I am getting a new PC, what kind of UPS should I get?

Question

I am getting a new computer and want to know what kind of UPS (uninterrupted power supply) to get.
I currently have an APC BS-550, which is not powerful enough for the new PC. What is the best model economically.

Here are my specs for the NEW computer
Dell XPS 8500 SE
Windows 7 Professional
Processor: Intel i7 core @ 3.4GHz w/ turbo boost to 3.9GHz
Hard Drive: 2 TB SATA - 7200 w/ 256GB SDD
Memory: 24 GB DDR3 Ram @ 1600 MHz
Video: ATI Radeon HD 7870 - 2GB

And here are the specs for my current computer:
Dell Dimension 8400
Windows XP SP3 - Home Edition
Processor: Intel Pentium 4 @ 3GHz w/ HTT
Hard Drive: SATA-7200rpm - 250GB
Memory: SDRAM 3GB @ 400MHz
Video: ATI Radeon HD 3650 - 512mb
Sound: Soundblaster Audigy 7.1


Dell recommended the 1500va, but they aren't cheap and I just spent $2,700 on the new PC. While I want to protect my investment, given the cost of the PC - I also don't want to pay more than I NEED to for a UPS.

A side note, the new PC will be used mainly for high graphic gaming, audio and video encoding and movie making. I don't need a UPS that will supply power for say 1hr. I just need one that will stay on long enough for me to save my work and shut down properly. Surge and AVR are a must. No other 'major' electronic hardware will be connected to the UPS (aside from the monitor).

If you could also provide your recommendation(s) with links it would be appreciated.
Thanks

Answer 1

I think I'd have to agree with Dell's recommendation.

My power supply (in my computer is 610W) and if I add more to have my LCD screen on backup at 700W the Pro 1300 could keep my computer on for 6 minutes. But that would be assuming I'm maxing out the usage of my 610W power supply in my computer... most likely I wouldn't be using more than 400 - 500 W at most. Which at 500W the Pro 1000 will give me 6 minutes



BUT!!...

There is a slight possibility that I could be maxing out my power supply and I don't want to sell my self short so I'd get the Pro 1300 if I was you.



http://www.apc.com/products/family/index.cfm?id=27&tab=models



LASTLY....

I don't know why you even want a battery backup UPS system... Surge protection goes without saying cause a bad surge can ruin your computer but if your computer suddenly turns off you know what bad things happen? .... None that can't be easily fixed, and most fix themselves automatically.



Word - Typing a word doc? It auto saves randomly and will pull up the most recent save after a random power failure like that.

Hard Drive issues - Fixed automatically by windows because you didn't shut down properly. Windows 7 and the motherboards used today detect that the computer suddenly lost power and will fix any issues it caused and does not cause damage to the hardware.



The worst thing that could happen is that you might not have a chance to save what you were working on... So, you've gotta ask yourself, how much is that worth to ya?



My computer at home is only on surge protection.

My A+ and DSCE Certifications both stressed the importance of surge protection and made no mention of battery backup being important for any reason.

Answer 2

I do not imply to be impolite at all, however probably the most more recent games corresponding to Battlefield three will require some pretty hefty setups to run them at cheap settings. 4gb of ram shall be best for many video games, but a pentium cpu (im guessing twin core??) may be just a little too susceptible. The principal phase that you want to focus on is the portraits card considering the fact that that's what does the majority of the work. I would advise as a minimum a twin core cpu, however what's your photographs card? Having the high-quality cpu on this planet isnt going to work wonders in case your pix card is negative first-rate. It particularly all will depend on what games you're enjoying; seem at the encouraged requisites and go for that or bigger.

Answer 3

I recommend you to buy MUSTEK UPS 1400VA,it is enough for your computer.