There is no honest single monthly price for leaving an old gaming PC on as a 24/7 YouTube server. Measure its average power draw at the wall while it is doing the work, then multiply the resulting energy use by the applicable price on your electricity bill.
That calculation estimates the added energy charge for the measured equipment. It is not the complete cost of operating a server: it does not include fixed service charges, unusual tariff tiers, other household loads, maintenance, or the value of your time.
Why your particular PC decides the bill
“Old gaming PC” describes a broad range of machines, not a power figure. Components, cooling, power settings, age, connected devices, and the stream workload can all change how much energy the complete setup draws. A computer that once had a powerful graphics card may use little while encoding a simple loop, or draw more than expected if it is also processing video, driving a display, or running other work.
The number printed on a component or power supply is not a measurement of the electricity taken from the wall during a stream. Nor does a CPU or graphics-card reading account for the rest of the system. Fans, storage, motherboard, power-supply losses and any peripherals contribute to what your meter sees.
YouTube’s encoder guidance explains that an encoder converts video into a digital format for streaming and that stream settings depend on factors such as resolution, frame rate and codec. That guidance helps you define the workload to test; it does not establish what an unspecified PC will draw, or whether it can run reliably around the clock.
For example, a devotional channel sending a static image and audio has a different job from a local news loop that continually combines clips, titles and transitions. Both may use the same PC, but you should measure the actual material and settings you plan to broadcast. You can then compare configurations without treating idle readings or maximum component ratings as the answer.
Measure average wall power during real streaming
A plug-in electricity usage monitor, often called a watt meter, measures power at the outlet. Choose one that is suitably rated for the PC and any equipment connected through it. Connect the equipment you intend to leave on, start the stream workload, and observe it over a representative period rather than taking a single reading at startup.
Include only the equipment whose consumption you want to estimate. If you will switch the monitor off, leave it out of the measurement. If a display, capture device, powered speakers or other device will remain on, include it or measure it separately and add its energy use. A monitor left on all night can change the result, while an off display should not be counted merely because it is normally on during setup.
The most direct approach is to let the meter accumulate kilowatt-hours (kWh) while the stream runs. Divide that recorded energy by the elapsed hours to get average kW, then multiply by 1,000 for average watts. For instance, if a meter records energy over a period of normal operation, use the period’s full duration, including the quieter and busier portions, rather than selecting only the moment that looks most favourable.
If your monitor displays watts but does not record energy, take readings at intervals while the stream is operating and use the average. A stream that cycles between scenes, clips or transitions may vary. A short snapshot can miss that variation, so measure long enough to include the types of activity that form your ordinary schedule.
Do not assume that the PC’s idle wattage is its streaming draw, or that a rated maximum is what it consumes continuously. Also avoid changing settings during the measurement unless you intend to use those settings in production. If you are testing a possible lower-power configuration, make a separate measurement and check that the output remains acceptable.
The same care applies to video settings. YouTube’s encoder guidance includes recommended bitrate ranges for particular resolutions, frame rates and codecs; its guidance also recommends testing representative audio and motion and checking stream health. Those settings affect the job your computer is doing, but they do not translate directly into a universal wattage. For a closer look at one part of the workload, see this guide to setting bitrate for a 24/7 YouTube live stream.
Convert the reading into monthly kWh
Once you have an average wall-power reading, the estimate is straightforward:
Monthly energy (kWh) = average watts ÷ 1,000 × 24 hours per day × 30.4 days.
The 30.4-day factor represents an approximate average month. It is a useful convention for a monthly estimate, not a claim that every bill covers that many days. A continuous load operates for 720 hours in a 30-day month and 744 hours in a 31-day month. For a bill-period estimate, replace 30.4 with the actual number of days in that billing period.
The units explain the calculation. Watts measure power at a moment; kWh measure energy used over time. The U.S. Energy Information Administration describes the relationship in its guide to measuring electricity: one kilowatt used for one hour is one kWh. Dividing watts by 1,000 converts the reading to kilowatts, and multiplying by hours gives energy.
Here are three arithmetic examples using the approximate average month. They are scenarios, not typical PC readings:
| Measured average at the wall | Monthly energy at 30.4 days |
|---|---|
| 50 W | 36.48 kWh |
| 100 W | 72.96 kWh |
| 200 W | 145.92 kWh |
This table does not predict how much an old gaming PC will draw. Use the reading from your own setup. If you measure a different number of watts, put it into the formula directly; if your meter reports kWh across a representative period, convert that recorded amount to an average before projecting a month.
Apply the electricity price that applies to you
Multiply monthly kWh by the relevant marginal price per kWh on your bill. For example, if your measured setup used 72.96 kWh in the estimated month, the energy-cost arithmetic is 72.96 multiplied by your applicable price per kWh. If that price is quoted in cents, divide the cents figure by 100 to express it in currency units before multiplying.
Use the price that corresponds to the additional consumption, not necessarily a blended figure that combines every element of a bill. Your bill may show energy supply, delivery, taxes, fixed fees or other items separately. For a simple estimate of added energy charges, identify the per-kWh rate relevant to the extra usage. If you cannot tell which rate applies, check the bill’s tariff notes or ask your electricity supplier; do not quietly treat the resulting estimate as the whole bill increase.
If your tariff changes by time of day, match the measured hours to the correct rates. A PC running continuously crosses different time bands, so one daytime rate may not represent the full month. You can measure or estimate the kWh in each band and multiply each quantity by its corresponding rate, then add the results.
