A second-hand SFF PC has no single 24/7 streaming cost: you need its average power draw at the wall and the electricity rate on your bill. Multiply average watts by 8.76 to estimate annual kilowatt-hours, then multiply by your price per kilowatt-hour; divide the annual cost by 12 for a monthly average.
A reported MINIX playback measurement is useful for showing the arithmetic, but playback is not the same workload as broadcasting a continuous YouTube live stream. Treat the calculation below as an illustration, not a prediction of your bill, and measure the complete setup doing the job you intend to run.
What the MINIX playback figure can and cannot tell you
The research behind this article reports a MINIX playback power range, but it does not establish a verified test of a named second-hand SFF computer broadcasting continuously to YouTube. That distinction matters: a playback result describes a computer playing video under the conditions of that test. It does not establish the wall draw of a machine encoding and sending a live stream, nor does it establish the draw of every other mini PC or SFF desktop.
Use the reported playback range as a worked example of how energy arithmetic behaves. Do not relabel it as a live-broadcast measurement, call it typical for used SFF computers, or use it to promise a particular electricity bill. The actual machine, power supply, settings, software, video, network equipment and peripherals all affect the reading.
The question is not simply whether a machine is compact or second-hand. It is whether that particular machine can perform the continuous task reliably, and what it draws from the mains while doing so. A manufacturer's adapter capacity or a processor's rated power is not a substitute for that measurement. A computer may draw very differently when idle, decoding video, or encoding a stream.
If your goal is to stream a playlist of pre-recorded files, first identify the actual workflow. The guide to streaming multiple pre-recorded videos continuously on YouTube can help clarify what the computer must do, but it does not supply a wattage estimate for your particular setup.
Turn a continuous draw into 30-day energy
For a machine running continuously, multiply its average wall draw in watts by 24 hours a day and by the number of days you want to estimate. Divide by 1,000 to convert watt-hours to kilowatt-hours. For a 30-day month, the calculation is:
30-day energy (kWh) = average watts × 24 × 30 ÷ 1,000
That reduces to average watts × 0.72. This is arithmetic, not a measurement. It assumes the same average draw for every hour of the period. If the workload changes between day and night, use a representative average that accounts for those periods rather than taking a brief reading at one moment.
For a year, use 365 days: annual energy (kWh) = average watts × 24 × 365 ÷ 1,000, or average watts × 8.76. The 8.76 factor comes from the hours in a year and the conversion from watts to kilowatts; it is not a prediction about how much a particular computer will draw.
Here is how the 30-day arithmetic works for a reported playback range of 10–15 W. The range is presented as playback evidence only; the table translates those endpoints into energy rather than treating them as measurements of a YouTube broadcast.
| Average wall draw used in calculation | 30-day energy | Annual energy |
|---|---|---|
| 10 W | 7.2 kWh | 87.6 kWh |
| 15 W | 10.8 kWh | 131.4 kWh |
A difference of five watts becomes 3.6 kWh over a 30-day continuous run. If your measured live-stream draw is outside the reported playback range, use your own figure instead. You do not need to fit your setup to someone else’s example.
Apply the illustrative $0.12 per kWh rate carefully
To show the cost step, take the 30-day energy values above and multiply by an illustrative rate of $0.12 per kWh. At 10 W, 7.2 kWh would cost $0.86 for 30 days; at 15 W, 10.8 kWh would cost $1.30. Those are rounded arithmetic examples, not observed bills and not a guaranteed charge for a particular computer.
The $0.12 figure is a convenient illustration only. It is not the universal price of electricity and it is not the federal reference cited below. The research notes identify a U.S. Department of Energy Federal Energy Management Program reference of 11 cents per kWh, based on average prices at federal facilities in July 2024. That is a dated federal-facility reference, not a household tariff. The separate $0.12 rate here is used solely to make the multiplication clear; do not attribute it to DOE or treat it as a current residential rate.
| Playback example used for arithmetic | 30-day energy | Cost at illustrative $0.12/kWh |
|---|---|---|
| 10 W | 7.2 kWh | $0.86 |
| 15 W | 10.8 kWh | $1.30 |
The bill impact for a broadcast may be higher or lower, depending on measured draw and tariff. The table deliberately does not claim that the MINIX ran a live stream, or that a used SFF PC will use the same power. Its purpose is to show how to convert a stated draw and rate into a comparable estimate.
For further context on energy-efficient computer guidance, consult the U.S. Department of Energy’s computer purchasing guidance. Its illustrative price context and efficiency advice are useful references, but neither replaces your actual bill rate or a workload-specific measurement.
Substitute the rate on your own bill
Find the price that applies to each additional unit of electricity you consume. Depending on where you live, this may be labelled per kWh, unit rate, or energy charge. Use the relevant variable charge, not a flat monthly account fee that would be the same whether or not this PC runs. If your bill has time-of-use periods or other changing energy charges, calculate with the rate that applies during the hours the setup runs, or estimate each period separately.
The arithmetic is straightforward: 30-day cost = 30-day kWh × your per-kWh rate. If your local rate is quoted in a different currency, use that currency consistently. Do not convert a U.S. illustration into a local bill without using the rate and currency relevant to your supply.
For example, if your own reading is 18 W average, the 30-day energy estimate is 18 × 0.72, or 12.96 kWh. Multiply 12.96 by the per-kWh charge on your bill to obtain the energy-cost estimate. The 18 W is a hypothetical input to explain the formula, not a claim about a typical SFF PC.
Rates can change, so use the bill or tariff applicable to the period you are estimating. The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Electric Power Monthly provides national and regional context for U.S. electricity data, but it is not your utility’s tariff. In India or elsewhere, the practical source is your own electricity bill and the current schedule from your distribution company, including any variable charges that affect consumption.
