A gaming mini PC’s electricity use depends on its hardware and workload: a review measured the ASUS ROG NUC 15 at about 300 W while gaming, while the smaller Minisforum HX90G drew 185 W in its gaming test. To estimate what that means for your bill, use the computer’s average wall draw, your hours of use, and your local electricity rate—not the wattage printed on its power supply.
How many watts does a gaming mini PC use?
There is no single wattage for gaming mini PCs. Idle draw, gaming draw, and brief peak draw are different measurements, and results depend on the specific model and test workload. These two reviews illustrate the variation; they are not a controlled head-to-head efficiency test.
| Reviewed system | Idle | Gaming | Other load figures | Power supply |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASUS ROG NUC 15, RTX 5080 configuration; Notebookcheck | 30–44.4 W | About 300 W | 137.5 W minimum to 347 W maximum load reported; the review describes the maximum as a brief peak | 330 W rated capacity |
| Minisforum HX90G; Notebookcheck | 17.8–18.1 W | 185 W | 82.1 W average load; up to 262 W maximum, described as brief | 262 W rated capacity |
The ASUS is a newer, high-performance example, while the HX90G review is older. Different configurations, workloads, and test methods mean these figures should not be used to rank efficiency or predict the draw of every gaming mini PC. In particular, they do not establish typical consumption for budget or integrated-graphics systems.
Does a 330 W power supply mean the PC uses 330 W?
No. A power supply’s wattage rating describes its capacity, not the computer’s continuous electricity use. The reviewed ROG NUC 15 has a 330 W supply, but Notebookcheck measured about 300 W during gaming and a brief peak of 347 W. For the HX90G, the rated supply is 262 W, while the review measured 185 W during gaming. The observed wall draw varies with activity; do not treat a PSU rating, CPU or GPU TDP, or a peak as typical gaming consumption.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →#1 Best Overall
- Office Gaming Mini PC - UPGRADED GMKtec Nucbox M5 Ultra Series is equipped with the powerful AMD Ryzen 7 7730U processor, 8 Cores/16 Threads, Base 2.00GHz (Power Saving Quiet Mode) with Turbo Boost up to 4.50GHz (Performance Mode) in BIOS settings, Based on the ZEN 3+ architecture, this small but powerful mini pc delivers satisfying results in productivity, office work, and gaming. 35% Performance increase over AMD Ryzen 5 7430U/ Ryzen 7 5700U, 5600U, 5560U, 5500U.
- 32GB DDR4 RAM & 512GB PCIe SSD - Installed with DDR4 32GB RAM Dual Channel (2x16GB), the Nucbox M5 Plus mini pc support expansion to 64GB RAM. Featured with 512GB M.2 2280 PCIe 3.0 SSD, support dual slot expansion to 4TB SSD. (Upgrades not included)
- DUAL NIC LAN 2.5G RJ45 - Fast Network Speeds: Enjoy up to 2500Mbps data transmission speed without worrying about lagging. Ideal for working, gaming, and surfing the internet. Great for Untangle, Pfsense or as a server office PC.
- Mini Desktop Computer with 4K Triple Screen Display - Nucbox M5 Ultra integrates AMD Radeon Graphics 8 Cores 2000 MHz GPU to deliver powerful graphics processing power to easily handle the demands of complex design software, 4K@60Hz UHD video editing, and playback. It can connect to 3 display screens simultaneously.
- Fast Internet WiFi 6E + BT5.2 Connection - GMKtec Mini PC with WiFi-6E Wireless, have 2.5G/5G/6G triple band, more faster and lower latency. Bluetooth 5.2 allowing you more quickly to connect other wireless devices (headset, mouse, keyboard, etc.) Interface features 2*USB3.2 ports, 2*USB2.0 ports, 1*HDMI 2.0 port(4K@60Hz), 1*USB-C port(PD/DP/DATA), 1*DP Port, 1*Audio 3.5mm (HP&MIC), 1*DC Power Port.
How much does a mini PC cost to run?
