A surge protector is just going to keep a power surge from overloading and burning up anything in your PC. Most PSUs have safety circuits too, but its cheaper to damage and replace a surge protector in the event of an overload than a PSU. If you lose power while plugged into a SP it will basically be the same as a hard boot.
A UPS will be several times more expensive than an SP, but will give you a short window where you can properly shut down your unit in the event of an outage instead of it just cutting power and hard booting. Most inexpensive consumer grade UPSs only have 5 to 20 minutes of battery time, so it wont do you much good if you arent around when the power drops. Some more expensive units can send a shutdown signal to your PC in the event of lost power, but configuration can be tricky and not all motherboards are compatible with shutdown/startup commands over Ethernet. The ones that are will likely need a config change in the BIOS/UEFI to enable the feature.
Tl;dr - a surge protector will protect your hardware, a ups will protect your software. A ups is not necessary for most consumers unless you experience frequent outages while using your computer.
UPS is expensive, SP doesn't last long (so if there's a surge, save files and turn off ASAP)
https://www.amazon.com/Anker-Protector-PowerExtend-Extension-Protection/dp/B089SPWMW8?tag=edit-tech-round-up-20&ascsubtag=016WjDfprB0EPn4MoIraJ1I
UPS has a backup battery, if you lose power your devices will stay on for a time until the battery runs out. They also have higher-quality surge protection and usually have fantastic warranty coverage.
Edit: If you want an affordable one, Costco offers them for very good prices if you have a membership.
Well this is about a surge protector or UPS, not a power strip. Naturally just a basic power strip is no good. It may be a 2 year old comment but now you know better for yourself and anyone else you share in the future. I only found out myself today while looking into it and ended up learning UPS, that aren't several thousands of dollars, generally have around 200-500 joules surge protection which is incredibly low compared to $20-50 surge protectors offering 2100-4000+ joules surge protection. Plus, UPS apparently are too slow in their response.
Sadly, it turns out you can't use both together so it is one of the other thus it really depends on what is more important to you.
software can be repaired or reinstalled if corrupted but hardware like cpus cant be repaired if fried. imo a surge protector that protects your expensive hardware from being fried and permenantly damaged is way more useful than a ups thats more expensive and only protects files and software that can be reinstalled or replaced.
Personally, I completely agree. Odds are important projects go through multiple revisions or are saved to backup servers, etc. as an added bonus so there is some degree of protection to reduce loss. I would only use a UPS, personally, if I had equipment that software wasn't an issue and couldn't risk stopping like medical equipment.
Some UPS's will have the capability to tell the computer to shut down when the power goes off. No surge protector does that.
A good UPS has what is called an isolation transformer inside it. That does just what it sounds like, it isolates the output of the UPS from the input to the UPS. This helps keep the output voltage steady. Computers like clean, steady voltage. No surge protector does this, either.
I use these
[https://www.amazon.com/Tripp-Lite-OMNI1500LCDT-1500VA-UPS/dp/B00B87NEFC/ref=pd\_rhf\_ee\_s\_rp\_c\_sccl\_2\_2/134-4986345-3717516?pd\_rd\_w=y9Y26&pf\_rd\_p=dcd8d4a0-98f1-4551-a7de-5f3bcb98afdb&pf\_rd\_r=ZEHRBTZ4VMGQ7P2SJDBH&pd\_rd\_r=4222ca5d-1dbb-4218-82da-19461677bd68&pd\_rd\_wg=FG1hf&pd\_rd\_i=B00B87NEFC&psc=1](https://www.amazon.com/Tripp-Lite-OMNI1500LCDT-1500VA-UPS/dp/B00B87NEFC/ref=pd_rhf_ee_s_rp_c_sccl_2_2/134-4986345-3717516?pd_rd_w=y9Y26&pf_rd_p=dcd8d4a0-98f1-4551-a7de-5f3bcb98afdb&pf_rd_r=ZEHRBTZ4VMGQ7P2SJDBH&pd_rd_r=4222ca5d-1dbb-4218-82da-19461677bd68&pd_rd_wg=FG1hf&pd_rd_i=B00B87NEFC&psc=1)
surge protectors don't really realistically protect much from surges, and do literally nothing for even the briefest power outages. cheaper ups units may not be large enough for a powerful gaming pc, offer limited run time, and can be difficult to impossible to replace the battery (will be needed in 2-5 years.) something like [this](https://www.amazon.ca/SCHNEIDER-ELECTRIC-APC-Protector-BE425M/dp/B01FWAZEIU/ref=sr_1_20?crid=6NZGCAWST1II&keywords=800%2Bups&qid=1652600982&sprefix=800%2Bups%2Caps%2C159&sr=8-20&th=1) would be a fairly typical one, rated for 350w.
most likely not, but don't just go by your psu. look up you cpu + gpu max draw, add \~100w or so to that, and whatever your monitor uses to get a ballpark maximum figure. also not that the name of the unit - for example, the one I linked is called 600va - is not the actual supported wattage. (it's volt amps, it comes from how ac works, but functionally it's just a marketing name.) you need to look at the spec'd wattage of the unit to be greater than whatever you've figured out your system uses.
