There is no evidence-based universal winner: a Raspberry Pi may use less electricity than a used laptop, but the available published figures do not compare complete systems streaming the same video. Measure each setup at the wall while it runs your intended stream, then calculate the cost using your own electricity rate.
What determines the electricity cost?
The comparison is about the whole setup doing the same job—not a Raspberry Pi board’s published power figure versus a laptop’s advertised or idle consumption. Actual draw depends on the Pi model, laptop, power supply, attached devices, display state, cooling, and whether the computer is encoding video or simply sending an already-encoded file.
Raspberry Pi Ltd.’s current hardware documentation lists typical bare-board active current of 600 mA for Raspberry Pi 4 Model B and 800 mA for Raspberry Pi 5. At a nominal 5 V, those figures work out to roughly 3 W and 4 W respectively. They are board-level context, not measured wall power for a complete streaming setup. Peripheral use changes current.
Raspberry Pi’s setup guide recommends a 5 V, 3 A supply for Pi 4 and a 5 V, 5 A supply for Pi 5. Those are recommended supply capacities; they do not mean the device constantly consumes 15 W or 25 W. Raspberry Pi’s 2023 Pi 5 announcement says its peak can reach around 12 W under intensive workloads, compared with 8 W for Pi 4. Those are peak figures, not 24/7 stream averages. The announcement also says Pi 5 uses less power than Pi 4 on an identical workload, illustrating why model and workload matter.
#1 Best Overall
- Includes Raspberry Pi 5 with 2.4Ghz 64-bit quad-core CPU (8GB RAM)
- Includes 128GB Micro SD Card pre-loaded with 64-bit Raspberry Pi OS, USB MicroSD Card Reader
- CanaKit Turbine Black Case for the Raspberry Pi 5
- CanaKit Low Noise Bearing System Fan
- Mega Heat Sink - Black Anodized
A 2018 paper in Agronomy Research described streaming from a Raspberry Pi to YouTube and noted that transcoding camera output to H.264 can use significant CPU resources. That is a historical example, not a benchmark of current Pi models or evidence of how much power your particular stream will use.
How to compare a laptop and Pi fairly
- Choose the actual stream task. Decide whether each computer will encode video or send a pre-encoded file. Use the same source video and the same resolution, frame rate, codec, and target bitrate on both. If one device cannot sustain the chosen settings, record that as a performance difference rather than quietly comparing different workloads.
- Check YouTube’s current encoder requirements. YouTube lists RTMP/RTMPS and H.264, H.265/HEVC, and AV1 for live encoder streams. Its guidance recommends constant bitrate encoding and a two-second keyframe interval, which should not exceed four seconds. For H.264, recommended bitrates include 5 Mbps for 720p30, 8 Mbps for 720p60, 5 Mbps for 1080p30, and 6 Mbps minimum / 17 Mbps recommended for 1080p60. Use the appropriate codec column in YouTube’s live encoder settings; don’t combine values from different codec columns.
- Use the same complete-system conditions. Connect a plug-in electricity usage meter between the wall outlet and each setup. Measure the laptop with its display in the state you intend to use, and include its power adapter, storage, cooling, and any attached capture device. For the Pi, measure the board with its power supply, storage, cooling, and the peripherals needed for the stream. Let each setup settle into its normal streaming workload before recording watts. A board-only current specification is not a substitute for this measurement.
- Confirm both streams are stable. Test each stream and monitor YouTube stream health. Use a reliable upload connection with enough spare capacity for the stream’s total bitrate. YouTube Help says: “The total bitrate you’re streaming cannot exceed the amount of upload bandwidth available. Leave a bit of room (20% recommended).” A computer that draws slightly less power is not the practical winner if it repeatedly drops frames or loses the stream.
- Calculate with your own measured watts and tariff. Apply the formulas below to each setup using the same measurement period and your actual price per kilowatt-hour.
For a live encoder stream, a YouTube channel must be verified and have no live-streaming restrictions in the past 90 days. YouTube describes mobile, webcam, and encoder routes in its live-streaming eligibility guidance.
Rank #2
- Includes Raspberry Pi 4 4GB Model B with 1.5GHz 64-bit quad-core CPU (4GB RAM)
- Includes Pre-Loaded 32GB EVO+ Micro SD Card (Class 10), USB MicroSD Card Reader
- CanaKit Premium High-Gloss Raspberry Pi 4 Case with Integrated Fan Mount, CanaKit Low Noise Bearing System Fan
- CanaKit 3.5A USB-C Raspberry Pi 4 Power Supply (US Plug) with Noise Filter, Set of Heat Sinks, Display Cable - 6 foot (Supports up to 4K60p)
- CanaKit USB-C PiSwitch (On/Off Power Switch for Raspberry Pi 4)
Calculate the running cost from your meter reading
Use average measured watts while the computer is doing the intended stream task. If your meter reports energy directly in kWh over a timed run, use that reading; otherwise calculate it from watts and hours:
- Energy in kWh = measured watts × operating hours ÷ 1,000.
- Electricity cost = energy in kWh × your price per kWh.
For example, if your measured setup averages W watts and runs for H hours, its energy use is W × H ÷ 1,000 kWh. Multiply that result by your utility’s applicable per-kWh rate. Use the same hours and tariff for both devices. For a full non-leap year of uninterrupted operation, use 8,760 hours; for a shorter test or a stream that runs fewer hours, use the actual operating time. No single electricity tariff applies worldwide, so a universal currency total would be misleading.
