What effect does a power spike have on a computer?

A power spike - also known as a power surge - could harm a computer if the computer's power supply has a low joule (unit of energy) rating. A power spike, a sudden increase in energy, can overwhelm a computer's power supply and cause too much electricity to flow to sensitive chips and processors and destroy them.

To safeguard against power spikes a surge protector should be bought. A computer power supply with a high joule resistance rating would work as well.