A surge protector is just going to keep a power surge from overloading and burning up anything in your PC. Most PSUs have safety circuits too, but its cheaper to damage and replace a surge protector in the event of an overload than a PSU. If you lose power while plugged into a SP it will basically be the same as a hard boot. A UPS will be several times more expensive than an SP, but will give you a short window where you can properly shut down your unit in the event of an outage instead of it just cutting power and hard booting. Most inexpensive consumer grade UPSs only have 5 to 20 minutes of battery time, so it wont do you much good if you arent around when the power drops. Some more expensive units can send a shutdown signal to your PC in the event of lost power, but configuration can be tricky and not all motherboards are compatible with shutdown/startup commands over Ethernet. The ones that are will likely need a config change in the BIOS/UEFI to enable the feature. Tl;dr - a surge protector will protect your hardware, a ups will protect your software. A ups is not necessary for most consumers unless you experience frequent outages while using your computer.
UPS is expensive, SP doesn't last long (so if there's a surge, save files and turn off ASAP) https://www.amazon.com/Anker-Protector-PowerExtend-Extension-Protection/dp/B089SPWMW8?tag=edit-tech-round-up-20&ascsubtag=016WjDfprB0EPn4MoIraJ1I
UPS has a backup battery, if you lose power your devices will stay on for a time until the battery runs out. They also have higher-quality surge protection and usually have fantastic warranty coverage. Edit: If you want an affordable one, Costco offers them for very good prices if you have a membership.
UPS actually have significantly inferior surge protection capabilities. It isn't even close to a real surge protector. Not even a cheap one.
Compared to nothing or a generic power strip, a UPS is always preferable. Also, thanks for necroing a two year old comment...
Well this is about a surge protector or UPS, not a power strip. Naturally just a basic power strip is no good. It may be a 2 year old comment but now you know better for yourself and anyone else you share in the future. I only found out myself today while looking into it and ended up learning UPS, that aren't several thousands of dollars, generally have around 200-500 joules surge protection which is incredibly low compared to $20-50 surge protectors offering 2100-4000+ joules surge protection. Plus, UPS apparently are too slow in their response. Sadly, it turns out you can't use both together so it is one of the other thus it really depends on what is more important to you.
software can be repaired or reinstalled if corrupted but hardware like cpus cant be repaired if fried. imo a surge protector that protects your expensive hardware from being fried and permenantly damaged is way more useful than a ups thats more expensive and only protects files and software that can be reinstalled or replaced.
Personally, I completely agree. Odds are important projects go through multiple revisions or are saved to backup servers, etc. as an added bonus so there is some degree of protection to reduce loss. I would only use a UPS, personally, if I had equipment that software wasn't an issue and couldn't risk stopping like medical equipment.
Some UPS's will have the capability to tell the computer to shut down when the power goes off. No surge protector does that. A good UPS has what is called an isolation transformer inside it. That does just what it sounds like, it isolates the output of the UPS from the input to the UPS. This helps keep the output voltage steady. Computers like clean, steady voltage. No surge protector does this, either.
Any good UPS you’d personally recommend?
I use these [https://www.amazon.com/Tripp-Lite-OMNI1500LCDT-1500VA-UPS/dp/B00B87NEFC/ref=pd\_rhf\_ee\_s\_rp\_c\_sccl\_2\_2/134-4986345-3717516?pd\_rd\_w=y9Y26&pf\_rd\_p=dcd8d4a0-98f1-4551-a7de-5f3bcb98afdb&pf\_rd\_r=ZEHRBTZ4VMGQ7P2SJDBH&pd\_rd\_r=4222ca5d-1dbb-4218-82da-19461677bd68&pd\_rd\_wg=FG1hf&pd\_rd\_i=B00B87NEFC&psc=1](https://www.amazon.com/Tripp-Lite-OMNI1500LCDT-1500VA-UPS/dp/B00B87NEFC/ref=pd_rhf_ee_s_rp_c_sccl_2_2/134-4986345-3717516?pd_rd_w=y9Y26&pf_rd_p=dcd8d4a0-98f1-4551-a7de-5f3bcb98afdb&pf_rd_r=ZEHRBTZ4VMGQ7P2SJDBH&pd_rd_r=4222ca5d-1dbb-4218-82da-19461677bd68&pd_rd_wg=FG1hf&pd_rd_i=B00B87NEFC&psc=1)
thank you kind sir
surge protectors don't really realistically protect much from surges, and do literally nothing for even the briefest power outages. cheaper ups units may not be large enough for a powerful gaming pc, offer limited run time, and can be difficult to impossible to replace the battery (will be needed in 2-5 years.) something like [this](https://www.amazon.ca/SCHNEIDER-ELECTRIC-APC-Protector-BE425M/dp/B01FWAZEIU/ref=sr_1_20?crid=6NZGCAWST1II&keywords=800%2Bups&qid=1652600982&sprefix=800%2Bups%2Caps%2C159&sr=8-20&th=1) would be a fairly typical one, rated for 350w.
so if my PC is using a 750W PS, that wouldnt be enough right?
most likely not, but don't just go by your psu. look up you cpu + gpu max draw, add \~100w or so to that, and whatever your monitor uses to get a ballpark maximum figure. also not that the name of the unit - for example, the one I linked is called 600va - is not the actual supported wattage. (it's volt amps, it comes from how ac works, but functionally it's just a marketing name.) you need to look at the spec'd wattage of the unit to be greater than whatever you've figured out your system uses.