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Rank #3
- Not including the Raspberry Pi 5 (8GB), the Crowpi advanced version comes with the Raspberry Pi 5
- ELECROW Black Case for the Raspberry Pi 5, CrowPi is equipped with a 9-inch HD touchscreen along with a camera; All the regular components used in DIY electronics are packed into the CrowPi development board, such as LCD, LED matrix, buzzer, light sensor, PIR sensor, ultrasonic sensor, IR sensor, etc
- Raspberry Pi Sensors: The Crowpi raspberry pi 5 programming kit is jam-packed with lots of buttons such as 19 different sensors in a tidy easy to use package; You don't have to wait and wire things
- Build Quality: Solid ABS shell and well made components in one place make it strong and convenient to travel
- Programming Lessons: This raspberry pi 5 learning kit ships with step by step instructions and provides 21 lessons to take you through identifying components reading code and running it in the terminal
Decide which setup suits your stream
- Choose based on measured cost, not supply labels. Compare the whole-system meter readings under identical stream settings. Raspberry Pi’s official figures are useful board-level context, but they do not establish the wall-power cost of a continuous stream.
- Include successful operation in the comparison. Note whether each device maintains the selected resolution and frame rate, whether YouTube reports stream-health problems, and whether the connection has the recommended upload headroom. YouTube says a laptop and webcam can stream, but that does not establish that every old laptop can handle a particular encoder workload.
- Keep electricity separate from purchase payback. A running-cost comparison does not tell you whether buying a Pi is cheaper overall than using a laptop you already own. That broader calculation also needs the device and accessory purchase costs, which vary and are not established by the power figures above.
What can go wrong during a 24/7 stream?
- The measured draw looks unexpectedly high: check that the meter is measuring the complete setup, not just one component, and note whether encoding, display use, peripherals, or cooling are adding load.
- YouTube reports an unstable stream: verify that total stream bitrate fits the available upload bandwidth and leave the recommended 20% headroom. Test the connection and monitor stream health before relying on a long run.
- The Pi or laptop cannot sustain the chosen settings: confirm the codec, resolution, frame rate, bitrate, constant-bitrate setting, and keyframe interval. If necessary, choose a lower target and repeat the measurement on both devices using that same target.
- The live option is unavailable: check channel verification and whether the channel has had live-streaming restrictions within the past 90 days.
Or let it run in the cloud
If the goal is a YouTube channel that keeps uploaded videos live around the clock, a computer at home is not the only option. StreamNeo runs uploaded videos and playlists from the cloud: upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key, and go live. Your laptop, OBS setup, and home connection do not have to stay on. It streams the video as uploaded, up to 4K 60fps, at one flat price per slot, and automatically recovers if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card, one free day per account. Monthly pricing is $9.99 per month. For India, UPI and cards are supported; card checkout is available worldwide. StreamNeo is for uploaded video streams to YouTube, not camera livestreaming. Start the free day with StreamNeo.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- 【What you Get】You will get 1*Pi 5 8GB Single Board,1*RasTech Case,1*Active Cooler,1*Screwdriver,1*Installation instructions,12-month free warranty, lifetime service, 24-hour prompt and friendly response.
- 【More Connectors】There are two USB 3.0 ports(5Gbps simultaneously) and two USB 2.0 ports, which triple total bandwidth ,support any combination of up to two cameras or displays. Peak SD card performance is doubled through support for the SDR104 high-speed mode. It provides a smooth desktop experience for you. Offer Gigabit Ethernet and a PCIe interface, along with dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0/BLE wireless capability. The RasTech Pi 5 Kit use the new 27W 5.1V 5A USB-C power connector.
- 【 Support Dual 4Kp60 Display 】Each of the two microHDMI sockets can control a 4K display at 60 Hertz, now support HDR, offering super HD video for media streaming projects. RPi 5 is the first RPi model that comes with a PCI Express port (PCIe 2.0 x1 with 500 MB/s) to attach SSDs (requires separate M.2 HAT).
- 【 Excellent Chips And Applications】Pi 5 is a full-size Pi computer using silicon built in-house at Pi. The RP1 “southbridge” provides the bulk of the I/O capabilities for Pi 5. Pi 5 is more friendly and convenient in the development of Internet of Things, Web development, machine identification, automatic control and other electronic equipment applications and network.
- 【 Faster CPU, Better GPU 】 Pi 5 features a Broadcom BCM2712 64-bit quad-core Arm Cortex-A76 processor running at 2.4GHz, it delivers a 2–3× increase in CPU performance relative to RaspberryPi 4. The 800MHz VideoCore VII GPU is compatible to OpenGL ES 3.1 and Vulkan 1.2, substantial uplift in graphics performance. Pi 5 Offers lightning-fast CPU speed, a PCI Express interface, a Real Time Clock (RTC) and a power button and runs significantly cooler than Pi 4.
Rank #4
- Fully assembled for plug-and-play operation
- Includes Raspberry Pi 5 with 8GB RAM
- 256 GB PCIe Pi NVMe SSD (Pre-loaded with Pi 64-Bit OS)
- M.2 HAT+
- CanaKit Turbine Black Case for the Pi 5
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