing device. As a result, there is a short power interruption during the transition to standby power. Therefore, it is important to choose high-quality models, since they are equipped with capacitors of sufficient capacity, and the harm from a short-term power outage is minimized. At the same time, the average price of a backup uninterruptible power supply in 2017 is about 4,500 rubles.

We need to keep this in mind to be able to find it, since it is a volume that is not usually counted. The autonomy of the uninterruptible power system is generally sufficient to keep the progress made and turn off the equipment or leave it on if the electrical connection can be restored in the near future.

How much power is needed for an uninterruptible power supply system?

These are the questions that many users ask. However, you should tend to increase as there are factors such as overclocking that increase consumption significantly. The power efficiency of the computer is also very important, as there can be a difference of more than 20% of the hardware consumption.

If, in addition to power outages, frequent ones are noticed, it is better to choose a line-interactive uninterruptible power supply. The reason is that backup models are unstable to voltage drops, which causes the storage device to suffer, it will have to be changed often. This is due to additional financial costs.


Battery Life

An uninterruptible power supply is a device that protects electronic equipment from possible electrical failures. Intervention in the electrical network; those. power failure for one second, which may cause the computer to restart. Power reduction corresponding to power interruption for a certain time. those. nominal value exceeding the maximum value provided for normal operation electrical appliances. Low voltage, i.e. nominal value less than the minimum value provided for the normal operation of the electrical device. those. transient overvoltage with high amplitude. Lightning strikes, which are an extreme source of overvoltage that occurs suddenly during bad weather.

  • These spikes occur when power-hungry devices are turned off and on.
  • Over time, this can damage electrical components.
Computer systems tolerate most electrical interruptions.

The downside of a line-interactive UPS is the creation of network interference that is launched into the public electrical network. Also, the disadvantage of this variety is the high noise level during operation. This is approximately 40-50 dB, so if you want to choose an uninterruptible power supply for household appliances in the bedroom, bypass this option.

However, they can sometimes lead to data loss, service interruptions, and even property damage. When a power failure occurs, the energy stored in the emergency battery maintains a power source that supplies power to the equipment for a short time.

Uninterruptible Power Supply Specifications

When everything is working properly, mains voltage is used to recharge the batteries. When the battery exceeds or falls below a certain level, the relay opens and the voltage is regenerated using the energy stored in the battery. In short, in both scenarios, all the work that we have done up to this point will be lost, so it never hurts to take into account a number of parameters to avoid this kind of inconvenience, since, as the saying goes, "better safe than sorry."

There is another type of uninterruptible power supply - on-line. The devices are powered directly from charger, battery. This is 100% guaranteed to prevent unexpected power surges and network interference. The choice of such an uninterruptible power supply is associated with significant financial costs. Along with this, the consumer receives such disadvantages:

That is why in this article, we will learn the main characteristics that distinguish each of them. A voltage stabilizer is basically a device whose main function is to stabilize the voltage electric current coming from the grid, always stabilizing it at the same value, which is undoubtedly very beneficial for all equipment associated with it. In the event that the network has a voltage surge, that is, it reduces or increases the voltage flow, which can lead to serious damage to the hardware, the voltage regulator will be responsible for maintaining constant stability and arrival. In the event that there is an overvoltage peak, the fuses inside it will act, preventing the passage of electrical overload.

  1. A small level of efficiency due to the double voltage conversion system. Simply put, this type is inferior to the other two in terms of power.
  2. Rapid wear of storage devices, batteries.


Obviously, the best choice is a line-interactive UPS, since no one is immune from sudden voltage drops. They can lead to the complete loss of sensitive household appliances, electrical appliances and home computers. The line-interactive version is recommended for both office and home use. This is the optimal cost in 2017, which varies from 3300 to 1500 rubles, as well as a set of functionality.

However, the fact of connecting our computer to the stabilizer will not achieve this before cutting the light, we can continue to work, or it will give us enough time to save the work we are doing. This is mainly possible thanks to the battery located inside the device, which is responsible for providing enough power to keep the devices running for several minutes.

Uninterruptible power supply of which company to choose

At present, electrical installations are of sufficient quality not to suffer from blackouts due to lack of power or some wires or wiring in poor condition. In offline mode, they have an internal battery and guarantee power to the devices. Thus, in the event of a power failure or anomaly, they begin to generate energy. On the Internet, we could say that they are the perfect option. They protect and provide very good performance, ideal for sensitive equipment.

