UPS or Surge Protector

[Ritwik7]

Hi everyone.

I'm in a dilemma right now. I was using a 600VA (360W) Powercom UPS with my PC. However, when I overclocked my processor and played any game it would start beeping frantically. I presumed it was because it could not handle the power required to run the system.

I anyway have an inverter at home for backup power when there's power outage. It also provides backup to my PC. (It's actually connected to one of the electrical points in my room into which I plug in my PC UPS.) So I decided to remove the UPS and purchased a cheap surge protector strip into which I plugged in my monitor and power supply (which were previously connected to the UPS).

It was running fine for a couple of weeks. Today, while playing Modern Warfare 2, I heard a crackling sound from the surge suppressor and then the computer just shut down. I powered back up and after a while the same thing happened again. I have a feeling that the suppressor is damaged. As I said before it was a cheap one of local make.

I'm wondering now whether I should get a new UPS or a better surge protector like Belkin.

What would you guys suggest? If it's a UPS, what rating (VA and Watts) should I purchase?

Thanks for reading through. Any ideas are greatly appreciated.

 

[DelJo63]

Fundamental differences twix Surge protection and UPS ; inverter at home for backup power is ok but read on.

The Surge protector will only be effective for postive voltage spikes (ie increasing voltage) like a lighting strike.

A UPS is a power conditioning device; it regulates for both increasing and decreasing voltages; clearly much better.

A home inverter is like a UPS, but really only ensures continuous power availability, not
voltage regulation to the degree a UPS would provide.

AVR ratings? hm -- depends upon what is connected to it. Personally I protect the system and the network modem+router, but not the printer(s) or the old CRT monitor to a file server. My goal is to protect DATA on the systems and to allow cheap stuff to be sacrificed if necessary. Clearly the network devices are 'cheap' but I protect them purely as a convience to my users.

My UPS is a Cyberpower 800 AVR for a Mac+a celeron powered laptop + modem + netgear router and linksys switch.

 

[hellokitty[hk]]

A UPS is a power conditioning device; it regulate for both increasing and decreasing voltages; clearly much better.

Yes, I believe using a UPS will also protect from surges...

 

[Ritwik7]

My system specs are:

AMD Phenom II X3 720 @ 3.6GHz
2x2GB DDR3 Memory
Powercolor Radeon HD 4890 GPU
ASUS M4A78T-E Motherboard
1TB Seagate Barracuda
Cooler Master Extreme Power 600W

I find that a 600VA, 360W UPS is insufficient to proberly run the system. What UPS should I get?