Having the best surge protector with battery backup will protect your gaming PC from unforeseen power outages. Uninterrupted power supplies are an often-disregarded component that is needed in building a high-end gaming PC.
If you live in a place where power outages or surges can occur, these can save the life of your devices and even protect them from minimal power fluctuations. To make this process easier, we have reviewed some of the best surge protectors with battery backup on the market.
Table of Contents
- Best Surge Protector With Battery Backup – Comparison Table
- What is the Difference Between a Power Strip and a Surge Protector?
- Different Types of Surge Protectors
- How Does a Surge Protector with Battery Backup Operate?
- Advantages of a Surge Protector with Battery Backup
- How Many Joules Should a Surge Protector Have for a TV?
- What is a Simulated Sine-Wave UPS?
- What to Look for in the Best Surge Protector with Battery Backup?
- Best Surge Protector with Battery Backup
- 1. APC BE600M1 Battery Backup & Surge Protector Review
- 2. Amazon Basics Standby UPS 600VA Surge Protector Battery Backup Review
- 3. CyberPower AVRG750U AVR UPS System Review
- 4. APC UPS BR1500MS Battery Backup & Surge Protector Review
- 5. Liebert PST5 UPS 500VA/300W Standby Power Review
- 6. APC Back-UPS Pro 1000VA UPS Battery Backup & Surge Protector Review
- Key References
Best Surge Protector With Battery Backup – Comparison Table
What is the Difference Between a Power Strip and a Surge Protector?
The difference between a surge protector and a power strip is that a power strip provides additional space in the outlet. In contrast, a surge protector protects against possible voltage spikes that can damage your equipment, electronics, or appliances.
- While they look the same, you may be able to tell the variations in the surge protector and power strip if you can find a joules rating on the box.
- Only surge protection devices have this rating. Joules are a unit of measure of energy (like caloriesor watts).
- They measure how long your devices are protected. Often, a massive increase in energy is enough to exceed the number of joules your equipment is protected against. Still, sometimes it can take ten or fifteen small increases.
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Different Types of Surge Protectors
There are three (3) different types of surge protectors out there:
- Type 1 Surge Protection Device installed at the origin, for example, the main distribution board.
- Type 2 Surge Protection Device installed at sub-distribution panels.
- (Combined Type 1 and Type 2 Surge Protection Device are available and are typically installed in consumer units).
- Type 3 Surge Protection Device installed near the protected load. They should only be installed as an add-on to the Type 2 Surge Protection Device.
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How Does a Surge Protector with Battery Backup Operate?
The power grid wasn’t designed for electronics. The voltage spikes and surges were higher and more regular as they didn’t affect the electric motors.
- This has changed dramatically for several decades as utilities cleaned up supplies to buildings and homes. However, depending on the age of a utility’s systems and the frequency of lightning strikes, voltage spikes and large spikes can occur regularly.
- A surge protection device should be more precisely defined as “something that blocks voltage spikes when it goes beyond a certain limit“. This shutdown, known as clamping, is typically 330, 400, or 500 Volts.
- While 330 Volts or more may seem high compared to the 120 Volts nominally delivered in the United States, it has not really gotten out of control.
- Electronic devices and any other electrical device used in the home or office can accept short amounts of higher peak voltages, which logically needs to be ascertained since moderate voltage spikes are routine and electronic devices in private households do not always fail without voltage protection;
- it is the big spikes that need to be blocked. Many surge protection devices use metal oxide varistors (MOVs), a type of circuit that absorbs voltages above the terminal level and burns away effectively over time.
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Advantages of a Surge Protector with Battery Backup
In the event of a power failure, the surge protector has enough energy stored in its battery backup to provide a constant flow of power for a limited period, enough time to save your work or reach a safe point before shutting your PC down.
- If you are one of the lucky few who managed to pigeonhole an Nvidia Geforce RTX 30 series, you don’t want it to be attacked, especially since replacing it is virtually impossible at this moment.
- The best surge protector with battery backup will also protect your accessories and peripherals connected to your PC.
