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OBS has no fixed electricity cost: it is software, and the power draw depends on the whole computer and the work it is doing. Measure your computer’s average wall power while running the OBS setup you intend to leave on, then calculate watts ÷ 1,000 × hours × your electricity rate per kWh.
For example, an assumed 100-watt average draw running continuously uses 72 kWh in a 30-day month. At the 2025 U.S. residential average of 17.30¢/kWh, that would cost about $12.46 for the month. This is an illustration, not a measurement of OBS or a particular PC.
How to calculate PC electricity cost per month
Use the computer’s average power draw in watts, the number of hours it runs, and your applicable variable electricity price per kilowatt-hour (kWh):
Energy (kWh) = average watts ÷ 1,000 × hours
Cost = energy (kWh) × price per kWh
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For continuous use, a 30-day month is 720 hours and a 365-day year is 8,760 hours. The U.S. Energy Information Administration explains the distinction between instantaneous power in watts and energy used over time in watt-hours and kilowatt-hours in its electricity measurement guide.
Example: a 100-watt computer
100 W ÷ 1,000 × 720 hours = 72 kWh per 30-day month. Multiply 72 kWh by your per-kWh rate to estimate the energy charge. For a year, 100 W ÷ 1,000 × 8,760 hours = 876 kWh.
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Use the variable rate on your own bill for the closest estimate. With time-of-use pricing or tiered rates, the applicable price can change by time or usage band; fixed monthly charges generally do not increase simply because this computer is running.
How much does it cost to leave OBS running 24/7?
The following are calculated examples at the 2025 U.S. residential average of 17.30¢/kWh, reported by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Wattages are assumed whole-system average draws, not measured OBS consumption. Amounts are rounded to cents.
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| Average whole-system draw | Energy per 30-day month | Cost per 30-day month | Energy per 365-day year | Cost per 365-day year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 W | 36 kWh | $6.23 | 438 kWh | $75.77 |
| 100 W | 72 kWh | $12.46 | 876 kWh | $151.55 |
| 200 W | 144 kWh | $24.91 | 1,752 kWh | $303.10 |
These costs use the formula watts ÷ 1,000 × hours × $0.173/kWh. The EIA’s 2025 state residential averages ranged from 8.20¢/kWh in North Dakota to 35.72¢/kWh in Hawaii; the figures are based on Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.3, with February 2026 preliminary data. Your own tariff may differ. See the EIA’s electricity price data and explanation for the cited averages.
How to measure the electricity OBS uses
- Run the real workload. Start the OBS scene, encoder, resolution, frame rate, game or other content, and background programs you expect to use continuously. OBS’s system requirements documentation notes that CPU requirements vary with encoder, resolution, FPS, and scene complexity.
- Measure the whole computer at the wall. A plug-in electricity usage monitor can show the system’s draw during that workload. The measurement includes the PC and whatever else is connected through the meter; it does not isolate OBS from the rest of the computer. A meter is optional—the calculation only needs a reasonable average-watt figure.
- Use average watts, not the power supply’s rating. A power supply’s rated capacity is a maximum capability, not the electricity the computer continually draws.
- Calculate the chosen period. Divide average watts by 1,000, multiply by 720 for a 30-day month or 8,760 for a 365-day year, then multiply the resulting kWh by your applicable rate.
How much electricity does OBS use?
There is no standard OBS wattage independent of the computer and workload. The relevant figure is the entire system’s average wall draw while doing the intended OBS work. A static scene, a demanding game, and recording or streaming with different settings can produce different loads, so measure each setup you actually want to compare.
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OBS renders scenes on the GPU, and other GPU-intensive work can compete for resources. Hardware encoding moves encoding work from the CPU to a specialized GPU component and is generally recommended for performance, but OBS does not publish a universal electricity saving from switching encoders. The OBS hardware encoding guide and encoding performance troubleshooting guide describe these workload and performance considerations; they do not provide directly comparable energy figures.
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If you want to compare OBS idle, OBS streaming or recording, and OBS alongside a game, measure each for a representative period with the same meter and conditions. Keep the electricity rate and time period constant, and compare measured average wall watts. Change one relevant setting at a time—such as encoder, resolution, frame rate, or scene complexity—so you can see how that system responds rather than assuming a setting will save a fixed amount.
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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.
