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To estimate what your gaming PC costs to run, multiply its average power draw in kilowatts by the hours it runs, then multiply by your electricity price per kilowatt-hour (kWh). For a monthly estimate, count gaming and any other powered-on time separately. There is no single cost that applies to every PC: workload, hours, electricity tariff and whether you include the monitor all change the result.
How to calculate gaming PC electricity cost
Use these two steps:
- Energy (kWh) = average power (watts) ÷ 1,000 × hours used.
- Electricity cost = energy (kWh) × your price per kWh.
A kilowatt-hour is the energy a 1,000-watt device uses in one hour. Clark Public Utilities explains the same relationship with the example of a 100-watt device running for 10 hours. Clark Public Utilities’ consumption guide also recommends measuring actual use with a watt meter.
Cost per gaming hour
For one gaming hour, divide the PC’s average gaming draw by 1,000 and multiply by your electricity price. For example, a 450-watt average draw at $0.20 per kWh costs 0.45 × $0.20 = $0.09 per hour. This is an illustration, not a claim that all gaming PCs draw 450 watts.
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Multiply the average draw by the actual hours used during the month. If you want a simple 30-day estimate and play four hours every day, that is 120 gaming hours. At 450 watts and $0.20 per kWh, the estimate is 0.45 × 120 × $0.20 = $10.80 for gaming time.
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A published calculator illustrates a different set of assumptions: PlugCosts uses 450 W, four hours of gaming daily and a stated U.S. residential average rate of 18.31¢/kWh, displaying about $0.08 per active gaming hour and $10.03 per month. Using exactly 120 hours for a 30-day month gives about $9.89 at that rate; the calculator’s displayed monthly value differs slightly, so treat its result as an example rather than a prediction for your bill. PlugCosts’ gaming PC calculator identifies its rate as an average, not your household’s tariff.
Does the wattage on a power supply tell you the running cost?
No. A power supply’s rated capacity is not a measurement of the PC’s actual draw. Consumption changes with the game, graphics settings, components and whether the computer is idle or doing other work. Use a measured or estimated average system draw for the activity you are calculating, not the number printed on the PSU. The UK Energy Calc gaming PC calculator likewise advises using measured or estimated average power rather than PSU wattage.
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Be clear about what the watts cover. A tower-only estimate excludes the monitor and other equipment; for a full setup, add their power use. If the PC stays on between gaming sessions, do not count every powered-on hour at gaming draw.
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Calculate each operating mode separately, then add the costs. For example, if you game for some hours and leave the PC idle for others, use the gaming average for gaming hours and the idle average for idle hours:
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Total cost = (gaming watts ÷ 1,000 × gaming hours × rate) + (idle watts ÷ 1,000 × idle hours × rate).
Use the same approach for other workloads if their average draw differs. The result is only as accurate as the power estimates and hours you enter.
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How to measure your PC’s actual electricity use
- Plug a suitable watt meter into the wall outlet, then connect the equipment you want included to the meter.
- Use the PC as you normally do for several representative days. Include gaming and idle or other modes if you want an estimate of all powered-on use.
- Read the meter’s accumulated kWh for the measurement period, then multiply it by your electricity price per kWh. If you measured more or fewer days than the period you want to estimate, scale the energy to your chosen number of days.
Clark Public Utilities recommends leaving the meter connected for several days to capture usage more accurately than a brief reading. Measuring the tower alone and then adding the display separately—or measuring the complete setup together—helps keep the result’s scope clear.
Which electricity rate should you use?
Use the unit price on your bill or the applicable tariff for your home, not a calculator default or a rate from another country. Published calculator rates are location- and time-specific: the PlugCosts example uses a stated U.S. average of 18.31¢/kWh, while UK Energy Calc describes a UK unit rate for a tariff period marked 2026. Neither is a universal rate. Check the calculator’s stated period and assumptions before treating any example as relevant to you.
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The simple calculation estimates the energy charge from kWh multiplied by the unit price. It may not equal the total change in your bill if your tariff has time-of-use rates, price tiers, taxes, delivery charges, fixed charges or other adjustments. For a closer estimate under a variable tariff, calculate each time period at its applicable unit rate; fixed bill charges generally cannot be attributed to the PC from energy use alone.
Historical gaming PC figures: useful context, not a current benchmark
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory researchers reported a modeled estimate of 1,394 kWh per year for a representative vintage-2014 gaming computer, including one display. The estimate assumed an average of 4.4 hours of gaming per day and modeled use in other modes. It is historical context, not a forecast for a newly built PC. The 2016 LBNL paper, “Taming the Energy Use of Gaming Computers,” gives the assumptions and analysis.
The same study reported 414 W in gaming mode for a full-base system benchmark using Unigine Heaven. That is a result for the system and test described in the paper, not a universal draw for gaming PCs. The study’s authors summarized the annual estimate as 1,394 kWh/year based on 4.4 hours per day in gaming mode, including the display.
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