[SOLVED] looking for something to protect my PC from power issues

[mrb00ce]

I'm looking for something to protect my PC from power fluctuations and low voltages. On a budget so can anyone suggest something?

 

[Newtonius]

A surge protector

 

[Gam3r01]

A surge protector

A surge protector does neither of the things the OP wants.
For fluctuations and low voltages you would want a UPS (uninterruptable power supply) to cover the operating load until power returns to the proper, stable level.

 

[Ralston18]

Seconding @Gam3r01

A UPS - yes.

But do not plan to use the UPS to keep gaming or working for very long. The purpose of a UPS is to allow you to gracefully shutdown the system without losing or corrupting data.

What is your budget?

The cost of a UPS increases with the time that it must provide power to the supported devices.

And surge protection is not "forever". A surge protector can only take so many hits (Joules) before becoming ineffective.

Especially those "surge protectors" commonly found on sale and/or in discount bins.

 

[mrb00ce]

Seconding @Gam3r01

A UPS - yes.

But do not plan to use the UPS to keep gaming or working for very long. The purpose of a UPS is to allow you to gracefully shutdown the system without losing or corrupting data.

What is your budget?

The cost of a UPS increases with the time that it must provide power to the supported devices.

And surge protection is not "forever". A surge protector can only take so many hits (Joules) before becoming ineffective.

Especially those "surge protectors" commonly found on sale and/or in discount bins.

I don't want to use my system when the power cuts out i just want enough time to shut the PC down and a UPS that can protect my PC.

 

[Ralston18]

"I don't want to use my system when the power cuts out i just want enough time to shut the PC down and a UPS that can protect my PC. "

Excellent - all the better.

Hopefully all you need is 4 or 5 minutes to gracefully and properly shutdown the PC. Much less expensive than trying to run for an hour or so. Which may be moot any way if there is a general power outage and all ISP connections and devices are down.

= = = =

Look for product reviews for UPS's available in your area.

Or UPS's that you can be certain of being able to order and then receive.

Read UPS User Guides/Manuals. Visit manufacturer websites to read Forums and FAQ's. Look for what is said and what is not said.

Lastly: Backups. Ensure that you have an active and ongoing process to back up your computer OS (image/clone) and data.

Just in case......

 

[OrlyP]

I don't want to use my system when the power cuts out i just want enough time to shut the PC down and a UPS that can protect my PC.

That's the very reason for having a UPS. Most are already line-interactive (fancy speak for having a built-in AVR) as well as having surge suppression circuits.

The next step is to find the right-sized UPS for the amount of power your computer consumes and for how long you want the UPS to support it so you'll have enough time to do a proper shutdown.