- If you’ve recently invested in a new 4K gaming PC, you can protect that as well.
- The protection that a surge protector offers extends to everything that is connected, be it your favorite game console or a router for games.
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How Many Joules Should a Surge Protector Have for a TV?
A higher joules rating means better protection. A surge protector with up to 1400 joules and coaxial cable outlets will fully protect a TV from unexpected surges or spikes.
What is a Simulated Sine-Wave UPS?
A simulated sine-wave UPS provides an approximately scaled waveform employing pulse width modulation (PWM).
- This is the same concept that is used to control the speed of the PC case fan.
- These are usually much cheaper than pure sine-wave UPS and can help monitors, small devices, and peripherals.
- However, because the waveform is not always accurate, it may not perform as expected on power supplies that require a consistent and stable input.
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What to Look for in the Best Surge Protector with Battery Backup?
A) Compatibility
When shopping for the best surge protector with battery backup, the power supply’s compatibility should be considered. Before plugging in anything, check what your devices need and make sure they match.
B) Battery Duration
Generally, a surge protector does not need to last long. However, starting a backup power source or properly shutting down protected devices should be sufficient. Some only work for a few minutes, while others provide electricity throughout the night. Depending on your needs, ensure the battery life is sufficient.
C) Device Support
How many devices do you need to connect to your surge protector? Some models can accommodate up to 12 devices; others only have space for two.
D) Portability
Some surge protectors with battery backup are designed for home or commercial use, while others are designed for travel and outdoor use. When you need to take your device with you, you want something with a more portable design that will easily fit in a bag. You may even opt for a model with a solar charging port, so you’re not entirely dependent on electricity.
Best Surge Protector with Battery Backup
Here are the top 6 best surge protectors with battery backup (UPS system) on the market today:
1. APC BE600M1 Battery Backup & Surge Protector Review
If you’re looking for a feature-rich surge protector with battery backup for your home or office, it doesn’t have to cost you a fortune. Try the APC BE600M1 Battery Backup & Surge Protector for a great, affordable, fully-loaded device.
- This best battery backup for home use offers a variety of power outlets for all of your home or office needs, including 5 outlets with surge protection and battery backup, 2 outlets for only surge protection, as well as a USB port.
- It is designed for use with small electronic devices such as televisions, game consoles, and wireless routers.
- The APC BE600M1 has a single button that turns it on and off and mutes alarms.
- A sealed, maintenance-free battery is used and is guaranteed for three years. We also think it’s good that the device is light, compact, and doesn’t take up much space.
- The APC BE600M1 Battery Backup & Surge Protector might just be what you need for your home or office.
- Affordable
- Lightweight and compact design.
- Seven outputs and a USB charging port.
- Not too useful for large equipment.
2. Amazon Basics Standby UPS 600VA Surge Protector Battery Backup Review
If you are looking for a high-quality UPS that offers ease of use and reliability, look for the Amazon Basics 600VA Standby UPS.
- This uninterruptible power supply (UPS) has eight 5-15R surge-protected sockets, 4 of which are battery-backed only.
- It is also straightforward to use as all essential functions (such as an alarm on/off and power on/off) can be controlled with just one button.
- The 600VA offers 360 Watts power and a maximum of 12.5 minutes runtime at half load.
- Also, the device is compact at just 6.59 pounds, making it convenient to transport. The only drawback with this unit is that it does not automatically restart after a power outage.
- This means that you will have to manually restart after a dead battery. Keep this in mind if you are often away from home or office.
- However, it is an efficient surge protector with battery backup that will protect your equipment in the event of a power outage. Users have praised its value for money and reliability.
- Compact design
- A total of 8 outlets.
- Easy to use, controlled at the push of a button.
- No USB charging ports.
- No automatic restart
3. CyberPower AVRG750U AVR UPS System Review
Another economical option for your power needs is the AVRG750U AVR UPS System.
- It offers the convenience of 6 surge protection and battery backup outlets and 6 additional surge protection sockets.
- From a UX point of view, the AVRG750U also scores points. It’s compact, lightweight, and small and has an easy-to-read display that clearly shows how much charge you have left.
