Top pick
APC
Back-UPS Pro 1500VA Tower
A reliable line-interactive UPS sized for a single workstation, monitor and small NAS.
Desktop PC: ~48 min
4.6 £150 – £220
Desk & Servers
Computer & Server Farm UPS
Keep desktops, workstations and server racks running through every outage.
The short version
A power cut, brownout or dirty mains supply can corrupt data, crash a RAID array or take an entire office offline in an instant. An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) sits between the wall socket and your equipment, switching to battery in milliseconds and giving you clean, stable power along with enough runtime to save your work or let a server shut down gracefully.
Below we've grouped the main types of UPS you'll want to consider, from a small unit that protects a single workstation and router, right up to rack-mount, double-conversion units built for server rooms and small data centres.
What to look for
Runtime, not just VA
Most setups only need 5–15 minutes: enough to save work and shut down cleanly. Size for that, not for hours.
Pure sine wave output
Modern PC power supplies with active PFC can misbehave on stepped "simulated" sine waves.
Shutdown software
A USB or network link lets the UPS tell your PC or NAS to shut down safely when the battery runs low.
Swappable batteries
Lead-acid UPS batteries last 3–5 years. User-replaceable cartridges keep running costs down.
Our picks
Compared on what they can actually run
Top pick
CyberPower
OL3000 Rack/Tower UPS
A 3000VA double-conversion UPS built for network cabinets and small server racks.
Desktop PC: ~3h 4m
4.5 £650 – £950
Eaton
9PX 6000VA Modular UPS
Enterprise-grade double-conversion UPS with modular, hot-swap batteries for server farms.
Desktop PC: ~11h 42m
4.8 From £3,200
Tripp Lite
AVR750U Compact UPS
A budget-friendly UPS that protects a single PC, router and modem from brownouts.
Desktop PC: ~19 min
4.3 £60 – £90
