How much does a gaming PC cost to run?
A gaming PC drawing 400W at the wall while you play costs about 11p an hour at the Ofgem cap rate of 26.32p/kWh. Three hours every evening is about £9.48 a month. A high-end rig pulling 650W costs about 17p an hour. Add your monitor, which can draw anywhere from a few tens of watts to well over 100W for large high-refresh screens.
Prices last checked: 26 September 2026 · Source: Ofgem energy price cap, 1 October to 31 December 2026 · Great Britain average, standard variable tariff, paid by Direct Debit
Gaming PC cost per hour, day and month
These are whole-system wall-power figures while gaming, including the monitor, used as examples. Your own draw depends on the graphics card, CPU, game and frame-rate settings.
| Setup (example draw) | Energy per hour | Cost per hour | Per day (3 h) | Per 30 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Idle / desktop, 100W | 0.1 kWh | 2.6p | 7.9p | £2.37 |
| Mid-range gaming, 300W | 0.3 kWh | 7.9p | 24p | £7.11 |
| Upper mid-range, 450W | 0.45 kWh | 12p | 36p | £10.66 |
| High-end GPU at full load, 650W | 0.65 kWh | 17p | 51p | £15.40 |
| Flagship GPU + high-refresh monitor, 800W | 0.8 kWh | 21p | 63p | £18.95 |
Where the watts go
- Graphics card. Usually the biggest single load while gaming. The manufacturer's "total board power" figure is a reasonable upper bound for the card alone.
- CPU. Varies a lot by game. CPU-heavy strategy and simulation games can push it harder than a graphically intense shooter.
- Monitor. Large, bright and high-refresh screens can draw more than people expect. It's on the monitor's energy label.
- Everything else. Speakers, RGB lighting, USB devices and a second monitor all add up.
Cheaper gaming without losing much
- Cap the frame rate at your monitor's refresh rate, or lower in less demanding games. An uncapped GPU runs flat out rendering frames you can't see.
- Undervolt or set a power limit on the graphics card. Many cards lose very little performance at a noticeably lower power limit.
- Let it sleep. A PC left idling at 100W for eight hours uses 0.8 kWh, about 21p, every time. Sleep mode uses a few watts.
- Turn off the monitor and speakers at the wall when you're done for the day.
Gaming PC vs console
Current-generation consoles usually draw well under a high-end PC while gaming. If you're choosing between them, the running-cost difference over a year can be meaningful for a heavy player, but it is rarely the deciding factor compared with the purchase price. See the games console page for console figures.
Common mistakes
- Using the PSU's rating as the running wattage.
- Using the graphics card's rating alone and forgetting the CPU, monitor and the rest.
- Measuring for a minute on the desktop and assuming gaming is the same.
Limits of this estimate
Power draw changes second by second with the game and settings. The figures here are examples, not benchmarks. Costs use the Ofgem cap average unit rate for Great Britain, Direct Debit, standard variable tariff.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to run a gaming PC 24/7?
At an average of 150W (mostly idle, some gaming), 24 hours uses 3.6 kWh, about 95p a day or £346 a year. Sleep mode cuts most of that.
Does a gaming PC use a lot of electricity?
While gaming, more than most home electronics. Per hour it is still usually less than a kettle or an electric heater. But it runs for hours rather than minutes.
Should I include the monitor?
Yes, if you want the cost of the whole setup. Measure both through the same power strip.