In today’s technological world, you do not even consider how much your devices chew up power. That is until you start trying to lower your costs per month. The crazy thing is that Gaming PCs are not something you would think would take much power to run because it is such a common type of laptop. But still, the nagging question remains; do gaming PCs use a lot of electricity?
According to numerous studies conducted by experts across many fields, the simple answer is YES. Gaming PCs use an average of 1,400 kWh per year, equal to having three refrigerators running all the time or the amount of energy that six standard computers would use. That is for one gaming PC.
To see that broken down into money, you must multiply 1,400 times the amount you are charged per kWh. Let’s say you pay .35 for one kWh. Your total cost for the year to run a computer PC would be around $490.00. That equals approximately $41 a month added to your electric bill. Keep reading to find out why and how to decrease this cost.
Gaming PCs And Electricity Usage
You may now be wondering why a gaming PC would use so much power compared to an ordinary computer. One gaming PC equaling six normal ones is a substantial amount of difference. Obviously, this is a ballpark figure that would need to be adjusted depending upon how much gaming you do and how often you do it. Either way, it will be beneficial for you to understand why a gaming PC uses the amount of energy that it does.
Why Gaming PCs Use So Much Electricity?
A gaming PC is not designed to save energy. It is designed to give you the best gaming experience possible for the amount of money you spend building it. Of course, there are specialized parts and pieces that you can incorporate into your build, but you will usually pay the extra money that they would cost for bigger and better upgrades to your PC instead.
The reason that the gaming varieties use more power is simple. They require the components of the system to allocate the hardware installed to maximize the gaming experience. This means the parts work harder and constantly pull power to complete the tasks. Since your gaming laptop must be plugged in most of the time, it will have to draw more energy to keep the battery charged enough to allow you to continue playing.
Ways To Decrease Power Consumption Of Gaming PCs
To reduce the amount of energy that your gaming PC uses, there are a couple of things that you can do, says WindowsCentral. No matter what avenues you try, it is still a gaming laptop, so it will draw more energy than you may want it to.
- Energy Providers – Check how much your current energy provider charges you, including any of their added fees. Go to an online comparison site, such as iSelect.com, and let them compare all of their partner’s sites to see if you can get a better rate.
- Upgrade Parts – There are numerous products on the market that allow you to conserve energy while playing. All you will need to do is swap out the components already in the PC with the new ones that will lower your power usage.
- Internal Settings – Turn down the resolution and set the system to turn off after an hour of non-use, according to MakeUseOf.
- Clean – Keep the fans cleaned and the internal components dust free. Do not use a vacuum. Opt for a can of compressed air.
Simple daily routines can decrease a gaming PC’s power use. Keep it running at its optimal level by keeping it clean and updated, and always turn it off when you are done using it. One of the biggest draws in any home is leaving chargers plugged in and running 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Conclusion
Gaming PCs make your favorite pastime come alive with vivid colors, sounds, and instant responses to your controls. The one aspect of the games you do not consider as often as you should is how much the unit takes in energy to perform those functions for you.
That is not to say that you should stop playing your favorite games. On the contrary, game away for as long as you want. Make sure that when you are done, the system is turned off, and when you can upgrade your parts and pieces to optimize energy usage while maintaining your level of play.
Last Updated: August 31, 2022
