■Check the energy absorption (dissipation) rating. The higher the energy absorption rating, the better the protection for your system.

■Check for line-conditioner capabilities. A line conditioner smooths out some of the normal line noise (small voltage fluctuations) of an electrical supply.

Line conditioners

A line conditioner protects your system from the small fluctuations in voltage from an electrical supply. Most systems can handle this variation, called line noise, without problems. However, some electrical sources include more line noise than normal. Line noise can also be a problem if your system is located near, or shares a circuit with, a device that causes electromagnetic interference, such as a television or a motor.

Some surge suppressors and uninterruptible power supplies include simple line-conditioning capabilities.

Uninterruptible power supplies

Use a standby uninterruptible power supply (UPS) to protect your computer from data loss during a total power failure. A UPS uses a battery to keep your computer running temporarily during a power failure and lets you save your work and shut down your computer. You cannot run your computer for an extended period of time while using only the UPS.

74Managing Your System