Power surges remain a serious problem for any gamer or working professional. I have had power surges from lightning storms destroy routers, affect gaming consoles and wreck havoc on gaming components in the past. In my gaming setup currently I am running a fairly standard power bar but was asked to review a surge protecting power strip and I have to say, I am pleased to make the switch over to the Rocket Socket level of protection.
I was interested in upgrading the surge protection with my gaming PC when I upgraded my graphics card. To protect my investment I wanted a power strip that would have a better construction and a quality surge protection on board.
What I was looking for in a surge protector for gaming PC:
A higher joules rating:
My standard power strip did not have any form of surge protection. It just extended the number of outlets I could use with my PC. I wanted a surge protector with at least a rating of 1000 joules to account for fluctuations in power from my speakers, power supply, monitors and more.
Better response time:
As I had experienced a number of issues with lighting in the past, I wanted a device with a fast response time for surge detection and some form of alert. An active protection light would ensure that I could check the surge protector to make sure I was protected whenever the weather got bad.
Adequate outlet space:
The adaptor I had for my gaming PC gave me just enough space to plug in all the peripherals I needed to use it. I was going to need at least 6 free outlets so that I could plug in everything I need to game and use my 2 monitor setup too.
A place to charge my phone:
I often need my phone on hand so that I can stay in touch with work and quickly change songs on Spotify as I am gaming. A phone charger built into the area where I was going to be gaming could be a nice touch for me to enjoy my setup further. If I could find a device that also contained a high speed USB charging port, I would be able to charge my phone faster and free up another outlet to make the setup even safer.
Equipment guarantee: A company that stood behind its equipment and offered a full certification on its surge protection was important. I wanted to make sure I wasn’t picking up an aftermarket style of surge protector that would not be well rated or designed to protect my devices fully.
Ability to wall mount: I was frustrated with the number of cords that sat below my computer desk on a regular basis and having a surge protector and power bar that also came with a mount could be helpful for improving cord management and freeing up some space behind my desk. Ideally, I could wall mount the system and keep all the cords off the floor.
Why I chose Rocketsocket for my gaming PC surge protection:
The Rocket Socket 10 Outlet 2 USB heavy duty surge protector for gaming PC was the best choice for me and my setup. It was an affordable upgrade at under $40 and it offered a fantastic level of protection. With my previous power strip I had enough space to plug in a charge for my phone, my PC speakers, my dual monitors and my PC. There were no extra outlets available and very little space to move the outlets under the desk. Not only is the cord with the Rocket Socket longer but I am able to plug in my entire setup and have extra space available for charging devices through the USB ports with open plugs. It freed up some extra space for me to feel safer about the setup and it has really helped with cable management.
As a heavy duty power strip and surge protector, I have extra protection from a 15A overload protection and 1500 joules of surge protection built into the 10 outlet construction. These features fully exceeded my requirements for surge protection and they have helped me to feel better about the level of protection that I have in poor weather too. Rocket Socket also built this surge protector for gaming PC’s with an active surge LED light that shows when the surge protection is active. I can check on the surge protection and make sure that I am safe when the weather gets bad or when I turn on my PC.
Built with a 14 AWG copper wire, this is a device that comes with an amazing quality and a lightweight but rugged construction. The sleek black color and the maximum line current of 1875 watts is more than enough to handle my speaker and subwoofer setup and the power supply of my gaming PC. The built in 15 amp circuit breaker offers a superior level of protection. This is the type of device that is heavy duty and listed for ETL power in a workshop. It could work well in commercial environments so it exceeded my expectations as an office and gaming PC power supply. The guarantees that this delivers was exactly what I was looking for. Rocket Socket details the full construction of the device on their website and they offer a customer service contact for troubleshooting online. All the contact information was printed clearly on the box as well as its printed certifications.
The under-mount design with the brackets which were in the box have me planning on wall mounting the power strip and surge protection which is going to help significantly with my cord management. With this new surge protector and its level of protection, I finally feel as though my gaming PC is safe and my setup is more professional.
If you are seeking an upgrade to your workstation or you want to protect your gaming PC, check out the Rocket Socket CRST 10 outlet USB heavy duty surge protector power strip.