  • The problem is that for very delicate devices, this is not the best option.
  • At home, we usually do not have this problem, although we love our gadgets very much.
This may not seem like much, but it is important to understand that this can lead to us losing a lot, both in data and in ultra-sensitive equipment.

Separately, one can distinguish a variety of uninterruptible power supplies that are installed on a gas boiler. This is necessary to ensure the operation of the circulation pumps. Without them, the circulation of water in the system is impossible, and, accordingly, the operation of the boiler.

To be correct, you need to familiarize yourself with it. technical specifications, in particular, with the indicator of starting currents and the power of the pumps. In terms of power, the uninterruptible power supply should exceed the above figures by 2.5. To ensure long-term operation of the gas boiler, it is necessary to buy models that allow you to connect additional batteries. It is best to choose an on-line uninterruptible power supply for such purposes.

These current outputs are not ideal because when current is used the wave is not regulated and changed to use batteries, a square wave occurs when ideal would be a sine wave. Then D.C. converted to alternating current through the inverter and then fed to the connected devices.

Is it worth buying a UPS?

From all of the above, it is clear that online is much better than offline, but due to the complex system, the cost of online is much higher. For home standalone models are most recommended. They provide good performance and are more economical.

Power

An important selection criterion is the power of the UPS. It is measured in volt-amperes, denoted VA. To translate their more familiar watt indicator, you need to multiply the volt-amperes by 0.6. The result obtained is the maximum total power of the equipment that the uninterruptible power supply can withstand, because through it the voltage is supplied to the devices and equipment. For example, for a PC, you must select an uninterruptible power supply with a rating of at least 500 VA.

Some models also have other features, such as screens where you can display additional information, although something less important. Yes, it is useful that we replace the battery ourselves, but when it starts to fail, as it makes us more profitable to buy a new one. And finally, to be silent, you should pay attention to the possible noise generated by the fans.

Both refer to the maximum power they will be able to generate. Never connect a lower power supply or burn it. When converting the power consumed by a particular computer from watts to volt-amperes and vice versa, the type of power supply included must be taken into account. There are two types of switched sources: those that have a capacitor input and those that include a corrected power factor. The former provides a power factor that fluctuates around 60%, while the latter has 100%.

UPSs are divided into three power classes:

  • compact - up to 1000VA;
  • medium - 1000-5000VA;
  • large - more than 5000VA.

Accordingly, for country house and apartments it is better to choose the first two types, the latter is more suitable for enterprises where it is necessary to provide stable electrical power a large number of technology.

Due to a certain cosine there is a relationship between the phase difference between current and voltage. Approximately this value is usually from 0.6 to 0. Now we can do our calculations. Check the devices we are going to connect and add the watts that will be consumed. For example, a computer plus a monitor plus a printer can add about 600 watts.

There are usually two connection methods. On the other hand, a closed connection allows you to completely turn off computer equipment due to software, which starts the normal shutdown process operating system when the battery charge exceeds the minimum threshold.

Attention! Before making the final choice, it is necessary to calculate the total load power of household appliances and equipment that is planned to be connected to the UPS, add 20–40% to it and multiply by 0.6. The resulting figure will be the optimal indicator of the power of the uninterruptible power supply, which will be expressed in VA. About that, we told in a separate article.

This operation is particularly suitable for use on servers and automated computer equipment where software lock requires an immediate automatic restart. You may not have thought about it, but having your equipment at home does not mean that you can suffer from problems caused by reasons beyond our control. This is a case of flashes of light that can do a lot of damage and even lead to a normal computer just by plugging it into a light.

Then come the crying. Any of us, as long as we have connected our equipment to the light or even to the Internet via a network cable, may be damaged either all together or any of the components depending on the type of voltage rise and the nature of the same, as well as the type of equipment that we have connected. Also, don't be fooled, it can happen not only to your computer, but also to your TV, mobile phone or any electronics, it will be much harder to mess up the old washing machine or a vacuum cleaner for this reason for the simplicity and hardness of its pieces.

Battery Life

It is necessary to pay attention to the indicator of battery life. Optimal here is 5-7 minutes. It is understood that this time is enough for the PC to gracefully shut down its work. For the rest of the equipment, just protection against power surges is enough.

There are models that can provide power to household appliances for 20 minutes, but such a resource will cost more than standard modifications. The right decision- choose a UPS that provides the possibility of connecting additional batteries. This will significantly increase the battery life, but this option will also require additional costs, but not so impressive.

