surge protect?

[kevws]

Well I hope I got this subject in the right forum. I was told by someone in a different forum that surge protectors are really not needed anymore, because of the onboard abilities of hardware now. Is this true or is that person full of #$%.?

 

[tiraides]

He's full of shit.

The "onboard abilities of hardware" can't predict when a power outage will occur, let alone whether or not old wiring in your house/apartment/whatever can handle the full load of your system. A surge protector or an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) adds a(nother) layer of protection between your PC and your power source. An UPS is an even better choice as the battery backup will give you time to properly shut down your system, further minimizing damage to it.

 

[Dropseaa]

Get yourself a power conditioner. Whoever that someone was was totally incorrect.

 

[Mopower]

I wouldn't trust anything less than a battery backup.

 

[Dalfo002]

Living in (or near) the lightning capital of the US, and being the local go-to guy for friends and family, i have seen plenty of issues related to poor power regulation. Don't chance it. cheap surge suppression is better than nothing (but still not very good), a back-up power unit is better, and a proper UPS (if you can actually find/afford one) is best; couple that with surge suppression at the service panel and you are in even better shape.

 

[engiNURD]

Wait for a good deal on a UPS if you can't afford something like what Costco offers. The capacity of the UPS depends on your system, though, so if you need help choosing one, let us know your specs.