If you have a high-performance gaming PC, it is recommended to pair it with an uninterruptible power supply battery as a backup. This protects your system from power fluctuations in the outlet and acts as surge protection. The UPS uses its internal batteries to provide a stable flow of power for a limited time when the power goes out, such as during a power outage. This gives you a grace period to save your work or navigate to a save point before safely shutting down your computer.
The time UPS gives you to accumulate will vary and there are other things to consider. We have tested each UPS below so you can better understand which one is best for you and your budget.
The best UPS for gaming PCs
CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD 1500VA is one of the best UPS on the market. Several factors contribute to this being our top choice for most gamers. Firstly, its performance is enough to run most slot machines on the market, even if you are using two GPUs. Unless you have systems with ten hard drives, four-socket GPUs, and other accessories, the CP1500PFCLCD should have enough power to last 10-20 minutes (more if you have a more moderate setup) if a power failure occurs.
One of the most important features of the CP1500PFCLCD is its true sine wave output. Most standby UPSs in their price range only provide a simulated sine wave, a stepped sine wave that roughly matches what you get from a wall outlet. Some electronics are sensitive to simulated sine waves and will behave abnormally. At $214, getting a true sine wave output is unheard of, so thanks to CyberPower for providing such a quality output.
For smaller accessories and network equipment, the CyberPower EC650LCD is the best choice. Priced at just over $70 for a 390W/650VA EC650LCD has enough headroom to keep your average home network going for over 15 minutes, which is enough to exit your game/apps, save all your work over the network, and turn everything off gracefully during a power outage.
The EC650LCD is small enough to be hidden away and takes up very little desktop space for a 390W unit. One of my favorite features of the EC650LCD is the set of ECO ports. These ports can be controlled and turned on or off on a timed basis, depending on your schedule or use case. The ECO ports also disable accessories such as speakers and display whether your computer is in sleep mode or turned off.
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APC’s BE600M1 excels at providing both battery and surge protection for the devices you use most every day. This is your phone and possibly your tablet. However, it has enough power reserves to allow you to connect at least a router and one display. If you only plan to use the BE600M1 to power your Wi-Fi router, there will be enough power in the device to allow you to comfortably browse the Internet for several hours, even if the power to the rest of your house is out. Priorities.
The best part of the BE600M1 is its size. Most UPSs are large and suitable for floor mounting, but APC recommends that the BE600M1 be placed on a table. The device has one 1.5A USB port to charge your phone or tablet, so you don’t have to use your device’s power adapter, which is inevitably a wall wart that potentially overlaps another socket or two, so you are free up sockets for other devices.
The best UPS for PC gaming. FAQ
How long will the UPS last?
What type of UPS should I buy?
Sinusoidal redundant uninterruptible power supplies provide smooth and stable fluctuation of AC power directly to the power supply. This is often the only type of UPS recommended for gaming PCs due to their efficiency and clean power delivery.
What is the difference between a sine wave UPS and a simulated sine wave UPS?
A simulated sine wave UPS outputs a stepped, approximated waveform using pulse-width modulation (PWM). This is the same concept used to control the fan speed of a PC case. They are often much cheaper than pure sine wave UPSs and can be useful for peripherals, small devices, and monitors. However, because the waveform is not always accurate, it may not work properly with power supplies that require a stable and consistent input signal.
When your UPS detects a power surge or shuts down, it will switch to battery power. The way it delivers battery power to your PC or accessories is where sine wave versus simulated sine wave matters the most. This is because some power supplies actually recognize the simulated sine wave frequency and suddenly shut down to protect themselves from unexpected oddities in power. So your UPS will not actually save your computer from power loss.
