Surge Protector and/or Battery Backup

[CrimsonChaos]

Are surge protectors and/or battery backups really necessary?

I ask this because just a week ago my motherboard failed for no reason whatsoever. I do not overclock, and there was no real system instability as far as I could tell.

I began wondering if maybe there was a power surge (fluctuation) or power brown-out (degredation) that could have resulted in the faulty motherboard.

Are these two components (surges and battery backups) really necessary, or are they useless against the large fluctations in power often seen in cities or during storms.

If they ARE necessary and helpful, are there any recommended brand names?

 

[imported_Mitchell]

Surge protectors are worthless, they are only good for lightning strikes and power surges from say a blown transformer.

Anyway get an APC UPS, one that has 'Voltage Regulation' if it doesn't have that then don't get it, it's just a glorified surge protector.

 

[imported_Mitchell]

I mean to say, if I wasn't clear, to get a UPS, which is more then a surge protector

 

[CrimsonChaos]

Do they clearly say "Voltage Regulation" on the box? Are there any that try to trick you into thinking they have voltage regulation (but really don't) by calling it something different but that sounds the same? (i.e. how AMD started saying they have "Hypertransport" when Intel began announcing "Hyperthreading").

 

[CrimsonChaos]

bump

 

[CrimsonChaos]

bump

 

[ValuedCustomer]

Originally posted by: Mitchell
Surge protectors are worthless, they are only good for lightning strikes and power surges from say a blown transformer.

Baloney. Surge suppressors will miss the jolt from a lightning strike more times than not.. most aren't quick enough to react. That said if you can't afford a 3 or 4 hundred+ dollar UPS then by all means get a 30 or 40 dollar SS. They're not perfect by any stretch of the imagination but not having one is foolishness.

 

[ShadowBlade]

my "surge protectors" make great outlet expanders
i dont rely on them during storms....i always unplug my stuff, the "surge protector" just makes that process quicker

 

[ValuedCustomer]

what ShadowBlade said :thumbsup:

 

[Sphexi]

I have yet to lose a single device to lightning, and we have plenty of storms around here in the summer. Good surge protectors will prevent you from losing anything, but won't do jack against a drop in voltage (rolling brownout), which can damage your stuff or at the least cause your box to shut off which can cause data loss.

Get a UPS, a basic one is perfectly fine, since they run your computer off the battery inside rather than voltage from the outlet. That way it's a consistant voltage to your box, and if something happens you can shut it down in time (get one with a serial/usb cable and it'll do it automatically). Plug your box and monitor into it, the rest can go on a surge protector.

 

[ValuedCustomer]

Originally posted by: Sphexi
I have yet to lose a single device to lightning, and we have plenty of storms around here in the summer.

Consider yourself fortunate.. I live in Austin and we get plenty of storms as well and I've lost a number of devices.

Good surge protectors will prevent you from losing anything

see above

 

[CrimsonChaos]

Ok so a UPS serves as both a backup-power supply AND a surge protector? Or do I need to plug the UPS into a surge protector?

 

[ValuedCustomer]

Originally posted by: CrimsonChaos
Ok so a UPS serves as both a backup-power supply AND a surge protector? Or do I need to plug the UPS into a surge protector?

UPS, solamente.