- We love that the device can automatically switch to eco mode. This means that it can detect when a device is in sleep mode or is turned off. This extends the battery life and lowers energy costs.
- The device is designed to meet most of your home’s electronic power supply needs, such as desktop computers, home theater systems, and routers.
- However, like most low-cost surge protection devices, you get less power.
- Rely on this device only as a temporary solution in the event of a power failure as the battery life is only a few minutes, depending on the number of devices connected.
- The LCD screen makes it easy to view your statistics.
- In Smart Eco mode, you can save energy when devices are recognized as switched off or in standby mode.
- 6 surge protection and battery backup sockets as well as 6 surge protection sockets.
- The power offered by this unit is minutes, not hours.
4. APC UPS BR1500MS Battery Backup & Surge Protector Review
With online monitoring capabilities and intelligent battery management, the APC UPS BR1500MS is a must-have for those who own critical devices or applications.
- The cloud-compatible port allows you to monitor this unit’s status from anywhere in the world through a secure web portal. The smart battery management feature can also predict when the battery needs to be changed. No more unexpected surprises with bad batteries.
- This pure sine wave unit offers surge protection and battery backup functions for its 10 outlets.
- If you’re a big fan of the LCD screen, you’ll be happy to know that the BR1500MS comes with one.
- This APC surge protector features an LCD screen that shows the vital status of the surge protector (in several languages) and the possibility of configuring the UPS using simple navigation buttons.
- The APC UPS BR1500MS may not be inexpensive. Still, if you’re looking for a feature-packed yet reliable surge protector with battery backup, this unit is definitely worth it.
- 10 outlets with surge protection and battery backup capability.
- Intelligent battery management
- Automatic voltage regulation
- Audible alarms
- Integrated Ethernet port
- USB charging ports missing.
5. Liebert PST5 UPS 500VA/300W Standby Power Review
The Liebert PST5 UPS Standby Power is another energy-efficient surge protector with battery backup to consider if you want to cut down on your ever-increasing electric bill.
- This 8-outlet UPS is Energy Star certified and offers various mounting features and advanced early shutdown warnings.
- Beyond that, you will be glad to know that it also provides data line surge protection and EMI/RFI noise filters.
- If you need a simple, reliable, and inexpensive surge protector with battery backup that you can mount in hidden places like under your desk, the Liebert PST5 UPS is likely the best model.
- Eight outlets with four outlets for surge protection and battery backup and the other four for surge protection only.
- 4 minutes of a full load operation.
- Audible alarm
- Various mounting options
- Energy Star certification
- The USB charging port is missing.
6. APC Back-UPS Pro 1000VA UPS Battery Backup & Surge Protector Review
Besides its sleek and stylish exterior, the APC Back-UPS Pro 1000VA is your best choice if you want a UPS surge protector with cool features without breaking the bank.
- While this APC battery backup is certainly not the best in performance, it is more than enough to protect your entire personal computer, laptop, and peripherals from power outages.
- The APC Back-UPS Pro 1000VA has an automatic voltage regulation feature that can extend battery life and maximize operating time. It does this by correcting for low voltages without draining the battery.
- This surge protector with battery backup also has an intelligent battery management function that optimizes UPS batteries’ performance and reliability through intelligent and accurate charging.
- As mentioned above, if you want an inexpensive but feature-packed surge protector with battery backup, this 10 outlets APC surge protector won’t disappoint.
- Clear LCD screen
- 8 sockets, including 4 battery backup sockets.
- Vertical alignment does not take up much space.
- Possibility of connecting additional batteries.
- Bulky
Power outages and surges can damage your expensive electronics in seconds. Unfortunately, it can also lead to losing your important data if you haven’t saved it. Therefore, to solve these problems, you must have the best surge protector with battery backup as this investment will be of great benefit to you.
Key References
- “Power Strip vs. Surge Protector – Emerson Technologies : Emerson Technologies”. Accessed March 16, 2021. Link.
- “Understanding the Three Types of Surge Protectors and When to Use Them”. Accessed March 16, 2021. Link.