A gaming PC is something very personal to each individual. Each setup is different from another, whether you have a custom build or the perfect monitor and controller combo. Whatever your style, firing up your computer is like a spaceship as the lights glow and the fans roar. But how much power does something like this consume?
Below we will discuss and test gaming PC wattage, explain how to work it out for yourself, and calculate the total electricity required.
How Many Watts is a Gaming PC?
The average gaming PC uses between 300 and 500 watts.
The exact number depends on the size, components, and model, of your gaming PC plus the game you are playing. For example, if you are playing a less intensive video game the power consumption can fall to below 300W. But if you are running high-end games, like Far Cry 6, then this number can just to above 400W
In addition to the game you are playing, the internal components of your computer will directly affect electricity usage. Two of the largest consumers will be your CPU and GPU. To give you an idea, A high end AMD CPU can run at over 100W while a low end Intel CPU operates at below 70W.
Of course, to run the biggest games you’ll need more powerful components so the two go hand in hand.
Truth is: the more powerful your gaming PC, the more electricity it uses.
How to Find Out Your Gaming PC Wattage
There’s 2 ways you can work out the wattage of a gaming PC.
- Use a Wattmeter
A wattmeter is brilliant for getting a live wattage reading and tracking total energy usage of your computer. You can simply plug it into your gaming PC to get instant information.
I used one to test a gaming PC which gave a live reading of 357W while playing Far Cry 6.
- Check Product Specification
If you buy an ‘off-the-shelf’ computer you should be able to find the power specification. The maximum watts (W) is often written on a sticker on the base of the appliance. If not, you can check the user manual or the manufacturer’s website for technical details.
Gaming PC Wattage Test
How Much Electricity Does a Gaming PC Use?
You can use gaming PC wattage to work out how much electricity it uses. Plus this can be useful in understanding how much it costs to run your gaming PC.
A watt (W) is a measurement of power at a single point in time. A watt-hour is the total amount of electricity used in an hour. For example, a gaming PC drawing an average of 400W would use 400Wh when running for an hour.
Happily, electricity bills are recorded in kilowatt-hours (kWh). A kilowatt is simply 1000 watts. So a 400W gaming PC running for 1 hour uses 0.4kWh.
In reality, you might use a gaming PC for 2 hours a day. This means a gaming PC can use about 800Wh or 0.8kWh electricity a day. That’s 2.4kWh a month and 292kWh a year.
That’s a rough electricity cost of $0.12 a day or $43.8 a year to play high-end PC games for 2 hours every day.
Using a Gaming PC Off-Grid
If you’re planning to use your gaming PC in an off-grid situation like a power outage, RV, boat, semi-truck, or similar, the information above is critical. You can use it to work out what electrical equipment you need and how long everything can run.
You can either use a power inverter, portable power station, or generator to produce AC electricity.
To make sure everything runs smoothly you should check two things on this equipment – wattage capacity and total energy capacity.
Your power source, like an inverter, should have a wattage capacity of at least 20% more than your gaming PC. This ensures it will be able to deliver enough power as they are never 100% efficient. To play PC games, you will need at least 750W of power capacity. This should be enough to run a computer and a monitor. If you’re playing for long periods you might move up to 1000W to reduce the strain on your equipment.
Secondly, you need to ensure your energy source, like a battery, has enough energy to run the gaming PC for the required amount of time. As we already know, it will use up to about 400Wh electricity every hour. This is the equivalent to 33.33Ah on a 12V battery.
These machines guzzle a lot of power, so you might find it tricky to run completely off-grid. Your best bet would be to use a large generator for long sessions. Or use a more energy efficient games console.
How Many Watts Does a Gaming PC Use Summary
I hope you now have a better understanding of how many watts a gaming PC uses.
Truth is: these computers consume a lot of power, especially when compared to a games console like a PS5. If you play high end video games every day then it will certainly spike your electricity usage. If you’re thinking about running off-grid then it might be wise to find another less power hungry option for your entertainment.
