Surge protector or Wall outlest?

[StLGooner]

Hi, I'm new here and am just building my first gaming pc. Currently on PS5. I've heard mixed opinions of course, but I wanted to know if its best to plug your PC directly into the wall outlet, or to a good surge protector. I've heard both. Also, has anyone ever done or heard of someone bringing more power to the circuit they're running their PC on? I had an electrician (that also games on PC) tell me that I may want to run higher wattage cable/wire to my gaming room. I'm building a PC that shows it will pull about 695 watts. I have a 1000 watt power supply and my GPU recommends a 850 watt. I've read most standard wall outlets give about 1500 to 1800 watts. Do you think I'll be ok just leaving that circuit as is, or should I add more power? Also, surge protector or no? I appreciate any input or advice.

Thanks in advance.

Chris

 

[Brian Boru]

if its best to plug your PC directly into the wall outlet, or to a good surge protector. I've heard both.

Welcome to the forum

And now you'll hear a third!
I recommend you change wherever you're getting your info, sounds like people are pranking you.

An UPS—Uninterruptible Power Supply—is the best protection for anything electrical. The top 2 brands I've used are CyberPower and APC.

 

[ZedClampet]

Hi, I'm new here and am just building my first gaming pc. Currently on PS5. I've heard mixed opinions of course, but I wanted to know if its best to plug your PC directly into the wall outlet, or to a good surge protector. I've heard both. Also, has anyone ever done or heard of someone bringing more power to the circuit they're running their PC on? I had an electrician (that also games on PC) tell me that I may want to run higher wattage cable/wire to my gaming room. I'm building a PC that shows it will pull about 695 watts. I have a 1000 watt power supply and my GPU recommends a 850 watt. I've read most standard wall outlets give about 1500 to 1800 watts. Do you think I'll be ok just leaving that circuit as is, or should I add more power? Also, surge protector or no? I appreciate any input or advice.

Thanks in advance.

Chris

With very sincere apologies to Brian, I don't believe that he is exactly right. A high quality UPS is an good choice, but in the best scenario the UPS would be plugged into a high quality surge protector (joule rating of at least 2800), While the UPS provides steady electricity from it's battery, thus apparently bypassing any need for a surge protector, the UPS itself can still be damaged by electrical surges. If the UPS becomes damaged, there is a very small chance that it could cause subsequent damage to your PC. This would be a very rare thing, indeed, but it could happen.

But whoever told you just to plug your PC into a wall outlet is flat out trying to grief you and cause you to lose money. PC's are very sensitive and need to be protected with a good surge protector.

Bottom line is that if you can only afford either a UPS or a surge protector, go with the surge protector.

 

[Brian Boru]

the UPS itself can still be damaged by electrical surges

While I'm totally not an expert on this, and not up-to-date either, I wasn't aware you could get a good quality UPS which did NOT also have surge protection built in.

If that is the case, then sure, you would need both.

I don't use an UPS anymore, as our electricity is rock solid and I wouldn't lose much data in a worst-case scenario. When that wasn't the case, I used to have my PC and one monitor plugged into the UPS, which itself was plugged into the wall.

Second monitor and all other gear were plugged into a surge protector, which was also directly plugged into the wall.

The best UPS battery backup for PC gaming in 2023

The best UPS, or uninterruptible power supply, will safeguard your PC from unexpected power loss and surges.

www.pcgamer.com

Question - UPS or stick to surge protector?

I have a well-reviewed surge protector (rebranded APC device with high Joule rating), as well as a Cyberpower pure sine wave UPS, which has a much lower Joule rating. After a bunch of digging around the net years ago, especially with the advice to not plug UPS units into surge suppressors...

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The Best Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) of 2023

A power failure is more than an inconvenience—it can knock out essential equipment for hours on end. If you have important electronics that have to keep running when the power’s out, you’ll need an uninterruptible power supply (UPS).

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Surge Protector vs. UPS vs. AVR: What’s the Difference?

Surge protectors, UPS, and AVR are popular devices for protecting your electronics, but which one better fits your needs?

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Important

"are you safe to plug your surge protector into your UPS? Ultimately, the answer depends on the specific UPS and surge protector you have and what the manufacturer has to say about it."

Should You Plug a UPS Into a Surge Protector?

In the quest for the ultimate combination of battery backup and surge protection, the UPS-in-surge protector question has been asked for years, with no clear-cut answer. Many recommend plugging a UPS into a surge protector; yet, many others don’t. But which is correct? Read on to find out.

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Does a power strip protect my PC from surges?

If you want to protect your gaming PC and equipment from power fluctuations, you have to plug them in the right way.

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[StLGooner]

Guys, thank you so much for this info. I know a lot people probably come on here and ask the same questions over and over, so I appreciate you taking the time to inform me. Cheers!

 

[UnfilteredMedic]

I've had laptops and desktops into the wall and a good surge protector. No problems either way.
However, given local weather and as of late with PS5s getting bricked if plugged in during storms, I would suggest unplugging whatever if there is "questionable weather".

 

[mjs warlord]

i have been using a surge protector to plug in all my pc gear for 20 years , a few years ago we had a power cut due to adverse weather , when the power came back on it was only on for a few seconds , the lights were so bright i thought the bulbs were going to explode , the excess voltage burnt out my cooker , fridge and freezer so i guess the surge protector save all my pc gear

 

[UnfilteredMedic]

I'm not taking chances. With the weather and another "unnamed variable" i cannot speak of, I unplug my newer PC and PS5 before I leave the house even for a short while.
I would NOT use a power strip.