A practical comparison starts with the same workload and the same rate. If you are weighing an old PC against another machine, measure both while running the same stream settings and equipment. Then apply your own tariff to each. This makes the energy comparison meaningful; a low reading from an idle PC cannot fairly be compared with a second machine encoding video.
Read U.S. rate examples as illustrations, not quotes
For readers in the United States, the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Electric Power Monthly table released in March 2026 reports a national residential average of 17.45 cents per kWh for January 2026, and a 2025 annual average of 17.30 cents per kWh. These are dated national reference figures, not the rate for every household. The EIA table is useful context, but your bill’s applicable price is the figure to use for your estimate.
Applying the January national average to the example energy amounts gives the following results. The calculation uses $0.1745 per kWh and is rounded to cents; it estimates added energy charges only.
| Example average wall draw | Monthly energy | Approximate added energy charge at $0.1745/kWh |
|---|---|---|
| 50 W | 36.48 kWh | $6.37 |
| 100 W | 72.96 kWh | $12.73 |
| 200 W | 145.92 kWh | $25.45 |
These figures do not say that an old gaming PC usually draws 50, 100 or 200 W. They show what the arithmetic produces if a meter gives one of those readings and the stated national reference price is used. Your machine may measure differently, and your local rate may be higher or lower.
The 2025 annual average of 17.30 cents per kWh is another historical comparison, not a better substitute for a current bill. National averages summarise a large set of customers and do not account for your utility, location, tariff, taxes or billing arrangement. If you are outside the United States, use the price and currency from your own bill rather than converting a U.S. example into a supposed local estimate.
Account for billing days and tariff details
The average-month formula is convenient when you need a consistent planning figure. Actual bills cover particular dates, so use the number of days in the bill period when you want an estimate that follows it more closely. For example, multiply average watts by 24 and by the bill’s actual days, then divide by 1,000. A 31-day period has more hours of continuous operation than a 30-day period, even though the PC’s average draw has not changed.
The simple calculation assumes one price per kWh. Some tariffs instead apply different rates at different times or as usage passes thresholds. In those cases, applying one rate to all energy may not match the bill. Separate the estimated kWh by time band or applicable tier and use the corresponding marginal price, where the tariff makes that information available.
Keep fixed service charges distinct from energy charges. A fixed monthly fee usually does not rise simply because the PC is running, so adding the whole fixed fee to the PC’s energy estimate would attribute an existing household cost to the stream. Conversely, a tier or other tariff rule might make additional usage cost more than a flat-rate calculation suggests. The estimate here intentionally does not include fixed charges, unusual tiers or the rest of your household’s consumption.
If you want to check the estimate against your bill, compare similar billing periods and account for other changes in household use. A difference between the total bill and the PC calculation is not proof that the meter is wrong: cooking, air conditioning, lighting and other loads are part of the household total, not this single-device estimate.
Energy is one part of operating a 24/7 channel
A measured energy charge is useful, but “cost to run a server” can mean more than electricity. A home PC may need attention after a Windows update, a restart, a stream failure or a change in the source file. You may also value the time spent checking its health, keeping a display or network equipment powered, and replacing hardware. This calculation does not put a price on those activities or predict how often they will be needed.
Reliability deserves a separate check from the power bill. YouTube’s live-streaming instructions cover encoder setup and stream health; they do not guarantee that a particular older computer can sustain your chosen resolution and frame rate without interruption. Test the actual file, audio and motion you intend to broadcast, and inspect the stream health indicators before treating a brief successful test as evidence for overnight operation. The OBS restart guide can help you think through recovery after a computer restart, while stream key troubleshooting covers a different failure point in the publishing chain.
A system that is already available may make sense if you are comfortable monitoring it and its measured draw is acceptable for your circumstances. A different arrangement may suit you better if leaving a home computer on is inconvenient, the machine struggles with the encode, or you do not want to manage restarts and checks. The energy calculation alone cannot decide that trade-off; compare the measured consumption alongside capability, recovery needs and the time you are prepared to spend.
If the recurring burden is keeping your own computer awake and restarting the broadcast after a drop, StreamNeo removes that particular task by turning an uploaded video into a 24/7 YouTube live stream without your computer running. It is YouTube-only, so it is not an answer for a channel that needs another platform or for a workload that depends on locally running software. Consider whether the file-based workflow fits your channel rather than assuming that every live format can be handed off in the same way.
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 it cost to leave a gaming PC on 24/7?
There is no single price without your PC’s average wall draw and the applicable price per kWh. Measure the equipment during representative streaming, calculate its kWh for the bill period, and multiply by your rate. The result estimates added energy charges, not the full cost of operating a channel.
Can I use the wattage printed on my graphics card or power supply?
Not as the total system’s continuous wall draw. Component ratings and software readings do not measure every part of the setup or account for power drawn from the outlet. A suitably rated plug-in energy monitor gives a more useful reading for the actual PC and workload.
Should I include the screen in the estimate?
Include it only if it will remain powered during the stream. Measure it together with the PC or measure it separately and add its energy use. If you switch it off, do not count its consumption in the PC’s estimate.
Does the estimate include the whole electricity bill?
No. It estimates the energy charge for the measured equipment using the price you supply. It does not include fixed charges, unusual tariff tiers, other household loads, or costs such as maintenance and your time.