Now you can have a battery backup specifically designed with gamers in mind, or a battery backup specifically designed with hardware manufacturers in mind with gamers in mind. In other words, Schneider Electric's new APC Back-UPS Pro Gaming UPS provides electrical impulses to help overclock GPUs and achieve faster frame rates in games! No wait, that's ridiculous. What I meant to say is that it has 12 customizable RGB LEDs.
Don't get me wrong, I don't want an uninterruptible power supply that will destroy my PC. That's not the role of a UPS; UPS units are meant to protect PCs and other electronic equipment from sudden power surges (the good ones do that), and of course, if for some reason the power goes out, say if someone crashes into a utility pole outside your home and the pole falls, and your block's power goes down (speaking from experience), provide some emergency power.
In such a scenario, a UPS will save you work and provide time to properly shut down your PC. Or, as also applies here, to keep your virtual ones from being left unprotected by opportunistic adversaries.
"Every year, tens of millions of gamers suffer unexpected disconnections due to power issues. This device becomes a necessity to protect one's gear and reputation in online multiplayer gaming (whether playing casually or competing in professional esports tournaments), while also maintaining a connection to the home in case of an emergency," Schneider Electric Explains.
The RGB lighting is just the icing on the cake and frankly what makes this a gaming UPS as opposed to a regular UPS. Schneider Electric's stated intent with the RGB light ring (and overall design) is to "allow gamers to match their own gaming PC or console design to the UPS. [At least as far as we can tell from the press renderings, it is indeed a sleek looking UPS for a battery backup design. It is also well equipped as a UPS. The only model offered (in black and white) is a 1,500 VA / 900W unit with true sine wave output and automatic voltage regulation, which are desirable features in a UPS. This is enough power for even the most powerful gaming PC (unless you are using a quad GPU) and, generally speaking, should give you 10-20 minutes (depending on your setup) in the event of a power failure.
There are a total of 10 outlets, 6 of which provide battery backup and 4 provide surge protection only. There is also an RJ45 LAN/data port on the back and three USB charging ports (two Type-A and one Type-C) on the front for charging headsets, smartphones, etc.
At least on paper, it rivals the best UPS battery backup for PC gaming, offering similar features and specifications to CyberPower's CP1500PFCLCD (currently our top pick). Schneider Electric's new UPS is available on Amazon, B&H Photo, and Newegg for $260 (MSRP).
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