Uninterruptible Power Supply

Pros

• Protects hardware from brownouts and flickering power that surge protectors ignore
• Provides a battery buffer to save work and safely shut down during outages
• Can be used to keep networking equipment like routers and ONTs powered during short blips
• Higher-end pure sine wave models provide cleaner power for sensitive modern power supplies

Cons

• Batteries are consumable parts that require replacement every few years
• Cheap units use 'stepped' or 'simulated' sine waves which can put additional stress on PC power supplies
• High-wattage units capable of supporting high-end gaming rigs can be quite expensive
• Units may fail to switch to battery properly if the load is too high or the battery is degraded

Caveats

• There is a noted debate regarding APC's quality following its acquisition, with some users now preferring competitors like CyberPower
• A 'Building Wiring Fault' light on the unit often indicates home grounding issues rather than a product defect
• Some manufacturers may not honor warranties unless the UPS wattage rating exceeds the PC's power supply rating
• A UPS is intended for short-term backup to facilitate shutdown, not as a long-term power station

Best for

• Users in areas with frequent power dips or unstable electrical grids
• High-end PC builds where sudden power loss could risk data or hardware
• Remote workers who need to prevent immediate disconnection during brief outages

Avoid if

• You have extremely stable power and a high-quality surge protector is sufficient for your budget
• You are looking for a device to run a computer for several hours during an extended blackout