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pshufd

macrumors G4
Original poster
Oct 24, 2013
10,146
14,573
New Hampshire
We have thunderstorms moving through and my desktops got hit. My 2014 iMac rebooted. My 2015 MacBook Pro went on pause (the monitors all restarted), and my M1 mini kept right on playing a YouTube video without missing a beat. I shut down the iMac and will wait for the thunderstorms to clear. I'm leaving the laptops and M1 mini running though.
 

theorist9

macrumors 68040
May 28, 2015
3,880
3,060
While they all have good PSUs, it's always best to have your most expensive electronics protected via voltage regulator at the very least.
Yeah, I have all of mine plugged into Belkin surge protectors. They're relatively inexpensive, and do double-duty as powerstrips.

 

jav6454

macrumors Core
Nov 14, 2007
22,303
6,264
1 Geostationary Tower Plaza
Yeah, I have all of mine plugged into Belkin surge protectors. They're relatively inexpensive, and do double-duty as powerstrips.

I actually use an APC 1000 VA power surge and back-up.

 

theorist9

macrumors 68040
May 28, 2015
3,880
3,060
I actually use an APC 1000 VA power surge and back-up.

A UPS is nice to have, but I've not found the need for it where I live. Over the past two decades I've lost power about once every three years for about half a day. Of course, that wouldn't be the case if there's a major disaster, like an earthquake. But in that case I'd probably have no internet service either, and a UPS wouldn't help with that.
 

pshufd

macrumors G4
Original poster
Oct 24, 2013
10,146
14,573
New Hampshire
A UPS is nice to have, but I've not found the need for it where I live. Over the past two decades I've lost power about once every three years for about half a day. Of course, that wouldn't be the case if there's a major disaster, like an earthquake. But in that case I'd probably have no internet service either, and a UPS wouldn't help with that.

I agree. This is the first power outage that we've had since 2011. And this outage was one the order of 2-3 seconds. I can't recall losing any data from power issues in this century.
 

eicca

Suspended
Oct 23, 2014
1,773
3,604
I have to wonder if the chip is so efficient that the PSU capacitors alone are enough to keep it alive during a flicker.
 
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uller6

macrumors 65816
May 14, 2010
1,072
1,777
I have to wonder if the chip is so efficient that the PSU capacitors alone are enough to keep it alive during a flicker.
I remember reading somewhere that the first Acorn (ARM) CPU was so efficient that it could run on the input signals alone, not even needing a separate powered rail. Apparently it was so efficient it was a surprise to the chip designers too.
 
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unrigestered

Suspended
Jun 17, 2022
879
840
i think this is BS as the transistor logic needs a constant voltage to operate properly.
not sure how high the operation voltages had been back then, but i could imagine what they meant was for instance, that the "common" operating voltages had been 12V at that time, while the signal levels peaked at let's say 5V and that ARM CPU could have been operated on a voltage level comparable to the signal level's max voltage
 

jav6454

macrumors Core
Nov 14, 2007
22,303
6,264
1 Geostationary Tower Plaza
A UPS is nice to have, but I've not found the need for it where I live. Over the past two decades I've lost power about once every three years for about half a day. Of course, that wouldn't be the case if there's a major disaster, like an earthquake. But in that case I'd probably have no internet service either, and a UPS wouldn't help with that.
Well, for me it serves as a contingency for my sensitive equipment. As per major disaster, it serves as a energy back-up for phone charging.
 
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