Do I Need A Surge Protector For My PC? [Definitive Answer]

Wondering whether you need a surge protector for your PC? I have conducted the research to help you figure that out!

Some suggest, and some do not, but rest assured, the surge protectors can come as a savior if you live in an area with continuous electric blackouts and voltage instability.

If you’re curious about the surge protector and how it works to keep your computer safe, keep reading the post.

Here, I will discuss everything you need to know about whether you need a surge protector for your PC or not.

What Is A Power Surge?

Surge protectors work as a barrier and save other electrical devices from being fried or damaged, which are connected to the surge protector outlet. Surge protectors send excessive electric voltage into the ground when voltage spikes more than the acceptable limit.

Surge Protectors have a grounding wire that goes directly into the ground or the earthing line, which helps to divert abnormal electricity into the ground via a grounding wire.

A power surge can happen for a few reasons. Whenever the electrical flow is interrupted, electric power is increased, sent back to the system or when an abnormal increase in voltage is sent outside or inside.

Power surge changes the voltage from a couple of milliseconds to more than a second, this range can fluctuate from 0 to 169 volts, and this range can exceed by thousands when lightning strikes power lines or a transformer.

Check out our separate post: Can You Plug a Surge Protector into a UPS.

How Do Surge Protectors Work?

Surge protectors work as a barrier and save other electrical devices from being fried, which are connected to the surge protector outlet. Surge protectors divert the excessive electric voltage to the ground when voltage spikes more than the acceptable limit.

Surge protectors have a grounding wire that goes directly into the ground, which helps to divert abnormal electricity into the ground via a grounding wire.

Although, keep in mind that a surge protector will not be able to help you every single time.

This means that a Surge Protector can do its charm to protect your electrical devices for a specific time. Surge Protector offers protection from power surges for a certain number of joules.

There are various types of surge protectors available in the market, an example being a 1000 joules Surge Protector that can handle ten 100-volt hits, two 200-volt hits or one 1000-volt hit, and this goes as same for 1500 joules & 2000 joules surge protectors.

So you can say that surge protectors work to divert the high voltage in the ground or absorb excessive joules to keep your devices safe.

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Do I Need A Surge Protector For My PC?

Yes, it would be best if you got a surge protector. For a small price, it will not only give you protection from unstable electricity or a significant dip in voltage but also keep you tension free when the power goes out or from thunderstorms outside. I recommend you get this.

You should know that nowadays, most of the high-quality computer components are made with in-built surge suppression that protects from interrupted voltage and electricity but getting a surge protector is still justified because it will work as an extra layer of protection.

To keep your PC safe all the time, a surge protector is an excellent choice over UPS if you have a limited budget.

Many would argue and place UPS over the surge protector, but If you are searching for protection without losing the thickness of your wallet, you should choose a surge protector.

The difference between Surge Protector and UPS will clear your mind.

Surge Protector Vs. UPS

From the table, you can see that UPS gives you a lot of features. However, it costs more than surge protectors.

On average, a good UPS for running a computer and monitor simultaneously costs 250$-1000$, but you can get a surge protector with 1000-1200 joules capacity from 20$ to 50$.

Surge protector won’t provide any battery backup, but it will keep your computer safe when power surges.

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Are Surge Protectors Necessary?

Yes, surge protectors are necessary for better safety. It gives you an advantage and prepares you for unexpected power surges. Because you and I don’t know when the power surge might happen, if you have a surge protector, you won’t have to think about them.

It’s good to have an extra layer of protection, but whether surge protectors are necessary or not that depends on the area you live in.

If you live in an area facing constant storms, lightning strikes and unexpected weather conditions or in a neighborhood with frequent power surges, then surge protectors are not only necessary but also an integral piece to have in daily life.

In 2008, I bought a computer, but because of the thunderstorm, my Power Supply Unit fried the next day.

You would not want your precious computer, or any other electronic device damaged when an inexpensive surge protector can save you from these situations.

Which Devices Need A Surge Protector?

The most expensive electrical devices should always have a surge protector for safety purposes. You and I would not want the power surge to damage your precious computer or other products. So I recommend you use a surge protector on the devices that are precious to you.

For example, you don’t need to connect a light bulb with a surge protector because when the surge happens, the worst-case scenario is the bulb will get fused and will cost a few dollars to replace.

On the other hand, you would not want your computer to be unsafe because computer hardware is more expensive than a light bulb and takes more time to build, whereas changing a light bulb takes not more than a minute.

Plus, on the computer, many personal files with emotional value can get ruined if a lightning bolt strikes on top of your house.

You can connect your Gaming console, Television, Washing machine, etc., with the surge protector.

In bad weather, you can plug your charger in to charge your phone via a surge protector in bad weather.

Remember: You would not want every electrical product in your house to have protection with a surge protector. Then every corner of your house will be whole with wires, and you will trip over every minute.

Check out our epic guide to know Is it Bad to Leave Your PC On Overnight.

Can A Surge Protector Cause Problems?

No, a surge protector does not cause any problems. Instead, it helps you to give you fewer problems in life. A surge protector protects you by blocking the excess power spike that can short-circuit your computer components and other electrical devices or fry them in worse situations.

So there is no scope to have problems with surge protectors.

However, when a powercut occurs, your devices powered by low-volt adaptors might have some problems.

Most commonly, WiFi routers might have unexpected restarts when your area faces a massive power surge, and lights connected to the surge protector can start flickering for a few seconds.

So rest assured that surge protectors will not cause any problems to your computer or other connected electric devices.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Question 1: Is It Safe To Use A Laptop Without A Surge Protector?

Yes, it is safe to use a laptop without any surge protector. Laptops are not meant to be used with a charger on.

This way, the laptop battery gets weak. So even if you use your laptop with the charger on, a Power surge happens, and it will only damage your charger and battery. In other words, your laptop will highly likely be fine.

Question 2: Will A Surge Protector Protect My PC From Lightning?

Yes, a surge protector will protect your PC from lightning, and In the worst-case scenario, if a lightning bolt’s power is greater than your surge protector’s capacity, it will sacrifice itself to keep your PC safe and sound.

Question 3: Is It Safe To Use A PC During A Thunderstorm?

No, it is advised not to use your PC during the thunderstorm and not only your PC. Both PC and other electronic devices should not be used when thunderstorms outside.

Final Words

surge protectors play a considerable role in keeping your PC and other electronic devices safe during a power surge or bad weather.

It is a must-have power protection tool if you want to safely protect your PC and other hardware products within a tight budget.

In this post, I have explained whether you need a surge protector for your PC. I hope I have found the answer you were looking for before reading this post.

Thanks for reading, and if you have any more PC safety-related questions, don’t forget to comment below.