Q:
Bob, I really enjoy your Sunday afternoon show; it’s very helpful
and there's nothing else on TV or radio that compares. You recently
discussed protectors for surges and brownouts, would you mind to recommend 1 or
2.
Thanks.
A:
In recent months, battery backups (UPS’s, or
uninterruptible power supplies) have come down in price an incredible deal ...
compared to a year or two ago, they are plain dirt-cheap now. I strongly
recommend that you go with a UPS rather than a plain surge protector for several
reasons:
1)
Many computer problems can be caused by brownouts, not just surges. A
battery backup protects you from both.
2)
A battery backup, even if it only lasts for a few minutes, gives you an
opportunity to save your work and shut down properly.
3)
A really good quality surge protector should cost you at least $30 ... I paid
around $50 for mine. You can now occasionally find battery backups in the
sale catalogs for as little as $29.95 after rebate.
For surge protectors (not battery backups) the most important thing to look at
is the Joule rating. This determines how big of a surge it can protect
against. I recommend 1000 joules at the absolute bare minimum. 1600
joules or higher is a good, safe number.
As for battery backups, you shouldn't have to worry about the joule rating
because they all should have sufficient surge protection. However, you
need to be careful to choose one that supplies enough power for your computer.
You should check on the box of the battery backup to see if it will support your
computer and monitor for a reasonable amount of time. Most of them will
have a table. The monitor is the main determinant in the length of time
that you should get; if you have a 15" monitor, a 250VA UPS may do the
trick. I would recommend at least a 300VA UPS if you have a 17"
monitor, and a 500VA UPS if you have a 19" monitor.
As for the brand, for surge protectors, I strongly stand behind Belkin.
They make excellent products. When it comes to battery backups, APC is the
most well known brand. However, I have had excellent luck with all the
brands in local stores now. I pretty have a UPS from every brand in local
stores now, and they all work excellent. I honestly would just look for
the best deal.
Kyle
Harmon