I have run tests with 4000 beaconned labs after you mentionned it.
Result with only disco science or with the addition of gearball are similar.
Gearball doesn't show up as consuming any UPS, it only changes things during the data stage, replacing the original lab sprite sheet by another one with the same number of images and size, and if disco science is also installed, it replaces a spritesheet from the mod disco science by another one with also the same number of images so that the overlay is smaller instead of covering the full lab.
Disco Science is not required for the gearball to function, only optionnal , if gearball is installed alone, then the lights are not colored and the performance is the same as vanilla labs.
hopefully that answer your concerns
