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A monitor surge protector is a device that can be placed under a computer monitor, which acts as a surge protector to protect electronic devices and computer components from damage due to a power surge. This type of device provides all of the functionality of a standard surge protector, but also allows the user to place it under his or her computer monitor rather than under a desk or similar location. A monitor surge protector can have a number of different outlets for various devices, and provide protection for a phone line or Internet connection as well.
Sometimes called an under monitor surge protector, monitor surge protectors can be more convenient while still providing protection to electronic devices. A power surge can strike a home due to lightning strikes, power outages, and even energy spikes from power companies. They are fairly unpredictable and though they can be innocuous, they can potentially damage electronic devices such as a computer, monitor, and printer. A surge protector works by providing a “middle man” between the power outlet on a wall and the various devices needed to plug into it. This allows a monitor surge protector to effectively “absorb” the energy produced in a power surge without transferring it to the devices connected to it.
A monitor surge protector also typically has numerous power outlets, allowing it to act as a power strip and surge protector. Similar types of surge protectors are usually placed on the floor, which can lead to a mess of wires and cables lying on the floor and becoming entangled. A monitor surge protector can be placed underneath the monitor of a computer, allowing the wires to feed into it from behind the desk and potentially decreasing entanglements. This also makes the surge protector easier to access than one that is under or behind a desk.
Some models of monitor surge protector will actually take advantage of this feature and allow each device to be turned on or off from the surge protector. This allows a user to turn off power to devices that will not be used, while keeping power running to other devices. Many models will also include outlets for phone lines or Internet cables, as power surges can potentially run through these wires and into an electronic system as well. A monitor surge protector will usually include a joules rating that indicates how much energy it can take without relaying the power to the devices connected to it. Higher ratings are typically best, and a computer system should have a surge protector with a rating of at least 800 joules, though more than twice that amount is fairly common.