What can cause surges in my home?

Supply failure or cutbacks caused by companies to carry out Maintenance, can create a voltage peak that can destroy electronic equipment, but the most common and least dangerous we seem to encounter when it should be the other way around is when there is a storm.

How can overvoltage damage our PCs and electronic equipment?

A storm can cause additional electricity to be discharged in the light wiring, whether it be lightning or even static electricity that builds up in environment. First of all, we can find the problem of overvoltage in the cables of the light, which will lead to the fact that between the greater energy of the account with the wiring with which we connected our equipment, and therefore it may be that this is an excess of current for which our apparatus is not prepared, burn some internal circuit.

Attention! Battery life figures are on the packaging, UPS box or should be in the "Specifications" section of the online store.

The best manufacturers and models

It is equally important to choose the right UPS company so as not to become a victim of a low-quality fake. To date, the most the best manufacturers Uninterruptible power supplies are the following 3 brands:

How to prevent surge interruption on our computers and electronic devices?

It can burn our phone's tablet, our computer's power supply, motherboard, or even any component that is connected to it. On the other hand, we have overvoltages in telephone cables. The easiest, cheapest and safest is to physically disconnect them from wall outlets or power strips when we see signs of danger i.e. storms or when we see a warning that the lights will be cut off for a few hours, the ideal would be so that everything shuts down while there is danger, and so many surges that it will not affect us at all.

  1. Ippon
  2. powercom

If you buy a model from one of these companies, then a quality guarantee will be provided. In addition, we bring to your attention a rating of the best UPS in terms of price and quality that can be purchased for home use.

From interactive models, you can advise:

  • APC by Schneider Electric Smart-UPS 750VA/500W USB & Serial 230V
  • Ippon Back Basic 650 Schuko
  • APC by Schneider Electric Smart-UPS 1500VA LCD 230V
  • Powercom RAPTOR RPT-2000AP
  • CyberPower UT1500EI

Good customer reviews received such backup uninterruptible power supplies as:

  • Ippon Back Basic 650 IEC 5.0
  • Powercom SPIDER SPD-1000N
  • APC by Schneider Electric Back-UPS CS 350 USB/Serial

Well, with a double converter, we can advise 1 of the 5 provided UPSs:

  • P-Com Pro 3S
  • Ippon Innova RT 1000
  • Powercom VANGUARD VGS-2000XL
  • EATON 9130 1000BA
  • APC by Schneider Electric Smart-UPS RT 10000VA 230V

Other Features

For home use, you can choose a device that has additional functionality:

  • The network status is displayed using LED indicators or LCD screens. The second option is more informative, as it displays the voltage indicator in the network and the level of charge. Here the choice is determined solely by the preference of the buyer.
  • USB connector. Its presence allows you to connect a laptop or computer to the UPS and install special software that will automatically shut down the PC.
  • Availability of additional ports: RJ-11, RJ-45. They allow you to protect against network interference: modem, router, network card. This is a useful feature for the home.
  • Cold start function. Allows the use of household appliances and other electrical equipment without mains voltage. For example, boot up your computer to send an important message or heat water, make tea, coffee or other hot drinks. This is a useful feature for homes as well as organizations.
  • Design. Here the choice is limited to a greater extent by color, since almost all uninterruptible power supplies are rectangular in shape, similar to cinder block or brick.

Important! It is advisable to choose a model that allows you to change the batteries yourself. This will save time and money at service centers.

Well, one more useful advice- a combination of a surge protector and a stabilizer can become a home-made analogue of a UPS. This will protect household appliances from breakdowns as a result of power surges if there are no funds to purchase an uninterruptible power supply. Finally, we recommend watching a useful video

If the PC is turned off due to power outages, this is fraught with more than just the loss of unsaved data or achievements in the game. A sudden power surge can damage motherboard, power supply and hard drive, and with it all your data. Unstable power supply is also capable of causing damage to equipment: too low or high - voltage or a distorted electrical signal. Even if there were no power outages in your home before, do not forget about the wear and tear of power lines and interference that interferes with the operation of expensive equipment. You can protect your gaming computer if you choose the right uninterruptible power supply (UPS) for it.

UPS and their varieties

The rule “The more expensive the equipment, the better it is” does not work here. Of course, some Chinese "brand" with an unknown name will cost less than a device from a well-known European manufacturer. However, we will not consider the risks of buying no name equipment in this article, so we will take the APC by Schneider Electric uninterruptible power supply by default.

