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Gaming PC Electricity Cost Calculator

Estimate what your gaming PC costs to run per hour of play, and per month for your usual gaming time.

Quick answer

A mid-range gaming PC drawing about 400 W at the wall costs roughly 5–7¢ per hour of play at $0.17/kWh — about $6.50 a month at 4 hours a day. Your PSU rating is a maximum, not actual use. Add your screen with the TV calculator.

  • Free
  • No sign-up
  • Energy
  • Updated October 2026
W

On the label or manual. 1 kW = 1000 W.

%

Share of time it actually draws full power. AC and fridges cycle on and off; lights and TVs are 100%.

Find it on your bill (cents ÷ 100).

Cost per month (30 days)

$6.53

Cost per day
$0.22
Cost per year
$79.42
Cost per hour of use
$0.05
Energy per day
1.28 kWh
Energy per month
38.4 kWh
Show the working
  1. 400 W × 4 h × 80% × 1 ÷ 1000 = 1.28 kWh/day
  2. 1.28 kWh × $0.17 = $0.22 per day

About the Gaming PC Electricity Cost calculator

A gaming PC’s power draw depends mostly on the graphics card and processor. A mid-range system commonly pulls around 300–500 W from the wall while gaming, high-end builds can exceed 600 W, and the same PC idles at well under 100 W. The power supply rating (for example 750 W) is the maximum it can deliver, not what it actually uses.

The defaults assume 400 W at the wall for 4 hours a day with an 80% average load. For a real figure, a plug-in power meter between the PC and the wall shows actual watts during play.

How to use it

  1. Enter your PC’s draw while gaming in watts (a plug-in meter is most accurate).
  2. Enter hours of gaming per day.
  3. Keep about 80% average load for gaming; use 100% for long renders or benchmarks.
  4. Add your monitor separately with its own wattage if you want the full setup.

The formula

Cost per hour = Watts × Load ÷ 1000 × Price

  • Do not use the power supply rating — it is a ceiling, not actual use.

Worked example

A 400 W gaming PC, 4 hours a day

  1. 400 W × 4 h × 80% = 1.28 kWh per day.
  2. At $0.17/kWh: about 22¢ per day.
  3. About $6.53 per month.

Frequently asked questions

Does a 750 W power supply use 750 W?

No. The PSU only delivers what the parts demand. A system with a 750 W PSU might draw 350 W while gaming and 60 W at the desktop.

Is it expensive to leave a PC on overnight?

At idle, a desktop typically draws 50–100 W, so 8 hours overnight is roughly 0.4–0.8 kWh. Sleep mode cuts that to a few watts.

Do consoles use less than a gaming PC?

Usually. Current consoles typically draw around 150–220 W while gaming, less than most mid-range gaming PCs.

Results are estimates for planning — check critical figures with a professional or the official source.

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