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UPS switches to battery in 4–6 milliseconds, which is fast enough to prevent a computer from shutting down. Power stations often take 10–20+ milliseconds, often causing PCs to crash.
Power stations are getting better at preventing a abrupt pc shutdown caused by an outage. Some now feature pure sine wave down to 10ms to prevent your electronics from shutting down abruptly. But what dedicated ups can do is, it regulates fluctuations in voltage spikes from the grid and cleans up the energy that flows into the outlets and in turn protects pc components. But a ups will not run for long compared to a power station. It's main purpose is protection for a proper shutdown.
I have 2 SMT1500 APC UPS units that are working fine after 20 years. Noteworthy is the batteries fail a lot faster if they sit unplugged for extended periods, and/or are someplace where the temp is frequently over 72 F. Cuts the battery life from ~7 years to 3-4 years.
Amazon has the APC UPS Back-UPS Pro 1500VA Sinewave UPS, 900W Battery Backup & Surge Protector, AVR, 10 Outlets, LCD, USB-C & USB-A Charging Ports, BR1500MS2 Uninterruptible Power Supply on sale for $223.
This is a great UPS. If you don't need the sinewave output and can get away with the simulated sinewave output you can save a few dollars but this is a great deal on what it is.
For a desktop PC, is an UPS better than a portable power station for protecting against outages or providing stable power for overclocking? My PC can pull up to 1000W, so I guess this UPS wouldn't work for me, but I'm curious to know which option works better.
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from CheesyParmegiana
:
For a desktop PC, is an UPS better than a portable power station for protecting against outages or providing stable power for overclocking? My PC can pull up to 1000W, so I guess this UPS wouldn't work for me, but I'm curious to know which option works better.
UPS switches to battery in 4–6 milliseconds, which is fast enough to prevent a computer from shutting down. Power stations often take 10–20+ milliseconds, often causing PCs to crash.
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Quote
from CheesyParmegiana
:
For a desktop PC, is an UPS better than a portable power station for protecting against outages or providing stable power for overclocking? My PC can pull up to 1000W, so I guess this UPS wouldn't work for me, but I'm curious to know which option works better.
Power stations are getting better at preventing a abrupt pc shutdown caused by an outage. Some now feature pure sine wave down to 10ms to prevent your electronics from shutting down abruptly. But what dedicated ups can do is, it regulates fluctuations in voltage spikes from the grid and cleans up the energy that flows into the outlets and in turn protects pc components. But a ups will not run for long compared to a power station. It's main purpose is protection for a proper shutdown.
Last edited by TooManyMind March 25, 2026 at 03:46 PM.
I have never had one of these last more than 3-4 years, or just after their warranty period. I've swapped batteries every time but it is the charging electronics that keep failing. Don't know if my power is extra dirty or something along those lines but it is getting annoying.
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from trobb
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I have never had one of these last more than 3-4 years, or just after their warranty period. I've swapped batteries every time but it is the charging electronics that keep failing. Don't know if my power is extra dirty or something along those lines but it is getting annoying.
I have 2 SMT1500 APC UPS units that are working fine after 20 years. Noteworthy is the batteries fail a lot faster if they sit unplugged for extended periods, and/or are someplace where the temp is frequently over 72 F. Cuts the battery life from ~7 years to 3-4 years.
I have never had one of these last more than 3-4 years, or just after their warranty period. I've swapped batteries every time but it is the charging electronics that keep failing. Don't know if my power is extra dirty or something along those lines but it is getting annoying.
I unboxed one of their Gaming UPS that was in storage for three years and battery was completely dead. I'm not sure if its worth trying to get a battery swap on that one or not.
I unboxed one of their Gaming UPS that was in storage for three years and battery was completely dead. I'm not sure if its worth trying to get a battery swap on that one or not.
Same here. It returns error code after using it for 2 years. I didn't replace the battery. Just threw it away at the e-waste event
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I no longer will consider paying over $200 for an APC UPS until they start using lithium batteries. I can get a much higher capacity portal power station that has a very good failover/transfer time that can last up to 10 years. APC lead battery usually die after 5 years and it cost $75 or more to replace it.
There's a time and place for LiFePO4. It's not ideal for the high cranking amps required in a car battery, and not ideal for sitting around with the voltage topped off day in and day out as a UPS. Unless you routinely cycle the cells every month or so, you won't be getting those 10 years. Until solid state batteries that are supposed to fix some of the issues come out, I would stick with lead acid batteries. 3rd party replacement batteries can be found for less than half the price of oem.
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Lead acid battery in UPS usually last only TWO YEARS.
If you say 5 years or longer, that means you haven't calibrated the battery. In just 2 years the capacity drops to below 50% already making the run time less than half.
Unless you're buying junk brands and/or abusing them, they should average at least 3-5 years. 2 years is not normal.
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https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08GRY1W93
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Just buy any Ecoflow with 10ms.
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If you say 5 years or longer, that means you haven't calibrated the battery. In just 2 years the capacity drops to below 50% already making the run time less than half.
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