Powering my computer via generator

[dbreckejn]

Howdy folks,

with these uncertain times, here comes my question. I want to be able to play games even during the power outage and I want to invest in some kind of a generator to power my PC. I just dont know where to start.

So far I have been googling and googling and found some interesting discussions:

https://www.tek-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=1501851
https://generatorist.com/faq-what-ca...watt-generator
https://www.quora.com/Can-you-run-a-...Watt-generator

So my question is, would 2000 watt generator be enough to power my pc? Second question, could this damage my expensive PC hardware?
Thanks for any input!

[xenogear3]

If you are serious, the most reliable way is to modify your car.

The generator requires maintenance.
If you don't use it for a year, it may not work when you need it.

[Sunseeker]

Generators usually output to standard 110 outlets (like you have on your wall). You would probably be well served to get a battery backup, if you don't already, between your generator and PC to smooth out any fluctuations or sudden losses of power.

[Strawberry]

Yeah, get one of those UPS along with the generator.
But I'm not sure about the 2000W generator. Why would you need that much power? A high-end pc usually draws about 400-600W.

I think it's a waste of money though. What uncertain times? Corona ain't gonna cause electricity loss. Do you live in a hurricane area?

[Zan15]

Howdy folks,

with these uncertain times, here comes my question. I want to be able to play games even during the power outage and I want to invest in some kind of a generator to power my PC. I just dont know where to start.

So far I have been googling and googling and found some interesting discussions:

https://www.tek-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=1501851
https://generatorist.com/faq-what-ca...watt-generator
https://www.quora.com/Can-you-run-a-...Watt-generator

So my question is, would 2000 watt generator be enough to power my pc? Second question, could this damage my expensive PC hardware?
Thanks for any input!

Just power your pc, hell ya 2k is more than enough.

Start throwing in things of convenience like the A/C so you are cool while gaming...you will need to go higher.

Maintenance is also not horrible, just read up on it and do it. Don't be like my Ex and leave gas in there for 2 years and expect it to work again..

If you got real expensive computer EQ then you want some kind of protection between the generator and the PC.

You could always get something like this and you can chain two of them together for 4000 watts if it turns out 2k was not enough

https://www.amazon.com/Honda-2200-Wa...81178859&psc=1

[Ghostpanther]

Unless you have a high power rig, you only need a 400 watt generator. A 600 at the most. But as others have suggested, make sure you have a uninterrupted power supply. Some are good enough alone to keep my computer running for 30-45 mins after I lose power. But it will also filter out spikes and such. I have a APC 1350 and it works great for battery backup.

Of course you will need to run the generator outside and use a extension cord. Make sure it is a 12 ga one.

[Zan15]

Unless you have a high power rig, you only need a 400 watt generator. A 600 at the most. But as others have suggested, make sure you have a uninterrupted power supply. Some are good enough alone to keep my computer running for 30-45 mins after I lose power. But it will also filter out spikes and such. I have a APC 1350 and it works great for battery backup.

Of course you will need to run the generator outside and use a extension cord. Make sure it is a 12 ga one.

He said he has an "expensive" pc gear 400 will def not cut it. He's probably pulling that on the video card by itself .

3080's peaking right now around 350-480

their requirements is at least 750w PSU for the 3080 which would take into account the full PC peaking.

Even if he wasn't running the state of the art most recent releases 400 would not cut it.
600 if you include the monitor and some speakers would be cutting it close.


Also the price difference between something around 400-600 is not far from a decent 1-1.5k generator.

[Rasulis]

Just be careful about Carbon Monoxide poisoning.

Nearly Half of La. Deaths Linked to Hurricane Laura Were Caused By Improper Use of Generators

[Logwyn]

Howdy folks,

with these uncertain times, here comes my question. I want to be able to play games even during the power outage and I want to invest in some kind of a generator to power my PC. I just dont know where to start.

So far I have been googling and googling and found some interesting discussions:

https://www.tek-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=1501851
https://generatorist.com/faq-what-ca...watt-generator
https://www.quora.com/Can-you-run-a-...Watt-generator

So my question is, would 2000 watt generator be enough to power my pc? Second question, could this damage my expensive PC hardware?
Thanks for any input!

You would have to have your network equipment powered as well. I'm not sure the ISP would be up and running though would it? Would just be offline games.

[smityx]

Your going to want something to filter that power to get the 60 cycle sine wave. Else you could damage your gear.

[breadisfunny]

Unless you have a high power rig, you only need a 400 watt generator. A 600 at the most. But as others have suggested, make sure you have a uninterrupted power supply. Some are good enough alone to keep my computer running for 30-45 mins after I lose power. But it will also filter out spikes and such. I have a APC 1350 and it works great for battery backup.

Of course you will need to run the generator outside and use a extension cord. Make sure it is a 12 ga one.

unless your pc is from 2005 your going to need more than 400-600w.

[Ghostpanther]

unless your pc is from 2005 your going to need more than 400-600w.

Na. Mine is from 2013 and it never comes close to it's max usage of it's power supply of 600w. I7 4770 cpu and a GTX 1650 Super 4gb, gpu.

[Thekri]

Your going to want something to filter that power to get the 60 cycle sine wave. Else you could damage your gear.

Assuming he is American. European/Quebec Standard is 50 hz. At any rate, any commercial generator is going to have that built in. They generally output the voltage and frequency that is standard for where you buy them (110v AC, 60 hz for North America).

For powering electronics, Battery power is generally a better investment then a generator though. The draw is low enough to make batteries viable. If you expect long blackouts, just use the generator to charge batteries, but running a generator non-stop just for gaming sounds pointless.

Probably a lot more important to keep your refrigerator running, so you should generally factor that in.