Best surge protector for a home user's computer?

Discussion in 'hardware' started by bellgamin, Nov 10, 2022.

  1. bellgamin

    bellgamin Registered Member

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    My present surge protector (it's a Furman) was ranked as one of the best about 10 years ago. Now it's old and has weathered quite a few storms over the years --- so I feel I should replace it.

    I'm willing to pay $50-$100 for a surge protector. My old HP laptop isn't super valuable, and I have a new Thinkpad awaiting the HP's demise. Even so, getting a new computer set-up to deal with all my preferences & idiosyncrasies is a large PITA (pain in the anatomy). Bottom Line: I do NOT want my old HP to get fried.

    =>REQUEST: I would very much appreciate any & all comments or suggestions regarding surge protectors.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    P.S. There are a LOT of websites that provide lists of "Best Surge Protectors" but I do NOT trust them. They all have links to Amazon for each surge protector that they recommend. I'm sure they get some $$$ from Amazon for each click/referral they generate. Plus they probably get remuneration from the manufacturers of the surge protectors on their "best" lists.

    On the other hand, I DO trust comments from actual users. That's why I posted here at Wilders. :thumbd:
     
  2. zapjb

    zapjb Registered Member

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    I've had good fortunes with Tripp Lite surge protectors.
     
  3. TairikuOkami

    TairikuOkami Registered Member

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    I always use Belkin, it offers a lifetime protection and warranty on connected devices. Besides it literally saved my PC and my apartment from burning down, when I accidentally poured water into it and went to sleep, it died with honor. :cool:
     
  4. hawki

    hawki Registered Member

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    If I was going to pay that kind of money I would buy a Trip Lite Isobar Ultra. IMHO there is nothing better.

    I have two of them that have been in use for 18+ years. I live in a location that has frequent severe thunder/lightning storms during summertime, power disruptions and surges.

    Isobar Ultra comes with 4 outlets (approx $70) and 6 outlets (approx $80).

    https://tripplite.eaton.com/isobar-...cord-3300-joules-diagnostic-leds~ISOBAR4ULTRA

    https://tripplite.eaton.com/isobar-...cord-3300-joules-diagnostic-leds~ISOBAR6ULTRA
     
    Last edited: Nov 10, 2022
  5. xxJackxx

    xxJackxx Registered Member

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    I'll agree with the others on the Tripp Lite if we are talking surge and not a UPS.
     
  6. Bill_Bright

    Bill_Bright Registered Member

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    If I were to get a surge and spike protector, Tripp-lite, IMO, make some of the best.

    HOWEVER, it should be noted surge and spike protectors, even the best ones, are little more than fancy and expensive extension cords as they do absolutely nothing for low voltage events like dips (opposite of spikes), sags (opposite of surges) or brownouts (long duration sags). And for excessive surges and spikes, they simply cut power (IF working properly), crashing your computer - never good. If the surge and spike protector is worn out (it is recommended surge and spike protectors be replaced every 2 years - so your 10 year old model is clearly overdue replacement) or damaged, they typically provide little to no protection at all. :(

    Therefore, I always recommend all computers be supported by a "good" UPS with AVR. In abnormal input voltage scenarios, a "good" UPS with AVR will help shape (regulate) the AC sine wave into something more easily used by the devices plugged into it. In low voltage events, it will use the batteries to boost the voltage up to normal levels (without kicking over to full battery backup power), and in extreme high voltage events, it will use the batteries to dump the excess voltage (which batteries can absorb with ease), and/or dump the excess to ground (Earth). In both of those scenarios, it will maintain power to your connected computers! :)

    Note power during a total power outage is just the icing on the cake. The automatic voltage regulation (AVR) for both high and low voltage anomalies is the key benefit to having a "good" UPS with AVR. And note a destructive surge or spike does not have to originate off the grid. A damaged or faulty high-wattage appliance in the home can dump excessive surges and spikes on the circuit too. A cheap, $15, 1500W hair dryer assembled in some obscure factory in the backwoods of China, using under-trained, under-aged :mad:, often forced :mad: labor, using questionable parts from a similar factory upriver, comes to mind.

    Note I keep saying "good" UPS with AVR. Like power supplies, there are cheap, good, and best. The best are very expensive at $400 or more, and not needed for most users. The ATX Form Factor standard requires all PSUs "hold" voltages for a mere 17ms (milliseconds) during abnormal power events. A "good" UPS can react easily within that time frame. A cheap UPS will little to no regulation capability, and may not react to a significant event in time to prevent a power loss to the connected devices.

