PlugFacts

Checked against official sources on 25 October 2026

Maintained by Karan S.

How much does a gaming PC cost to run?

Up to $8.29 a month

for an RTX 5070 and Core Ultra 7 265K PC at full power used 3 hours a day in , at 18.16 cents per kWh.

Graphics card + processor maximum
500 W
Costs per hour
$0.09

A gaming PC's two biggest power users are the graphics card and the processor. NVIDIA and Intel publish the most each is designed to draw, and adding them gives a ceiling for the PC while gaming: from 304 W for an RTX 5060 with a Core Ultra 5 245K to 825 W for an RTX 5090 with a Core Ultra 9 285K. The motherboard, memory, drives and fans add more on top, while lighter games draw less, so treat the cost here as a rough upper limit.

For your real figure, plug the PC into a plug-in energy meter while you play, then type the watts into the calculator with "I know its watts".

See popular buys that cut the cost ↓

Work out your own gaming PC

Draws about 500 W

hours

cents per kWh

Per day$0.27
Per month$8.29
Per year$99

Something else with a plug? Use the running cost calculator. Want your own appliance's exact figure? A plug-in electricity usage monitor shows the real kWh it uses.

Popular buys that cut the cost

What people reading this page usually look for next. Links open your country's Amazon store.

80 PLUS Gold power supply

Wastes less power as heat than a basic PSU.

View on Amazon

UPS for a gaming PC

Saves your game and parts in a power cut.

View on Amazon

PlugFacts may earn a commission if you buy through these links, at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, PlugFacts earns from qualifying purchases. It never changes our numbers. How we make money.

Example gaming PCs compared

NVIDIA's total graphics power plus Intel's maximum turbo power for the processor. The rest of the PC is not included. Costs below use the price you set above.

Example PC Graphics card + processor maximum Cost per hour
RTX 5060 with Core Ultra 5 245K145 W graphics + 159 W processor 304 W $0.06
RTX 5070 with Core Ultra 7 265K250 W graphics + 250 W processor 500 W $0.09
RTX 5080 with Core Ultra 7 265K360 W graphics + 250 W processor 610 W $0.11
RTX 5090 with Core Ultra 9 285K575 W graphics + 250 W processor 825 W $0.15

What it costs in other countries

For an RTX 5070 and Core Ultra 7 265K PC at full power used 3 hours a day, at each country's official average electricity price.

CountryPrice per kWhPer monthPer year
United States18.16 cents$8.29$99
United Kingdom26.32 pence£12£144
Germany36.18 cents€17€198
Ireland38.71 cents€18€212
France24.85 cents€11€136
Spain25.09 cents€11€137
Italy31.42 cents€14€172
Netherlands24.40 cents€11€134

Prices from the U.S. EIA, Ofgem and Eurostat; see Sources below. To see another country, pick it at the top of the page; we cover 51.

How to cut the cost of running your gaming PC

  1. Play one hour less a day

    At 500 W for an RTX 5070 and Core Ultra 7 265K together, one hour less a day saves up to this much.

    Saves up to $33 a year

  2. Cap your frame rate

    Stopping the graphics card working harder than your screen can show cuts its power draw.

  3. Let it sleep

    Set the PC to sleep when you're not using it rather than leaving it on between sessions.

Savings use the electricity price you set above and figures from this page's sources.

What can power it

To run a gaming PC from a power station or generator, cover NVIDIA's required system power for your graphics card, from 550 W for an RTX 5060 to 1,000 W for an RTX 5090, plus your monitor and anything else on at the same time.

Check a specific setup with the generator size calculator.

Power stations that can run a gaming PC

Uses 85% of the battery as usable energy. Check your own power station or several appliances at once.

PlugFacts may earn a commission if you buy through these links, at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, PlugFacts earns from qualifying purchases. It never changes our numbers. How we make money.

Common questions

How many watts does a gaming PC use?

It depends mostly on the graphics card and processor. An RTX 5070 (250 W total graphics power, according to NVIDIA) with a Core Ultra 7 265K (250 W maximum turbo power, according to Intel) can draw up to about 500 W between them. The rest of the PC adds more on top, and lighter games use less.

What power supply does a gaming PC need?

NVIDIA lists a required system power for each card: 550 W for an RTX 5060, 650 W for an RTX 5070, 850 W for an RTX 5080 and 1,000 W for an RTX 5090. NVIDIA says the figures are based on a PC with a Ryzen 9 9950X processor and can differ with other parts.

Does a gaming PC use more power than a PS5?

Usually, yes. Sony rates the PS5 at up to 350 W and the PS5 Pro at up to 390 W. An RTX 5070 and a Core Ultra 7 265K together can draw up to about 500 W, before counting the rest of the PC.

What about AMD processors?

AMD lists a default TDP rather than a maximum: 120 W for the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, for example. It isn't measured the same way as Intel's maximum turbo power, so for an AMD build, a plug-in energy meter gives the best figure.

How much does it cost to run a gaming PC per hour?

Up to $0.09 an hour in the United States, at the average price of 18.16 cents per kWh, or about £0.13 in the UK at 26.32 pence, for an RTX 5070 and Core Ultra 7 265K PC at full power drawing 500 W.

How many amps does a gaming PC use?

Rated at up to 500 W, a gaming PC draws up to about 4.2 A at 120 V (US, Canada), or up to about 2.2 A at 230 V (UK, Europe, India, Australia). That's at its maximum rating; most of the time it draws less. Check the label on yours.

Related

Sources

Last checked 25 October 2026. How we get our numbers.