Calculate energy first, then apply the rate on your electricity bill:
Average wall draw in watts × hours used ÷ 1,000 = kilowatt-hours (kWh)
Rank #2
- VALUE & PERFORMANCE MINI PC - GMKtec Nucbox M6 Ultra Series is equipped with the powerful AMD Ryzen 5 7640HS processor. This CPU is an upper mid-range processor (APU) of the Phoenix product family. It has 6 SMT-enabled Zen 4 cores (12 threads) running at 4.3 GHz base speed to turbo boost 5.0 GHz.With a TDP Boost of 45W-60W, the Ryzen 7640HS CPU is more energy efficient and delivers a 30% Performance increase over previous AMD Ryzen 7 6800H, 6600U.
- 32GB DDR5 RAM & 1TB PCIe SSD - Installed with DDR5 32GB RAM SO-DIMM Dual Channel (2x16GB), the Nucbox M6 Ultra mini pc support expansion to 128GB RAM. Featured with 1TB M.2 2280 PCIe 3.0 SSD, support dual slot expansion to PCIe 4.0 8TB SSD. (Upgrades not included)
- GAMING PC - The Radeon 760M iGPU has 8 CUs (512 shaders) running at up to 2,600 MHz. This desktop computer can play moderate gaming at a steady FPS, it also HW-encodes and HW-decodes the most widely used video codecs such as AV1, HEVC and AVC.
- DUAL NIC LAN 2.5G RJ45 - Fast Network Speeds: Enjoy up to 2500Mbps data transmission speed without worrying about lagging. Ideal for working, gaming, and surfing the internet. Great for Untangle, Pfsense or as a server office PC.
- TRIPLE 4K DISPLAY - Unlock unparalleled productivity with support for three simultaneous displays, including a stunning 8K@60Hz via USB4, plus 4K@60Hz through both HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort, transforming your workspace into a command center for multitasking and immersive entertainment.
kWh × electricity price per kWh = estimated electricity cost
For example, using the HX90G review’s 185 W gaming measurement for a three-hour session gives 0.555 kWh (185 × 3 ÷ 1,000). At the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s preliminary 2025 residential average of $0.173 per kWh, that works out to about $0.096—roughly 10 cents for the session. This is an estimate based on that reviewed draw and rate; it excludes a display and other peripherals.
Recommended Free Tools
Rank #3
- 【Ryzen 5 3500U Processor】KAMRUI Essenx E2 Mini PC is equipped with AMD Ryzen 5 3500U (4-cores/8-threads, up to 3.7GHz) with integrated Radeon Vega 8 Graphics(1200MHz, 8 Core). The 3500U CPU operates at a base frequency of 2.1 GHz and a Boost frequency of 3.7 GHz. This DDR supports upgradable up to 32GB, SSD supports up to 2TB.(NOT INCLUED), KAMRUI E2 3500U Mini PC is ideal for light office work and home entertainment. KAMRUI E2 3500U is more than 35% more powerful and smoother in operation than the Intel N150, 33% faster than Intel N95, 28% performance boost over Intel i3-10110U, and 42% stronger processing power than AMD Ryzen 3 3200U.
- 【16GB DDR4 & 256GB SSD】The KAMRUI E2 mini computers is equipped with 16GB DDR4(Expandable up to 32GB) for faster multitasking and smooth application switching. 256GB M.2 SSD ensures fast startup times,fast file transfers and plenty of storage space,eliminating slow loading times and ensuring fast responsiveness.Storage space can RAM supports up to 32 GB, SSD supports up to 2TB (Not included)make file storage easier.
- 【4K Dual Display & USB 3.2 Type-A Port】KAMRUI E2 3500U mini desktop pc is equipped with an HDMI 2.0+DP 1.4 interfaces for faster transmission, Support Dual 4K@60Hz Display, E2 mini desktop computers is ideal for visual home entertainment, home office, conference rooms, etc. USB3.2 Gen1 Type-A Port×2 with a transfer speed of up to 5Gbps (10 times faster than USB 2.0) for efficient data transfer. The RJ45 1000M Gigabit Ethernet Port ensures a stable network connection.
- 【WiFi+Bluetooth stable connection】The Kamrui E2 micro pc have reliable and stable wireless connection, open websites in seconds, watch movies without buffering and download files smoothly, connect your monitor from WiFi or Ethernet, use a wireless keyboard and mouse through bluetooth, which will be powerful workstation for you.