    Should you decide to go with a "good" UPS with AVR, do NOT be locked into the hype about "needing" a pure sinewave UPS. That is just pure marketing hogwash. Our computer and peripheral power supplies work just fine with the "stepped approximated" or "simulated" sinewaves from any "good" UPS with AVR. If you find a pure sinewave UPS at a decent price that meets your power needs, fine. I am NOT suggesting avoiding pure sine wave. I am just saying don't let the marketing hype fool/deceive you into thinking you need to avoid one of the many decent simulated sinewave UPS out there. For the records, I have an APC or Cyperpower simulated sinewave UPS on all our computers here, as well as my home theaters audio equipment and big screen TV, and my garage door open too. Even the electric blanket! And done so for over 20 years with no problems.

    On this computer, I have this 1500VA UPS. That is more than enough to support my i5, 4 DDR4 RAM sticks, 2 SSDs, a decent (read: power hungry!) graphics card, my wireless-AC router, a 4-port Gbit Ethernet switch, cable modem, USB hub, and my home phone - oh, and TWO 24" widescreen monitors. And it will provide power in the event of a full outage for about 40 to 45 minutes, 60 to 70 if I immediately turn off one monitor. And it will keep my network alive for many hours if I quickly power off the monitors and computer.

    Keeping the network alive is significant because it means I still have Internet access (and communication with the outside world!) via my portable wireless devices, even if all other power is out. :( No surge and spike protector can do that!
     
  7. xxJackxx

    xxJackxx Registered Member

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    I have this as well. Highly recommended. As much as I also like the CyberPower units, we have had a lot of failures over the last couple of years so we are sticking with APC. I know the original question was about surge protectors but I second the recommendation for a good UPS.
     
  8. noway

    noway Registered Member

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    I would try to increase budget a bit and get a used Surgex SX-1115-RT off Ebay. Example:

    https://www.ebay.ca/itm/175402160898

    They are "series mode" like their brethren from Brick Wall and Zero Surge. They are not sacrificial and don't degrade like MOV-based surge suppressors.

    Furman makes a combo unit with both "series mode" + MOVs ie. PST-8 but I would recommend the Surgex instead.
     
    Last edited: Nov 10, 2022
  9. xxJackxx

    xxJackxx Registered Member

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    I was unaware these existed. Thanks for the post.
     
  10. hawki

    hawki Registered Member

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    FWIW:

    The Trip Lite Isobars have an automatic shutoff that permanently cuts power to outlets if protection circuit is incapacitated.
     
  11. Antarctica

    Antarctica Registered Member

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    Agree it’s good. The only downside is the outlets that are too close each other.
     
  12. Bill_Bright

    Bill_Bright Registered Member

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  13. Acadia

    Acadia Registered Member

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  14. bellgamin

    bellgamin Registered Member

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    Wow, @Bill_Bright your #6 post gave me a real education. So I tried to buy UPS with AVR from Amazon. I couldn't find even one that they would ship to Hawaii. Am now re-grouping to search elsewhere (never was a horse that couldn't be rode...).
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    @noway -- I liked your post!!! I prefer to buy new so I took a look at the Furman PST-8 that you mentioned. HERE it is at Amazon for an okay-with-me price. However -- the description sounds like it's more for audio equipment than computers. Is it good as a power surge for computers as well as audio stuff?
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    @all -- LOTS of helpful, instructive comments in this thread. Thanks to all. :thumb::thumb::thumb:
     
  15. Bill_Bright

    Bill_Bright Registered Member

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    Wow! I have heard of paying extra to ship to Hawaii (and Alaska) but not refusing to ship at all.

    You might check out B&H. According to their shipping map here, they do ship to Hawaii too. I have bought a lot of stuff from them, including big screen TVs, home audio gear, and computer components.
     
  16. xxJackxx

    xxJackxx Registered Member

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    Some carriers don't like to handle batteries so I am not surprised. I hope you find someone that can get you something.
     
  17. bellgamin

    bellgamin Registered Member

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    I found a Furman surge protector for $55 FOB Hawaii. Made in USA. Details:

    EVS Extreme Voltage shutdown
    140 volt overvoltage shutdown
    95 volt undervoltage shutdown
    RFI/EMI filtration
    15 amps

    The EVS triggers at anything above 140V or below 95V. When this surge protector triggers, it doesn't sacrifice itself (no MOV) and it does not divert electrical surges to ground or to anywhere else. Instead, it instantly shuts down -- so your gear no longer has ANY power, & neither does your surge protector. No power, no surge.

    Once the situation is okay, you simply flip the surge protector's switch to return the surge protector & your gear to service.

    There is no UPS so... save often.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    The above is one candidate. The PTS-8 is another, but I'm still looking so -- B&H is next (thanks to @Bill_Bright ).
     
