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I'm considering buying new UPS for my PC. I'm hoping the new UPS can still hold power for around 15-30 minutes so my computer can properly shutdown. It should also come with surge protection. My PC came with Corsair 600W PSU and I'm using a 24" BENQ monitor.

Does the ICA UPS CE600 meet these criteria?

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  • Presumably cost is a consideration? What about automated shutdown trigger (i.e., a USB-connected UPS)? Also, if you really want to finagle the runtime you'd need to list more info about the computer: e.g., number of spinning drives, CPU wattage, and any high-powered graphics cards.
    – feetwet
    Commented Sep 10, 2015 at 13:37

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First, you should figure out what your actual power consumption is. A 600W PSU only draws 600W if the hardware needs it. You can get a Kill-A-Watt or similar monitor in the $15 USD range. You can also get a decent ballpark number from online calculators 1, 2, 3. Don't forget to include your monitor.

The UPS you linked only supplies 300W. It gives 10 minutes as the backup time, and I'm going to have to assume that's at full (300W) power draw, as I don't see any other stats on the battery. So, no, it probably won't fit your needs.

You could take a look at the APC or CyberPower UPS selectors to get an idea of what would fit your needs and the price range.

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    For sizing a UPS, you need the Volt-Amp draw, not the watt rating (a Kill-A-Watt can measure either). Power supplies with PFC usually have identical VA and watt numbers, but you still need to check.
    – Mark
    Commented Sep 11, 2015 at 0:28
  • @Mark True. The linked UPS is rated at 600VA/300W, but it seems to have PFC. Why would this be, or did I miss something? I'm a hobbyist, not a professional, so I'm genuinely curious to expand on what I know. Feel free to suggest an edit.
    – skipleam
    Commented Sep 11, 2015 at 15:10
  • Well, you need both the watts and the volt-amps. You can't exceed either.
    – derobert
    Commented Sep 11, 2015 at 17:35
  • @amon41amarth PFC is to correct power factor, which is the ratio between watts and volt-amps. A PFC supply should have a power factor near 1, meaning watts and volt-amps should be approximately equal. If the UPS has a PFC supply, that just means the UPS's own power draw (not the connected load) will have W≈V-A.
    – derobert
    Commented Sep 11, 2015 at 17:42
  • @derobert There's the lightbulb. My brain substituted UPS for what was actually the PC's power supply in Mark's comment. Thanks for the added info.
    – skipleam
    Commented Sep 11, 2015 at 18:14

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