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How Much Does It Cost to Run a Gaming PC? $0.14/Hr, $16.32/Mo

Running a gaming PC at 800 watts for 4 hours a day costs about $0.54 a day and $16.32 a month at 17¢/kWh, the EIA 2025 annual US average (July 2026 monthly: 18.31¢) — roughly $199 a year.

800 W (300–1,200 W)Typical power draw
4 h/day, 30 days/monthAssumed use
3.20 kWhEnergy per day

· Source: EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A (July 2026 data) · next EIA update ~Oct 23

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a gaming PC: energy cost only (800 W ÷ 1,000 × hours × rate); fixed fees and taxes extra.
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Slider nudges the rate for a gaming PC; the URL keeps it.

## How much does it cost to run a gaming PC?

The same a gaming PC at 4 hours a day costs $11.52 a month at 12¢ and $43.20 at 45¢ — usage held constant, only the rate moving:

Table 1: How Much Does It Cost to Run a Gaming PC? $0.14/Hr, $16.32/Mo
Electricity rate Per hour Per day Per month Per year
12¢/kWh $0.096 $0.38 $11.52 $140
15¢/kWh $0.120 $0.48 $14.40 $175
17¢/kWh (US avg) $0.136 $0.54 $16.32 $199
20¢/kWh $0.160 $0.64 $19.20 $234
25¢/kWh $0.200 $0.80 $24.00 $292
30¢/kWh $0.240 $0.96 $28.80 $350
35¢/kWh $0.280 $1.12 $33.60 $409
45¢/kWh $0.360 $1.44 $43.20 $526
Typical power draw
800 W (300–1,200 W)
Assumed use
4 h/day, 30 days/month
Energy per day
3.20 kWh
Cost per day
$0.54
Cost per month
$16.32
Cost per year
$199

Why this number

Running a gaming PC at 800 watts for 4 hours a day costs about $0.54 a day and $16.32 a month at 17¢/kWh, the EIA 2025 annual US average (July 2026 monthly: 18.31¢) — roughly $199 a year. The formula for a gaming PC: 800 W ÷ 1,000 × hours × your rate per kWh. For a gaming PC your own rate changes the answer: at 12¢/kWh that month costs $11.52, at 45¢/kWh it costs $43.20.

A gaming PC rated at 800 watts, run 4 hours a day, costs about $0.54 a day — about $16.32 a month, or $199 a year — at the US average electricity rate of 17¢/kWh. That places it 13th of the 40 appliances tracked here — mid-table, but high enough that it is worth being deliberate about how much you use it.

What actually drives this number

Actual draw depends heavily on what is running — an idle desktop may pull under 100 W while a loaded GPU pushes past 500 W. This assumes real gaming hours rather than time powered on, and a plug-in meter is the only way to know your own figure.

For a gaming PC the unit that matters is the kilowatt-hour, not the kilowatt : 800 W is only the rate of use, and 4 hours a day is what turns it into the 1,168 kWh a year you are actually billed for. On that yearly measure its nearest always-on neighbor is the pool pump at about 1,200 kWh.

Where this number comes from

Putting Gaming PC in proportion

At 17¢/kWh, a gaming PC next to the rest of the bill:

For a gaming PC: consumer electronics look power-hungry on the label and rarely are on the bill, because they run for hours rather than around the clock and spend much of that time well below their rated draw. On this site’s own numbers, a gaming PC lands at #13 of 40 on the monthly-cost ranking, at about $16.32 for a typical month.

The formula, in full

The 800 W arithmetic for a gaming PC, step by step:

  1. Watts to kilowatts. 800 W ÷ 1,000 = 0.80 kW.
  2. Energy per day. 0.80 kW × 4 hours = 3.20 kWh.
  3. Cost per day. 3.20 kWh × $0.17 = $0.54.
  4. Cost per month. $0.54 × 30 days = $16.32.

For a gaming PC the two levers are run-hours (4 h/day here) and your rate; at 4 hours a day, 800 W adds up — which is why consumer electronics dominate the rankings.

Other electronics: Treadmill ($62/yr), NAS (home server) ($53/yr), 65-inch LED TV ($31/yr). Closest on annual cost: Pool pump ($204/yr), Space heater ($191/yr). Across all other electronics here, the cheapest is CPAP machine at $0.91/mo.

The a gaming PC table above runs a fixed rate ladder (12–45¢); the state quick-fill uses July 2026 averages from EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A .

Put a gaming PC ($16.32 a month) against everything else in the electricity cost calculator , check your state’s rate , or browse all 40 appliances ; year-round high bills: solar savings calculator .

Frequently asked questions

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

About $0.136 an hour for a gaming PC at 17¢/kWh, the EIA 2025 annual US average (July 2026 monthly: 18.31¢), for a 800 W unit. The calculation is 800 ÷ 1,000 × 1 hour × $0.17 per kWh. At 30¢/kWh the same hour costs $0.240.

How much does a gaming PC add to my monthly bill?

Roughly $16.32 a month for a gaming PC at 4 hours a day, 30 days a month, 17¢/kWh. That is about $199 a year if you use it that much year-round. For a gaming PC, change the 4-hour default to your own use — run-time moves the total as much as the 800 W does.

How many watts does a gaming PC use?

Typically around 800 W, with real units ranging from about 300 to 1,200 W depending on size, model and setting. The nameplate on your own unit is the figure to trust — these are typical values for planning, not a measurement of your appliance.

Why is my actual bill higher than the a gaming PC figure?

$16.32 a month is the energy cost of a gaming PC alone; your bill adds fixed connection charges, delivery fees, taxes and every other load. Add the other appliances in the index to a gaming PC for the controllable part of the bill.

How we calculated this

Worked for a gaming PC: 800 W ÷ 1,000 × 4 h × $0.17 = $0.54 a day; × 30 days = $16.32 a month; × 12 months in use = $199 a year. 800 W and 4 h are the typical figures cited for a gaming PC; 17¢ is EIA’s 2025 annual US average.

Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) electricity rates · DSIRE incentive records · public IRS/OBBBA guidance. Figures are modeled estimates, not quotes or tax advice. See our methodology.

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