As a check, compare the measured draw, time period and rate as separate inputs. If the result seems implausible, check units first: watts are not kilowatt-hours, and cents per kWh must be converted into the same currency units used in your final answer. Avoid adding a fixed monthly service charge to the incremental running cost unless that charge genuinely changes because of the PC.
Playback and live encoding are different workloads
Playback usually means the computer decodes and displays or otherwise plays an existing video. Broadcasting a live stream can add other work: the computer may need to read files in sequence, compose scenes or overlays, encode video and audio, and transmit the resulting stream. The amount of work depends on the software, output settings, source files and whether hardware encoding is available and actually used.
For a playlist that is already encoded, your streaming application may still decode and re-encode it for the live output. In another workflow, processing choices can differ. There is no basis here to assign one universal extra number of watts to broadcasting: a specific setup needs measurement. The pre-recorded-stream bitrate guide is relevant to output planning, but its subject is bitrate, not the electricity draw of every PC.
This is why an idle reading is also a poor substitute. A PC at the desktop with no active stream may have storage, graphics and processor activity that differs from an always-on broadcast. A short peak reading is not an average either. For a useful cost estimate, measure during ordinary streaming and include enough time to capture the recurring workload, such as transitions between playlist items.
ENERGY STAR’s computer guidance discusses efficiency across operating modes and computer product criteria. It can help when comparing purchasing considerations, but certification or a general efficiency statement does not tell you the wall draw of a particular second-hand computer while encoding a YouTube stream. Do not convert a broad efficiency claim into a wattage estimate.
A second-hand compact desktop can be attractive where desk space or purchase cost is the priority. ENERGY STAR also notes compact desktops may be harder to upgrade or repair than full-sized models. Consider the likely repair and replacement path alongside the energy estimate: a low purchase price does not by itself establish the lowest long-term cost, and energy arithmetic does not establish stream stability.
Count the equipment that stays on
Decide what belongs in your estimate before taking a reading. If the monitor is switched off after setup and stays off, leave it out of the continuous operating cost. If it remains on for monitoring, include its draw. The same rule applies to external storage, audio equipment, a capture device, a network switch or other peripherals: include the equipment that will actually remain powered as part of the arrangement.
A router or broadband modem may run regardless of the stream. If you want the incremental cost of adding the stream, consider measuring the setup with and without the PC workload, or report the full arrangement separately from the equipment that would already be on. This avoids attributing all household network energy to the computer when it would be consumed anyway.
Measure at the wall, so the reading reflects the complete computer and its power supply rather than a component rating. A plug-in electricity monitor that reports both instantaneous watts and accumulated energy can be useful; check that it suits your outlet and electrical system. No particular meter model is required by this calculation.
To keep the estimate easy to audit, write down what was plugged into the meter, what the PC was doing, the length of the reading and the tariff used. If a display or drive was omitted, say so. A result that states “the PC and external drive while broadcasting” is more useful than one that simply says “the stream uses” a number without defining the setup.
Measure the intended stream, not a proxy
Set up the computer in the way you intend to use it: the same video source, streaming software, resolution, frame rate, bitrate, encoder and overlays. Start the live-stream workflow, then observe wall power over representative operation. Do not rely on an adapter’s maximum rating, a single idle value, or a measurement from another model. The aim is an average that reflects the work being billed.
If the stream rotates among files or scenes, leave it running through normal changes. If the PC is quiet for some periods and busier at others, include both in the observed average. A plug-in monitor’s accumulated energy over a longer interval can help smooth moment-to-moment variation: divide the recorded kWh by elapsed hours and convert to average watts, or use the recorded energy directly for the period measured.
Keep the measurement tied to the exact operating state. If you later change the output resolution, switch encoders, add animated graphics or attach a second display, recheck the draw. A measurement does not have to predict every future setting; it should describe the configuration you are considering. Also test that the stream runs as intended: power consumption alone says nothing about stream continuity, image quality, network reliability or YouTube’s handling of the broadcast.
If your planning question includes bitrate or upload capacity, treat those as separate constraints. The guide to upload speed for a 24/7 sleep-sounds stream in India addresses a different part of the operating setup. A computer’s electricity cost and the internet connection’s suitability both matter, but one cannot be inferred from the other.
For a playlist that does not need your own computer and home connection left running, StreamNeo may remove that specific always-on-PC burden by turning an uploaded video into a continuous YouTube stream; verify its current terms and suitability before relying on it. It is YouTube-only, and it is not a measured cost comparison against your PC. Compare what each approach includes and measure or verify the costs that apply to you.
Before committing, compare the operating options on the pricing page. When the file and channel are ready, start free — 24-hour trial, no card.
FAQ
How much does a second-hand SFF PC cost to run for 24/7 YouTube streaming?
There is no single figure without the computer’s measured average wall draw and your electricity rate. Multiply average watts by 0.72 for estimated 30-day kWh, then multiply by your per-kWh tariff. Measure while the intended live-stream workload is running, not during idle or playback alone.
Is the reported MINIX playback result a live-stream test?
No. It is a playback measurement, which can illustrate the arithmetic but does not establish how much a MINIX or another SFF PC draws while encoding and broadcasting continuously. Measure the specific machine in its intended streaming configuration to estimate that workload.
Can I use $0.12 per kWh to predict my bill?
Only if that is the applicable variable rate on your bill, and even then you need your own measured energy use. Here $0.12 is an illustrative calculation rate, not a universal tariff or a guarantee. Flat charges that do not change with consumption are not part of the incremental energy cost.
Should I include a monitor and router?
Include equipment that stays powered as part of the arrangement you are estimating. If a router would be on whether or not the stream runs, separate the whole setup’s use from the added cost of the streaming PC where practical. State what you included so your estimate can be compared fairly.