How Much Does It Cost to Run a gaming PC?
A typical gaming PC uses about 400 watts, which costs about $0.07 per hour. Used 4 hours a day, that is $0.29 per day, $9 per month and about $105 per year at the US average of about 18 cents per kWh. Change the numbers below for your own model and rate.
Typical estimate: 4 hours of gaming a day. These are typical estimates – check your own label or use a plug-in meter for exact figures.
Gaming PC running cost by electricity rate
Rates vary widely across the country. $0.12 is typical of low-cost areas, $0.18 is about the national average, and $0.25–$0.35 or more is common in high-cost areas such as parts of California, New England and Hawaii.
| Rate per kWh | Per hour | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $0.12 | $0.048 | $0.19 | $5.84 | $70 |
| $0.18 | $0.072 | $0.29 | $8.76 | $105 |
| $0.25 | $0.100 | $0.40 | $12.17 | $146 |
| $0.35 | $0.140 | $0.56 | $17.04 | $204 |
Based on 400 W for 4 h/day; month = 30.42 days.
Cost by hours of use per day
| Hours per day | kWh per month | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 h | 24 | $0.14 | $4.38 | $53 |
| 4 h | 49 | $0.29 | $8.76 | $105 |
| 8 h | 97 | $0.58 | $17.52 | $210 |
At 18 cents per kWh and 400 W.
Low, typical and high wattage
A mid-range gaming PC pulls roughly 200–650 W under load depending on the graphics card; at the desktop or idle it uses far less (often 50–100 W).
| Case | Watts | Per hour | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low | 200 | $0.036 | $4.38 | $53 |
| Typical | 400 | $0.072 | $8.76 | $105 |
| High | 650 | $0.117 | $14.24 | $171 |
At 4 h/day and 18 cents per kWh.
How it is calculated
400 W × 4 h ÷ 1,000 = 1.6 kWh per day
1.6 kWh × $0.18 = $0.29 per day
$0.29 × 30.42 days = $8.76 per month
How to cut the cost of running a gaming PC
- Cap the frame rate (for example to your monitor refresh rate) – the graphics card draws noticeably less at a capped frame rate than when it renders as many frames as it can.
- Set sleep after 15–20 minutes idle. Desktops left on idle all night add up at 50–100 W.
- Undervolt or lower the GPU power limit; many cards lose relatively little performance for a larger cut in watts.
- Remember the monitor: a large gaming monitor adds tens of watts on top of the PC.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to run a gaming PC per month?
At 18 cents per kWh, a typical 400 W gaming PC used 4 hours a day costs about $8.76 per month (49 kWh). That is about $105 a year.
How much does it cost to run a gaming PC per hour?
About $0.072 per hour at 18 cents per kWh, or $0.140 per hour if you pay 35 cents per kWh. Multiply by your hours of use to estimate any day.
Why does the cost of a gaming PC vary so much?
Wattage varies by model and setting – from 200 W to 650 W here. At the same 4 hours a day and 18 cents per kWh, that is $4 to $14 per month. Your electricity rate matters just as much: at 35 cents per kWh the typical unit costs $17 per month.