Depending on the speed of switching to battery mode, as well as the presence and level of voltage stabilization, there are: offline, line-interactive and online UPSs. Let's consider each of the options in more detail.

Offline (redundant) UPS- the most budgetary in the family of uninterruptible power supplies. Their main task is to quickly switch to battery power in the event of a power failure. They stabilize the voltage in a limited voltage range, so they are not suitable for those who often have light bulbs flashing in the house, they shine too dimly or, conversely, brighter than expected. But you can save the document, the level in the game and turn off the PC in accordance with the rules with such a UPS without any problems.

Line Interactive UPS- this is, as a rule, the average price segment of uninterruptible power supplies. They will not only switch to battery mode faster than offline ones, in 2-4 ms, but they will also stabilize over or under voltage in a fairly wide range if it deviates from the norm. Such UPSs are usually bought to protect expensive PCs, entry-level servers and other equipment that is sensitive to power surges.

Online UPS- the most serious and expensive devices among all of the above. They guarantee reliable equipment protection and a high degree of voltage stabilization, and they have no delays in voltage conversion and switching to autonomous operation at all. Typically, online UPS is used to protect IT equipment and other electronic devices, the disconnection of which will lead to losses. For example, such UPSs protect servers in banks so that customers always have access to a bank account. It makes no sense to purchase such devices for home use.

So, of all the above types of uninterruptible power supplies for protecting a gaming computer, offline and line-interactive ones are the most suitable. But these devices are also represented on the market by thousands of models that differ in hundreds of characteristics. How to choose the right uninterruptible power supply for a gaming PC? Let's consider the main features of the UPS using the example of the three most popular models from APC by Schneider Electric of the Back-UPS series. This series is designed just to protect computer equipment, peripherals and other home appliances.

Option 1: Model APC Back-UPS BE700G-RS

For all its simplicity, this model is one of the most popular in the world, because at a relatively low price it provides reliable protection of equipment and data in case of power failures. It has the usual form factor of a floor surge protector for 8 outlets. The device is very easy to manage, does not require additional settings, it is connected via a USB cable. and in the event of a power outage, gives up to an hour of additional time to save data and turn off the equipment. The maximum output power is 700 VA (405 W), which means that the maximum recommended load on the UPS should not exceed 650-700 VA. It is not recommended to connect equipment to it, whose total power exceeds this threshold, so the device in the event of working situation may shut down due to overload. This model provides protection against power surges, as well as the ability to connect devices to protect them via DSL and Ethernet ports. The UPS has 2 groups of surge protected outlets. The first group with backup power, which will be powered during a power outage in the network. The second is a group with protection of connected equipment only from power surges, which also turns off when the electricity is turned off. This is the best choice for those who do not have problems with the voltage level and who just need to protect their computer from data loss.

Option 2: Model APC Back-UPS BX1100CI-RS

A fairly affordable line-interactive uninterruptible power supply with the minimum necessary set of functions for PC owners and stabilization when the voltage drops or rises. Thanks to the included APC PowerChute proprietary software, it allows you to quickly receive data on the operation of the UPS and manage it directly from your PC. One of the main advantages of this program is the ability to completely restore the state of the computer (settings and data) after the restoration of power supply. In addition, you can manually set the voltage level from which the UPS will correct deviations, and adjust its sensitivity to these deviations. The maximum power of the equipment connected to this model in total should not exceed 1000-1100 VA, and the Tower form factor allows you to conveniently place the device both on the floor and on the desktop - it is slightly larger in size than an external disk drive. This model is the choice of those who want to protect their PC not only in case of a power outage, but also in case of power surges, without spending too much on a purchase.

Option 3: Model APC Back-UPS BR1500G-RS

Another line-interactive UPS, popular with owners of gaming computers. It has all the advantages of the APC Back-UPS BX1100CI-RS described above, but, being the "older" model, it also has additional features, such as an LCD display and power saving mode: when you turn off the device connected to the control outlet (for example, the system unit computer), peripheral equipment connected to controlled outlets (such as a monitor and printer) also turns off. This allows you to significantly save electricity, especially if interruptions are of a long-term nature. There are also sockets with permanent surge protection and the ability to receive basic information about the device and control it not only from a computer, but also through the interface on the front panel. This model is the choice of those who want to be able to enjoy all the benefits of a new generation of line-interactive uninterruptible power supplies and reliably protect not only their computer, but also other expensive equipment in the house, such as music equipment.

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