- 【Versatile Ports】This KAMRUI E2 Small pc is equipped with HDMI 2.0×1(4K@60Hz)、DP1.4×1(4K@60Hz)、Gigabit Ethernet Port (RJ45, 10/100/1000Mbps) ×1、USB3.2 Gen1 Type-A Port×2（5Gbps）、USB2.0 Type-A Port×2、3.5mm Audio Jack ×1、DC In ×1、Power Button ×1
To estimate a month, multiply the session cost by the number of similar sessions. If you use the mini PC for gaming, idle time, and other tasks, estimate or measure each kind of use separately and add the energy. Use your own bill’s rate, particularly if it varies by time of day.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why your electricity rate matters
The EIA’s 2025 preliminary annual average for U.S. residential electricity is 17.30 cents per kWh. It is a national benchmark, not a guaranteed rate for your home; the estimate is preliminary and based on a cutoff model sample. The EIA also reports a 2025 state range of 8.20–35.72 cents per kWh for all types of electric utility customers, not residential customers alone. Check your bill rather than using that state range as a residential comparison.
Rank #4
- 【AMD Ryzen 3 5300U CPU: Outperforms N150 & 3500U】 BOSGAME E5 mini PC is powered by the TSMC 7nm FinFET architecture AMD Ryzen 3 5300U processor (4 Cores, 8 Threads, up to 3.8GHz boost, 6MB total cache). Compared to low-end Intel N150 or 3500U chips which only have 4 single threads and throttle under load, the 5300U delivers over 30% faster multi-core speed. Run 30+ browser tabs, large Excel sheets, and Zoom meetings simultaneously without system lag.
- 【8GB DDR4 RAM & 256GB NVMe SSD Storage】 Installed with high-speed 8GB DDR4 dual-channel memory and a fast 256GB M.2 2280 SSD, eliminating slow boot times and application loading delays. To accommodate growing data requirements, the upgradeable hardware design features dual SODIMM slots that allow you to expand memory up to 64GB RAM, ensuring smooth operation during heavy multitasking.
- 【High-Capacity Dual M.2 SSD Storage Expansion】 Never worry about running out of space for your business files. In addition to the pre-installed 256GB system drive, the motherboard houses an extra empty internal M.2 2280 NVMe PCIe 3.0 slot. This allows you to easily add a second solid-state drive for up to an additional 2TB of storage capacity (upgrades not included) without needing to remove or reinstall the original operating system.
- 【Radeon 6-Core Graphics & Triple 4K Displays】 Integrated with official AMD Radeon Graphics (6 Graphics Cores, 1500 MHz frequency) for casual gaming, photo editing, and crisp 4K media decoding. Featuring 1x HDMI 2.0 port, 1x DisplayPort, and 1x Full-Function Type-C port, the E5 outputs true 4K@60Hz resolution to three monitors at once. This multi-screen setup eliminates constant window-switching for traders, programmers, and office workers.
- 【Dual 2.5GbE LAN Ports for Advanced Networking】 Experience fast wired network transmission speeds up to 2500Mbps without lagging or buffering. The integration of dual 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet ports (powered by Realtek RTL8125 controller) makes this compact computer an exceptional hardware choice for tech enthusiasts. Easily configure it into software routers, hardware firewalls (pfSense, OpnSense), home NAS servers, or local homelabs.
How to measure your own gaming mini PC
A plug-in energy monitor or watt meter can measure consumption at the wall, which is more useful for cost estimates than relying on component TDP or the power supply’s capacity.
- Plug the monitor into the wall outlet, then connect the mini PC’s power supply to the monitor.
- Record the wall draw at idle, during a representative gaming session, and during any other use you want to include. For a cost estimate, use average draw over the relevant period rather than a brief peak.
- Decide whether the calculation includes only the mini PC or also the display and peripherals. Connect those devices through the meter too if you want their consumption counted.
- Apply the kWh formula to each usage period, then multiply the total by your actual electricity price per kWh.
Review measurements do not automatically represent the whole desk setup. Include only the devices whose electricity use you intend to count.
How to interpret older gaming-PC estimates
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s 2017 report modeled 1,394 kWh per year for an older desktop gaming-computer scenario. That estimate included a display and assumed an average 4.4 hours per day in gaming mode. It is historical context—not a forecast for a modern gaming mini PC, whose hardware, workload, and included devices may differ.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
