Computers and their accessories have so many power cords that power strips and surge protectors are not just common place, they are necessary. Guess what, a surge protector will not do the trick.
The electricity coming into most peoples home is ‘dirty’. This means it is constantly surging and dipping. These abnormal peaks and valleys are extremely rough on the computer. They can significantly shorten the life of your computer and even suffer a complete burn out.
So why won’t a surge protector do the trick. There are two reasons. First, most surge protectors will protect against one big surge, after which the fuse burns out and the surge protector will no longer protect you against the electrical peaks. Second, power dips are just as rough on your computer, surge protectors have no way to deal with power dips. I know this from first hand experience because I lost a power supply and my computer speakers from my electricity surging then dipping erratically one evening.
This is where battery backups come into play. Battery backups have fuses that can be reset. This means, every time a surge blows the fuse, you just press the button and reset the fuse so it is good to go for the next surge. Regarding power dips, a battery backup has a battery inside of it, surprise surprise. When the power dips below a certain level, the battery kicks on and compensates for the drop.
You can pick up a decent battery backup for $40-$70 and they look just like a big fat surge protector. Pick one up, it is a cheap way to help protect your computer. Plus, most of them offer tens of thousands of dollars in insurance if they fail to protect your hardware.
