Paid $60 for a 'premium' surge protector, still fried my PC

Last month I grabbed a fancy surge protector from a big box store in Phoenix because it claimed to handle lightning hits. My desktop was plugged into it during a storm last week, and the power supply blew anyway. Took it apart and the metal oxide varistor inside was rated way lower than the box suggested. Anyone else find that these 'protection' claims are mostly marketing fluff, or did I just pick a bad brand?

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sarah2293mo ago

Wait, did you actually tear that thing apart and find the MOV was underrated? That is wild, man. I figured they all had to at least meet the stamped ratings by law or something, but I guess it is just a suggestion to them. I have been through two surge protectors myself in the last few years, and both times I just blamed the storm, not the box. Now I am wondering if I got ripped off too, but I never thought to check the parts inside. So how do you even know what a good rating looks like, or are we all just supposed to trust the shiny sticker?

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