I am more interested in a really decent surge protection than UPS to be honest.
That's not the right way to think about it.
First, backup power during a full power outage is only a minor, bonus feature of a "good" UPS with AVR (automatic voltage regulation). By far, it is the AVR feature that makes a "good" UPS so important and desirable.
A Mussels points out, a "good" UPS will prevent a system crash and data/corruption. But it is important to note that such an event can also result in permanent equipment damage too. Most quality power supplies can tolerate many mild to moderate "hits". But not extreme anomalies. And even with mild to moderate hits, those add up and over time, will wear down even the best of power supplies. And while rare, a power supply that suddenly fails (depending on how it fails) can take out any component taken with it. So not only do you lose your data from a corrupt drive, you may end up with a destroyed CPU, RAM and motherboard too!
As far as surge protection with a surge and spike protector - not good enough! A surge and spike protector is little more than a fancy and expensive extension cord as they do absolutely nothing for abnormal low voltage events like dips (opposite of spikes) and sags (opposite of surges), or long duration sags (brownouts) - any of which can cause our electronics to suddenly stop, resulting in possible data corruption. And for "extreme" surges and spikes, a surge and spike protector simply kills power (if working properly) to our components. That's hardly good for our computer, drives, or data.
Surge and spike protectors wear out. So if the surge and spike protector is worn out (it is
recommended surge and spike protectors be replaced every 2 years) or damaged, they typically provide little to no protection at all.
And most give no warning or notification they need to be replaced.
A "good" UPS with AVR will help shape (regulate) the waveform into something more easily used by the devices plugged into it. In low voltage events, it will use the batteries to boost the voltage up to normal levels (without kicking over to full battery power). And in extreme high voltage events, it will use the batteries to dump the excess voltage (which batteries can absorb with ease), and/or dump the excess to ground (Earth).
Note I keep saying "good" UPS with AVR. Like power supplies, there are cheap, good, and best. The best are very expensive at $400 or more, and not needed for most users. The ATX Form Factor standard requires all PSUs "hold" voltages for a mere 16ms (milliseconds) during abnormal power events. If that 16ms drop caused a "flicker" in the lights, it would be way to short/fast for our brains to even detect it. Yet a "good" UPS can react easily within that time frame.
Note I have an APC 1500VA UPS. That is more than enough to support my computer, wireless router, cable modem, home phone - oh, and TWO 24" widescreen monitors from power anomalies. And it will provide power in the event of a full outage for about 50 minutes. 65 minutes if I immediately turn off one monitor. And it will keep my wireless network alive for several hours if I quickly shutdown the computer and turn off the monitors when the power goes off. Still having Internet access via a wireless device during a full power outage might even be considered much more than a "minor bonus feature!"
Many assume if they have a modern, clean and stable power grid, they don't need a "good" UPS. That is not true. Any large appliance inside your home can produce destructive anomalies. Refrigerators, water coolers, microwave ovens, toasters are all capable of dumping surges, spikes, dips and sags onto the circuit EVERY TIME they cycle on and off. Modern high-wattage appliances
attempt to suppress such anomalies –
"IF" they are not damaged and are working properly. But low-tech cheap appliances will not. A cheap, $15, 1500W hair dryer assembled in some obscure factory in the backwoods of China, using under-trained, under-aged
, often forced
labor, assembled with questionable parts from a similar factory upriver, comes to mind.
The one downside to a UPS is the batteries do need to be replaced every 2 - 5 years, depending on how they are used (abused?) during normal operation. However, these are user-replaceable with most UPS and if you shop around, you can find replacements much cheaper than sold by the UPS maker. I never buy my replacement batteries from the UPS maker.
For the record, I live in
Tornado Alley. I have an UPS on all my computers, the home theater audio equipment and TV, garage door opener, and even my electric blanket!