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How necessary is a surge protector for an iMac? OK to plug directly into outlet?

A

Amnesiac1

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Oct 11, 2010
412
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...Or does plugging your iMac directly into the outlet run the risk of depleting the longevity of its life?

Do I need a surge protector? If so, which one? Does it need to be expensive, will any type of inexpensive surge protector suffice?
 
With expensive electronic equipment, I always use surge protection. It's just good practice.

Also, if you plan to use a cheap surge protector, don't even bother.
 
I use belkin surge protectors for all my expensive kit. They don't have to be expensive, as long as they work. Mine cost in the region of £5-£10($8-$15?) each, I have a single, a 4 way, a 6 way and 2 8 ways. Total cost was around £30 ($50?)
I think the minmum cover is up to £100,000 of equiptment on that, that belkin will give me to replace kit if fried while using their protectors.
 
I wouldn't recommend plugging your iMac directly into an outlet. A good surge protector is cheap insurance compared to the price of a new iMac.
 
Surge protectors themselves won't extend the life of your products. All they do is stop the routing of electrical currents from entering your equipment.

Any old surge protector is better than plugging directly into the wall. I use cheap-o ones from Wal-Mart that do the trick.
 
I have my iMac plugged into APC Backup UPS unit. APC 1300LCD. When buying a Backup UPS unit, ensure it uses "pure Sine" output. "pure sine" (like on the APC Smart UPS class) have much cleaner output. When my APC 1300LCD needs to be replaced, I'm getting a "pure sine" output replacement.

As a minimum, do use a Sure Protection on your iMac.

.
 
Someone correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't an iMac's built-in power supply have a transformer that protects it from electrical surges? Isn't that how the old power bricks (still shipping with portable Macs and iOS devices) worked?
 
iMikeT said:
Someone correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't an iMac's built-in power supply have a transformer that protects it from electrical surges? Isn't that how the old power bricks (still shipping with portable Macs and iOS devices) worked?
Click to expand...

That "power brick" transforms AC electrical current to DC. It has little to do with surge protection.
 
Can someone link me to a good surge protector, then? If I can't got the inexpensive route, then what surge protector should I get and how much is it?
 
jaikob said:
I use an APC UPS for all my electronic equipment. Well worth the investment. They come in a variety of capacities, for just the iMac I would suggest something like this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16842101349

I have one similar that runs my Hi-Def TV and other equipment in the living room. Works like a champ.
Click to expand...

Really? I was going to go ahead and order one of those but I noticed this comment:

Probably OK to back-up a laptop but be advised that whenever the power is interrupted, an annoying, loud audible alarm goes off every 30 seconds. Apparently can't be deactivated. So you thought you could sleep through an overnight power outage Not if you buy this.
Click to expand...

Have you experienced this?
 
Personally I have never used any form of surge protection on my computers / expensive electrical equipment and in the last 15+ years have never suffered any ill effects. It's the same story at my work, 30+ Apple computers (Pro's and iMacs) and no surge protection and again no ill effects - however I'm guessing the servers are probably surge protected.

Saying that, I guess for peace of mind and a relatively cheap cost it can't hurt.
 
I've got APC surge protectors on all my electronics.

I'm consider buying an APC UPS for my iMac.

Stay away from the bargain bin surge protectors. Reasonably good surge protectors cost very little.

An UPS can provide added layer of protection. If you're running a home office, I'd put in the extra bucks.

For home users, an UPS something to consider.
 
Michael D. said:
I've got APC surge protectors on all my electronics.

I'm consider buying an APC UPS for my iMac.

Stay away from the bargain bin surge protectors. Reasonably good surge protectors cost very little.

An UPS can provide added layer of protection. If you're running a home office, I'd put in the extra bucks.

For home users, an UPS something to consider.
Click to expand...

Can you provide me with a direct link to the surge protector I should buy?
 
spcdust said:
Personally I have never used any form of surge protection on my computers / expensive electrical equipment and in the last 15+ years have never suffered any ill effects. It's the same story at my work, 30+ Apple computers (Pro's and iMacs) and no surge protection and again no ill effects - however I'm guessing the servers are probably surge protected.

