What a gaming PC costs to run in Washington
A mid-range gaming PC (RTX 5070 and Ryzen 7 7800X3D, 27″ monitor) played 3 hours a day costs about $6.15 a month in Washington, at an average residential price of $0.146 per kWh (EIA, August 2026).
Washington's average residential price is 19% below the US average of $0.182 per kWh (EIA, August 2026). See the map
Calculate your own PC
Your PC on the electricity bill
At the wall while gaming
Session meter
$0.000
What gaming since you opened this page would have cost.
| Gaming3.0 h × 371 W | $4.96 |
| Browsing and work2.0 h × 129 W | $1.15 |
| Left on, unused0.0 h × 75 W | $0.000 |
| Sleep0.0 h × 2 W | $0.000 |
| Off (standby)19.0 h × 1 W | $0.042 |
| Energy | 42.0 kWh |
Peak sustained load about 487 W, plus headroom for short spikes.
About 2.0× the electricity of a typical fridge-freezer.
Wholesale day-ahead prices. They matter if you have a dynamic tariff; fixed tariffs do not change by hour.
Price used: $0.146 per kWh — U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A, August 2026.
Estimate Gaming draw for this part is an estimate. Measured it with a wall meter? Share your measurement
How this is calculated
Wall power = (graphics card + processor + rest of system) ÷ power supply efficiency + monitor. Energy = wall power × hours. Cost = energy × price. The range uses lighter and heavier gaming loads.
Monthly cost of typical builds
3 hours of gaming and 2 hours of other use per day.
| Build | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Budget 1080pGeForce RTX 5060 · Ryzen 5 7600 | $4.49 | $53.80 |
| Mid-range 1440pGeForce RTX 5070 · Ryzen 7 7800X3D | $6.15 | $73.71 |
| AMD 1440pRadeon RX 9070 XT · Ryzen 7 9800X3D | $7.10 | $85.09 |
| High-end 4KGeForce RTX 5080 · Ryzen 7 9800X3D | $8.21 | $98.41 |
| FlagshipGeForce RTX 5090 · Ryzen 9 9950X3D | $10.65 | $128 |
| Streaming setupGeForce RTX 4070 Super · Core i7-14700K | $6.78 | $81.32 |
| Last-gen favouriteGeForce RTX 3080 · Ryzen 7 5800X3D | $7.08 | $84.90 |
Residential averages include all charges divided by energy sold. Your utility's tariff, time-of-use plan or tiered rates may differ.
Questions
How much does it cost to run a gaming PC in Washington?
A mid-range gaming PC uses about 42 kWh a month with 3 hours of gaming and 2 hours of other use per day. At Washington's average residential price of $0.146 per kWh, that is about $6.15 a month.
Is electricity in Washington expensive?
Washington's average residential price is 19% below the US average of $0.182 per kWh (EIA, August 2026).
Does undervolting a graphics card save money?
Limiting an RTX 5070 to about 80% power at 3 hours a day saves about $7.55 a year in Washington, usually for only a few percent of performance.
Tools for this
- How much does undervolting your GPU save?Pick a power limit and see the money saved per year and the performance you keep.
- Does a new graphics card pay for itself?See how much electricity a more efficient card saves and how long the upgrade takes to pay back.
- What does leaving your PC on cost?Idle, sleep or shut down: see the yearly cost of each when your PC is not in use.
- PC, console or cloud: which costs less over time?Compare the total cost over several years: hardware, electricity, subscriptions and resale.
Popular graphics cards
- GeForce RTX 5070
- GeForce RTX 5080
- Radeon RX 9070 XT
- GeForce RTX 4070 Super
- GeForce RTX 5060
- GeForce RTX 4090
- GeForce RTX 3080
- GeForce RTX 5090
- All graphics cards
Similar states
- Oklahoma $0.148
- Mississippi $0.144
- Wyoming $0.144
- Arkansas $0.144
- North Carolina $0.150
- Florida $0.150
Sources
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A — Average residential price, all charges divided by kWh sold. Recent months are preliminary.