  18. Bill_Bright

    Bill_Bright Registered Member

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    And that's the problem. Suddenly killing power to any computer risks data and drive corruption as the open files (and there typically are dozens) do not have the time needed to properly save and close out "gracefully". This can result in corrupt files. If one of those corrupt files happen to be a critical program or worse, a system file, it can result in a corrupt and unbootable boot disk. If you are okay with that, then fine.

    I'm not fine with that.

    Even though I keep regular backups so I won't lose any data except that from the last backup, and even though I am now retired and have lots of time on my hands, I still have no desire wasting what's left of my time recovering all my data from a backup to a restored computer - not when a simple device, like a UPS, could have prevented that data loss from the start.
     
  19. bellgamin

    bellgamin Registered Member

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    I read you loud & clear. I have passed your comment #6's guidance along to my friends & family.

    In my situation, I don't need UPS. I am pretty much recliner-bound so my computer is a laptop. It's always plugged into house electricity via a surge protector, and its battery will keep it going for 3 or more hours whenever there's a power outage.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    A few hours later...

    I just bought the Tripp Isobar6 Outlet Surge Protector. at Amazon for $70.67 FOB Hawaii (Prime). Specifications & features are HERE. Several of you recommended this make. Many thanks!!!
     
    Last edited: Nov 11, 2022
  20. reasonablePrivacy

    reasonablePrivacy Registered Member

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    Note: really high surge can be relied by signalling cables also: crossover cable (Ethernet) connected to router or HDMI/USB-C connected to external monitor.
    I.e. In the event of a thunderstorm I use Wifi for laptop that is disconnected from electric grid, but I probably should buy some surge protector to secure monitor that can pass high voltage via HDMI or even more probably for work laptop's USB-C that not only carries signal but also can supply power.
     
  21. Bill_Bright

    Bill_Bright Registered Member

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    And what will you be using this laptop for during those extended power outages if your network is down because your modem and router have no power? If only the integrated Microsoft games (I'm addicted to Spider Solitaire) built into Windows, then no problem. But if thinking you still will have your laptop to communicate with the outside world, not so if your network is down too.

    I'm not bound to my La-Z-Boy - yet - but I do spend evenings there most nights watching TV. And that is where my laptop sits most of the time too. And I have a smaller 600VA UPS with AVR there for a couple reasons. (1) The AVR protects my laptop's power supply from surges and spikes, as well as dips and sags. But the UPS also provides power to the table lamp on the end table next to my La-Z-Boy so I can see what I am doing in the event of a full power outage. That 3-way bulb only uses 6W when in 650 lumens (50W equivalent) mode. And because my cable modem and wireless router are still being powered by the big UPS in the computer room, I can still surf the Internet, check emails, check the power company's outage map, and communicate with the outside world via my network.

    Just something to think about.
     
  22. bellgamin

    bellgamin Registered Member

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    Thanks again, @Bill_Bright -- I don't worry about the whole WiFi going down. I like to read & I have several ukuleles. However, a UPS for my reading light & shaver is a jolly good idea. So far I have checked 3 UPS at B&H & all stated, "Not available for this zip code." I'll try BestBuy . They have stores on-island where one of my progeny could pick one up for me.
     
  23. Bill_Bright

    Bill_Bright Registered Member

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    Well, don't know about Best Buy in Hawaii, but here, if you order on-line and have it delivered to the store, you don't pay shipping.

    If a member of one of the warehouse clubs, I note Sam's and Costco usually have a couple UPSs they sell.
     
  24. noway

    noway Registered Member

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    FWIW, with an EMF Detector, I once measured the EMF of the UPSs I used to have and the levels were very high and concerning because of how close they were to my body and hours/day of exposure. I haven't measured the alternatives however and there are mixed opinions on whether electromagnetic fields are harmful or not. They might even help us! Nevertheless, I got rid of mine. Once, smoking cigarettes was considered healthy. Can you imagine the liability if electromagnetic radiation in devices was proven to be harmful? It would be in the best interests of big business and profits to make sure that it never was. Everything from the cell phone in your pocket to the power lines you sleep under to the laptop above your privates etc. would be suspect.
     
  25. Bill_Bright

    Bill_Bright Registered Member

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    Well, without specifics, we cannot tell if you were being wise, or over-paranoid, or if that specific UPS was faulty, or not.

    Frankly, if I were worried about EMF and other radio waves in the air, I would be MUCH MORE concerned with cell phones and cell phone towers, microwave towers and ovens, overhead aircraft and satellites and every other wireless device in my neighborhood.
     
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