Protecting your computer equipment can be a tricky and costly endeavor. Most people have used a simple power strip to plug in multiple electronic devices. These are typically designed to work as basic surge protectors.
A surge protector simply is a device that dissipates excess high voltage to your ground wire - that third hole below the two long flat holes of a typical outlet.
Surges are caused by several things; High powered electrical devices like refrigerators or air-conditioners can cause spikes or surges in an electrical circuit. Most people assume lightening is the cause of spikes - actually it is the least common cause. Of course lightening strikes are a lot more destructive, and lightening strikes don’t have to hit your electric lines directly to cause surges in your equipment.
Surge protectors come in a variety of sizes shapes and prices. Of course the cheap $5 to $10 variety provide little or no real protection. The differences are usually in the reliability of the unit, and features. Since this device is obviously protecting a lot more expensive equipment it’s a good idea to spend a little money on it. I wouldn’t purchase any surge protector power strip for less than $25 - make sure you are getting an active light indicator that tells you the unit is actually protecting the circuit (at the very least). Other useful options are line conditioning - this smooths out small fluctuations in line voltage that can stress you computer components and lessen their lifespan.
A UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) is basically a battery. It is kept charged by the AC power from your outlet, and the computer itself plugs into the UPS unit. Good UPS devices can do what a surge protector does and protect against power “brown-outs” (when power voltage drops less to than 120 volts.)
A UPS can cost from $50 to hundreds! The best type of UPS is a continuous UPS. This UPS powers the computer full time through its battery and provides very stable “clean” power for all attached devices (Its battery recharges constantly as the connected devices draw power directly from the battery). A standby UPS on the other hand only switches over to its battery power when it senses problems with the power coming from your utility lines. Generally there is a small lag in the time that it takes a UPS to switch from wall outlet power to the battery. The better variety will do this switching very quickly.
There are many tools available to the cautious electronics owner beyond just simple surge suppressors and UPS, Some companies can install more complex devices to give you more complete protection, of course for a nominal fee. If you are serious about protecting your electronics from electrical damage you should own surge protectors and a continuous UPS, and always unplug your equipment when not in use. No device can completely shield your computer from a direct lightening strike into the electric transmission lines! Get more computer fix it tips here!