Does UPS watt limit apply to normal/no outage situations?

[LeapFrogMasterRace]

Lets say I buy a 300 Watt UPS and I am playing a game drawling lets say 400 watts does this mean the UPS will just cut all power no matter what or is the 300 watt rating for battery only mode like during a power outage? 

 

I get only a few major outages a year but the main reason why I want a UPS is because I get frequent PC crashes due to a mini fridge, window AC and various other electronics causing power drops. 

[Biohazard777]

3 hours ago, LeapFrogMasterRace said:

Lets say I buy a 300 Watt UPS and I am playing a game drawling lets say 400 watts does this mean the UPS will just cut all power no matter what or is the 300 watt rating for battery only mode like during a power outage? 

Entirely depends on which kind of UPS you buy. You've got Online and Offline versions.

1) Online UPS supplies power from the AC mains to the Load through a rectifier and inverter combination.
Benefit from using an online UPS is that is always ON, there is no switching delay.
Downside are: increased power consumption, increased heat generation, higher price.

2) Offline UPS directly supplies power from AC mains to the load.
Benefits are lower cost and reduced power consumption (compared to online one).
Downside is obvious: switching delay (usually 5-15ms) which most computers will tolerate, but more sensitive equipment will not (or if you get a crappy UPS the switching delay is bigger and then even a PC won't tolerate it), 

So let's say you've got mains power and you draw more than what the UPS is rated for:
- Online version will shut down (or catch fire hah, depending on the quality) right away.
- Offline will continue to work... until you lose your mains power then the same thing happens as with the online one.
Keep in mind that even a small voltage fluctuation can trigger a cheaper offline UPS and if it is over the rating then you'll end up with problems.

Here is a thread on LTT showcasing problems when UPS is overloaded:

 

3 hours ago, LeapFrogMasterRace said:

I get only a few major outages a year but the main reason why I want a UPS is because I get frequent PC crashes due to a mini fridge, window AC and various other electronics causing power drops. 

Honestly it seems to me that you are in need of a good electrician more than you need a UPS.
 

[LeapFrogMasterRace]

24 minutes ago, Biohazard777 said:

Honestly it seems to me that you are in need of a good electrician more than you need a UPS.

It's weird because it's not like the lights/monitors are dimming the PC is the only thing affected either way I always kinda just wanted a UPS. 

 

Not looking to spend a lot, I was thinking the APC BX line instead which is advertised as in-line and 600W, would that be an offline type? 

 

One thing I noticed is every brand has the same problems, reviews of people saying it smoked or blew up on them, APC having common F02 codes (solid state damage needing a new battery). Is a lot of this user error or are faults somewhat common?

[Guest]

No.

 

[Biohazard777]

2 hours ago, LeapFrogMasterRace said:

It's weird because it's not like the lights/monitors are dimming the PC is the only thing affected either way I always kinda just wanted a UPS. 

That could indicate that your PSU is very sensitive, perhaps you wouldn't experience the problems you are having with a different PSU (would be great if you could temporarily put a different one in if you have an extra or borrow one from a friend).
 

 

2 hours ago, LeapFrogMasterRace said:

Not looking to spend a lot, I was thinking the APC BX line instead which is advertised as in-line and 600W, would that be an offline type? 

That is a "Line-interactive" type of UPS, sorry I did not mention it but it for your question it might as well be classified as Offline (since it has switching time and you can draw more than what it is rated for as long as your AC mains are providing steady current).
It maintains the inverter in line and redirects the battery's DC current path from the normal charging mode to supplying current when power is lost.
Benefits are: switching time is typically 2-6 ms (lower than the Offline which is 5-15ms), beside offering the same protection as the Offline (power loss, voltage sag, surge protection) it additionally provides under/over voltage protection.

*Some manufacturers will try to pass their line-interactive UPS off as online models by calling them some imaginary names like: "digital online", "online interactive", "inline"... they are not true Online!
True Online UPS beside not having any switching delay also protects you from: line noise, frequency variation, switching transient, harmonic distortion. It is more expensive for a reason hah, but might be an overkill if you are gonna use it for non-critical stuff (like a gaming PC , compared to a server or medical respirator)

Here are some nice simplified schematics for each mentioned type of UPS:

Spoiler

Offline:

 

Line-interactive:

 

Online:

* Notice the "Static Bypass Switch". On good Online UPSs that switch will transfer the load directly to AC power if the inverter system fails (or is overloaded, in which case you are gonna get some headaches from the alarm going off).

 

As for will that UPS be enough for your needs?
That is a tricky question to answer, first you should measure how much your PC is actually drawing and then add 20% more to the UPS (as a rule of thumb, never be on the very end of max rated draw).
Are you ok with occasionally losing power because both main AC crapped out and you happened to be drawing more than what the UPS can deliver?

When it comes to reliability of the UPS, sorry I can't really offer you any suggestions since I haven't bought any for a very long time, I am out of that game so to say heh.
One thing I do know for sure is that the market is flooded with cheap and questionable reliability stuff, also even if you do buy from a good reputable brand and you buy a good model you have to keep in mind that all UPSs rely on batteries which degrade over time and the larger the battery the bigger is the hazard (ergo don't use one unless you really need one).
Hopefully some other forum users will have suggestions about which brands and models are good.

Lastly, drawing more than any product is rated for under any circumstances is like asking for trouble.