Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsThere is no universal winner: OBS or FFmpeg may use less electricity on a particular 24/7 YouTube PC, but the result depends on the whole computer and the exact encoding and processing settings—not the software name alone. To find out which is more efficient on your hardware, run a matched comparison and measure energy at the wall over equal intervals.
Why OBS and FFmpeg do not have a fixed power ranking
OBS and FFmpeg can use different encoding paths and do different amounts of processing. Total wall consumption also includes the CPU, GPU, storage, fans, power supply and other components—not just the work attributed to the streaming application.
OBS can composite and render scenes on the GPU. A simple scene with one looping video is a different workload from a scene with animated overlays, multiple sources or filters. Competing GPU work can affect the load too. OBS notes that CPU requirements vary with the encoder, resolution, frame rate and scene complexity, and that meeting its basic system requirements does not guarantee a system can stream or record successfully (OBS system requirements; OBS encoding performance troubleshooting).
Encoder choice matters as well. OBS says hardware encoders shift encoding work from the CPU to a specialized component in the GPU. That can improve performance, but it does not prove that hardware encoding always lowers the whole PC’s electricity use. Results depend on the hardware generation, driver, compatibility, quality settings and what else the machine is doing (OBS hardware encoding). FFmpeg also supports hardware encoding and hardware acceleration, so comparing OBS with a hardware encoder against FFmpeg with software encoding would compare two different configurations, not just two applications (FFmpeg documentation).
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No published apples-to-apples wattage result for OBS versus FFmpeg on the same PC, video, encoder, settings and YouTube stream is established by the official documentation reviewed here. Treat the outcome as something to measure on your own machine, not a published software-wide statistic.
How to measure electricity use fairly
Use a plug-in energy monitor that records cumulative energy, not a snapshot of watts. A live PC’s load fluctuates; the U.S. Department of Energy’s Federal Energy Management Program says: “If power consumption fluctuates, energy consumption should be measured over a period of time and then divided by the measurement period to determine average power.” The guidance is for standby-power measurement, so its specific instrument requirements should not be mistaken for a general certification of consumer plug meters or a prescribed live-stream test (DOE FEMP: Measuring Standby Power).
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- Choose what you are measuring. Decide whether the test includes just the PC or also a display and other equipment. Measure the same devices in both runs. If the display is unnecessary for the unattended stream, leave it off in both runs; DOE advises turning off monitors when a networked computer must remain on (DOE FEMP: Purchasing Energy-Efficient Computers).
- Use the same workload. Keep the PC, power supply, operating-system power profile, source video, audio, output resolution, frame rate, bitrate, YouTube destination and network conditions the same. Use the same looping behavior and scene content where applicable.
- Record the actual encoding paths. For each application, note the selected encoder, preset, hardware acceleration, filters and other processing. Match the encoding goal as closely as possible. If you cannot match a setting or path, record the difference rather than presenting the result as an application-only comparison.
- Keep the stream output comparable. YouTube’s live encoder guidance recommends CBR and RTMPS. Match the output settings and network destination where possible, and record any differences (YouTube live encoder settings, bitrates and resolutions).
- Measure equal settled intervals. Let startup activity settle before recording cumulative energy. Run each setup for the same sufficiently long interval. Avoid unrelated updates, downloads, backups or other background work; report interruptions and failed stream intervals instead of silently excluding them.
- Repeat and alternate if practical. Repeating runs and alternating which application goes first can help reduce bias from time of day or background activity. Report the meter, interval length, PC specifications, software versions, settings and any uncertainty.
Check the monitor’s electrical rating and outlet compatibility, and confirm it can log cumulative energy. The monitor measures consumption; it does not reduce it. DOE FEMP’s standby procedure specifies instrument uncertainty below 2% at 95% confidence for standby measurements above 0.5 W, plus resolution of 0.01 W or less below 10 W and 0.1 W or less above 10 W up to 100 W. These are specifications in that standby procedure—not a claim that every consumer meter meets them or that the procedure directly covers a live PC workload.
Calculate average watts and a 24/7 estimate
Use cumulative energy for the interval rather than a momentary power reading. If a meter reports kilowatt-hours (kWh), calculate average power as follows:
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Average watts = measured kWh ÷ elapsed hours × 1,000
For example, if a meter records 0.12 kWh over 2 hours, the average is 60 W. This example demonstrates the calculation; it is not a measured OBS or FFmpeg result.
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To estimate annual energy for continuous operation, convert average watts to kilowatts and multiply by 8,760 hours:
Estimated annual kWh = average watts ÷ 1,000 × 8,760
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Label this as an extrapolation from your measured interval, not a year-long test. Compare both cumulative kWh for the matched runs and average watts. Do not infer power consumption from CPU or GPU utilization percentages, which do not measure the whole system at the wall.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the result can—and cannot—tell you
A controlled result answers which of the tested configurations used less energy on that PC under those conditions. It does not establish that the same application will win on another machine or with a different encoder, scene, resolution, frame rate or video. If the OBS and FFmpeg runs used different encoding paths or processing, describe the result as a comparison of those configurations.
For an estimated electricity cost, multiply the measured or extrapolated kWh by your applicable electricity rate. The rate depends on your utility and plan, so there is no single cost figure that applies to every reader.
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