UPS or good surge protector

I don't need battery back up, so I'll get that out of the way first.

But, from what I've read, most of, if not all of the good UPS have circuit conditioning so that your pc/workstation always has clean power.

Do the good surge protector condition the power like the UPS or does it just protect against surges and spikes?

This is what I was looking at for surge protection: FRYS.com | HP

As for UPS, if I were to go that route, how do I choose the correct one? Is it based on just runtime via batter or do I have to take into consideration my computer's total wattage usage? In other words, would a 250 watt UPS do jack to protect my computer with a 750 watt power supply and the host of components it runs?

That surge proctor should work fine. In So Cal you sould be more concerened about brown-outs. As for a UPS unless your running a server all you need it enough power to let your systems shut down cleanly.

There aren't enough superlatives to describe my love for this: Newegg.com - TRIPP LITE SMART1500LCD 1500 VA 900 Watts 6 Outlets SmartPro Digital UPS

Going with a UPS, you do have to consider the wattage you're drawing.

Fumz said:

Going with a UPS, you do have to consider the wattage you're drawing.

Thanks for the input. So, if going the route of a UPS, I'd have to get one with wattage that is at least my power supply wattage or one that exceeds it?

Based on experience, I'd suggest going with one that exceeds it by a bit. The higher the wattage, the longer the machine is going to be able to stay up given a power outage. I've had a few Tripp Lite's; they were all very good and are still in use. They make smaller models, which are very good too and more resemble surge protectors, so you don't "need" to get the biggie if you don't have to.

I forget exactly where it is, but there's a needs calculator somewhere here: Desktop UPS Systems

**edit**

here it is: http://www.tripplite.com/en/products.../ups/index.cfm

Thanks much for your input.

You're welcome. :)

Doing a bit of searching, what I suppose I'm really after is a line conditioner / surge protector. As I stated, I'm not looking for a batter back up solution due to power outtage; I'm looking for protection from surges, spikes, and as ken9122 stated, brown outs.

Again, thanks for your input.

xarden said:

If I remember correctly, the wattage rating is watts per hour.
So if your PSU is 750W, and your UPS is 250, you should be able to run your PC at full performance for about 20 mins. Less if your monitor and peripherals are jacked into it too.

Good UPS's have inbuilt surge protectors.

Sorry about my ignorance on brown outs, but isnt that the same as a black out...? If not, whats the difference?

A black out is a total loss of power, whereas a brown out is when the power dips, but does not go totally out. Incandescent bulbs would seem to glow with a slight brownness to them, hence brown out. Became pretty big here in Southern California the past few summers when on very hot days, Edison (the electrical utility) could not keep up with the power demand.