Saying that, I guess for peace of mind and a relatively cheap cost it can't hurt.
Click to expand...

Same here. MacBook Pro, HDTV, surround sound, etc. ...all without surge protectors. Never had a problem. But that doesn't mean it couldn't happen in the future.
 
The APC audible alarm exists for a reason. Though they have a mute button.

A basic surge protector is $6. In the event of a lightning strike, your $6 surge protector will fry. Your iMac won't.
 
Also, what is the difference between a surge protector and a battery back-up? These features are often conflated into one device, right? Does my new iMac really need both, though?
 
I plug all of my electronics into a surge protector. My first DVD player became completely fried because I had it plugged directly into a wall outlet.


Amnesiac1 said:
Also, what is the difference between a surge protector and a battery back-up? These features are often conflated into one device, right? Does my new iMac really need both, though?
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If I understand what you're talking about correctly, a battery backup is a surge protector with a battery that will last long enough for you to shut down your computer incase of a power failure, preventing you from losing all of your work. I'm not sure if they all do this but we have them at work and they make this awful horror-movie beeping/screeching noise when the power goes out.
 
mrfoof82 said:
The APC audible alarm exists for a reason. Though they have a mute button.

A basic surge protector is $6. In the event of a lightning strike, your $6 surge protector will fry. Your iMac won't.
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Well, I might as well spend at least $100 and ensure that I'm getting one of quality. I noticed surge protectors for over $200 but I think a $100 protector should suffice, right?
 
Amnesiac1 said:
Well, I might as well spend at least $100 and ensure that I'm getting one of quality. I noticed surge protectors for over $200 but I think a $100 protector should suffice, right?
Click to expand...

There is a difference between a "surge protector" and an "uninterruptible power supply (UPS)". It's like comparing a bicycle and a motorcycle. Both get you places, but one is far more complicated and offers other features.

A surge protector is basically an inline fuse that fails at a specified level, to protect the electronics that connect to it. Fuses work very well. If all you care about is not having equipment fried by lightning striking your home, a $6 surge protector will do that.

A UPS has a surge protector, but also a sizable internal battery. The sizable battery is if in the event the power goes out, powered equipment stays powered. They cost much more because they are much more complicated than a simple fuse. This is not about just protecting against a direct lightning strike against your home, it's about protecting against data loss by not having the computer lose power unexpectedly.

For a UPS, something like this is just fine and dandy for iMacs: APC BR700G For my loaded 27" iMac with a 27" Cinema Display attached, I expect to get 12 minutes of runtime while fully loading the system (i.e. playing Crysis 2), and closer to 20 under normal conditions, which is more than enough time to shut the system down (the recommendation is usually 5 minutes).

For just a surge protector, a $6 one will work just fine.
 
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mrfoof82 said:
There is a difference between a "surge protector" and an "uninterruptible power supply (UPS)". It's like comparing a bicycle and a motorcycle. Both get you places, but one is far more complicated and offers other features.

A surge protector is basically an inline fuse that fails at a specified level, to protect the electronics that connect to it. Fuses work very well. If all you care about is not having equipment fried by lightning striking your home, a $6 surge protector will do that.

A UPS has a surge protector, but also a sizable internal battery. The sizable battery is if in the event the power goes out, powered equipment stays powered. They cost much more because they are much more complicated than a simple fuse. This is not about just protecting against a direct lightning strike against your home, it's about protecting against data loss by not having the computer lose power unexpectedly.
Click to expand...

I see. Thank you very much.

Which of these would do the trick for my forthcoming 2011 i7 iMac?

APC 750VA Battery Back-Up (BE750G-CN) -LINK.

APC Battery Back-Up (BE550G-CN) - LINK.

As you'll notice when you click the links, the first one is $149 while the second one is $99. I'm leaning toward the second one. :p Good idea? Bad idea?
 
The alarm can be disabled, though it exists for a reason. Turn your hardware off and then turn your UPS off until utility power is back.

And it really isn't "that" bad, and it is usually done in intervals of time, like every few minutes.
 
It's enough power to give you time to shut your computer down (this is ignoring the fact that you can configure the iMac under the Energy Saver preferences pane to have it automatically sleep and/or shut down). Therefore it's fine.
 
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