Recommendation for a surge protector bar

[Carsomyr]

Do you guys recommend a specific surge protector power bar for a high end gaming PC (1200w psu)

This appartement has fluctuating levels of electricity as I can tell from my big bad power bar (power station) which is hooked to my home theater...

I like the idea of a having a power bar that many outlet slots as well as good filtering for noise introduced by electricity.... Etc...

What do you guys use?

 

[Bill_Bright]

None. Instead, I recommend a good UPS with AVR (automatic voltage regulation). Note it is the AVR that makes a good UPS so valuable. Backup power during a full power outage is just a minor bonus. I like APC UPS but many like CyberPower too - which tend to be a little cheaper.

If you plug your hardware into the eXtreme Power Supply Calculator, it will recommend a minimum UPS size too. That said, I would just look for a decent 1500VA UPS. Without knowing all your hardware, I still would suggest that would be plenty to support your computer, all your network gear, and, depending on the size, at least one LCD monitor too.

 

[eidairaman1]

None. Instead, I recommend a good UPS with AVR (automatic voltage regulation). Note it is the AVR that makes a good UPS so valuable. Backup power during a full power outage is just a minor bonus. I like APC UPS but many like CyberPower too - which tend to be a little cheaper.

If you plug your hardware into the eXtreme Power Supply Calculator, it will recommend a minimum UPS size too. That said, I would just look for a decent 1500VA UPS. Without knowing all your hardware, I still would suggest that would be plenty to support your computer, all your network gear, and, depending on the size, at least one LCD monitor too.

Is APC worth their Salt Still?

 

[freeagent]

I've been using a Monster HDP-1800 for years. I have my computer, Hisense tv, NAD receiver, Monitor Audio sub, Tannoy sub, PS4, Switch, and a lamp plugged into it. Works great!!

I use an APC power bar on my x58 rig, it works.. its nothing fancy.

 

[John Naylor]

Is APC worth their Salt Still?

When I first started shopping for UPSs, APC "was the Cadillac of UPSs". We had all APC units up thru about 2010 or so .... Our electrical contractor that we use for water treatment plants has a lot of NYC financial firms in contract ... they spent a good part of 2010 - 2012 swapping out the APCs for other brands (Cyberpower and Tripplite). I have an old 750 VA APC unit that I still use... battery died and I had the contractor test it ... replaced the battery and put back in use.

Soon after they were bought by Schneider Electric (2008-9 ?), ... we noticed that the APC quality and service starting to tank and warrantess shortening. For a while, we had a mix and later we began phasing out the APC units. We found APC support is a bit standoffish; Even here in 2019, the Cyber folks will talk you for 30 minutes and call ya back 10 days later just to make sure all is right with the thing.

As for the OP.... I wouldn't bother with Power Sticks... if you just want surge protectioon, the $15 - $25 hardware store crap is just that. Up into the 90s, we used the under monitor type which I liked for the switched in which I could turn off all the peripherals. Back them the motto was... if it doesn't cost $90 it ain't worth having.

This is the type I would recommend if a UPS is beyond the budget.

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Sorry I can't give ya more here ... we stopped using them maybe 20 years ago ... tho i still have 1 or 2 laying around that i can only find when I'm not looking for one.

If you do wanna go the UPS route , I'll give ya a short synopsis how we settled into what and how you might go about picking one.

After the APC days, the 1st the Cyberpower models we were recommending / using was the CyberPower PR1500LCD ... has a run time in excess of 20 minutes but weighs 50-60 pounds. Started to hate them when that important paper fell behind the desk and you had to move it to retrieve and vacuum. ... and they ain't cheap ranging from $325 to $400 over last few years. Now we use and recommend the Cyberpower CP1500PFCLCD - (PFC Pure Sine Wave / 100 % Active PFC Compatible Model) which goes for @ $200 ... IIRC, last one I bought was $184 .. otrdered it Saturday night around 11:30 pm and it was here Monday afternoon via Prime free delivery.

CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD UPS

pcpartpicker.com

Did a web search on "Best UPS" just to see what some of the "weekend experts" listed. Can't say I was enamored with any one of their "evaluation processes". Seems like everyone just googling and stealing from tidbits from each other .. also noticed a lot of wrong data. So I wouldn't put much faith in how they picked... maybe they just mined betetr sources than I found or maybe the pulled outta you can guess where.

The best UPS battery backup for PC gaming in 2024

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Top 15 Best UPS for Gaming PCs

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ramresearch.org

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www.techradar.com

When I go looking, I usually go on newegg and type in 1500 VA.... $150 - $400 and look around ... you can sort by most reviews, best rating, best selling. I generally sort first on "best rating" to whittle it down a bit to 3-4 models with at least 100 reviews and then start matching needs with available models

1500 VA UPS | Newegg.com

Search Newegg.com for 1500 VA UPS. Get fast shipping and top-rated customer service.

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Then I'll read the reviews to see what kind of problems people experiences, check the warrranty and important stats and how they fared with any tech support experiences and make a pick. I have a 1250 watt PSU that tops out at about 775 watts at the wall under stress testing ... in gaming it rarely breaks 685.

 

[Bill_Bright]

Is APC worth their Salt Still?

Sure. Many accuse them of going downhill when Schneider bought them, but I don't agree. I just think APC sat on their laurels while CyberPower, Tripp Lite and others caught up to them with very competitive prices. And at the same time the marketing weenies at CyberPower and others went into overdrive pushing "pure sinewave" UPS, claiming anything less was inadequate. That was just pure marketing hogwash - and still is. A good quality "stepped approximation" UPS with any decent quality PSU works just fine.

The only equipment that might need a pure sinewave output UPS would be very critical life support medical equipment in operating rooms and intensive care units.

I note some will claim stepped approximated (AKA, simulated/artificial) waveforms mess with Active PFC. Again, hogwash. Maybe with an el cheapo supreme generic PSU. But not with any decent quality PSU from your standard reputable makers. Just as an example, check out the EVGA Knowledge base and select "Power Supply" FAQs and note the following:

Question / Issue

Do EVGA Power Supplies support UPS backup devices that support Line-Interactive AVR UPS which uses a simulated/artificial sine wave?

Answer / Solution

Yes, all EVGA power supplies support UPS backup devices.[/TD][/LEFT]

I am NOT saying pure sinewave UPS should be avoided. In fact, if the price is right, and the size is right, and the features (number of sockets, LCD display) are right, I say go for it. But I am also saying don't discount a UPS just because it has a stepped approximation output wave form.

Remember, that output waveform only matters when the UPS is delivering backup (battery) power. The rest of the time, it is the AVR that doing the work, and that is a sinewave. As noted, I live in Tornado Alley so power issues are very frequent. But according to the logs, my APC 1500VA UPS kicked over to battery backup 10 times in the last 3 months. Not good. But I also note the total time was just 50 seconds. All other "events" were handled by the AVR.

Oh, and if you have several large AC/DC power blocks - especially those that may cover sockets on the back of the UPS, I recommend 18 inch spider extension cords. These are great behind computer desks and home entertainment centers too.