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How Much Does It Cost to Run a Desktop Computer in Illinois? (2026)
Desktop power draw varies more than almost any other appliance. An office mini PC idles at 20 watts, while a gaming rig with a high-end graphics card can pull 500 watts or more under load.
A typical desktop computer (150 W) costs $0.030 per hour, or about $7.20 per month at 8 hours a day in Illinois. Average running cost
| Wattage | Per hour | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low (60 W) | $0.012 | $0.096 | $2.88 | $35.04 |
| Typical (150 W) | $0.030 | $0.24 | $7.20 | $87.60 |
| High (500 W) | $0.10 | $0.80 | $24.00 | $292.00 |
Formula: watts ÷ 1000 × hours × price per kWh. Typical use is 8 h/day ≈ 438 kWh per year.
One hour of a desktop computer (0.15 kWh) is the same electricity as
- 3.0hours of a fridge
- 3.3hours of a laptop
- 15hours of Wi-Fi
- 17hours of an LED bulb
In Illinois, with electricity at $0.20 per kWh (source: EIA Table 5.6.A, 2026-06), a typical desktop computer costs $0.030 per hour and about $87.60 per year at 8 hours a day. That is about 11% more than the national average for the US ($6.48 per month), because electricity in Illinois costs $0.20 per kWh against $0.18 nationally. Each $1.00 of electricity buys roughly 33.3 hours of use.
How to lower the cost of running a desktop computer
- Enable sleep after 10 to 15 minutes of inactivity.
- A monitor often uses as much as the computer itself. Turn it off when away.
- Limit the power target on your graphics card. A 10 percent cap often costs only a few percent of performance.
- Laptops use a fraction of a desktop's power for everyday tasks.
In standby it draws about 2 W, which adds roughly 18 kWh ($3.50) per year if it is never unplugged.
Would switching to a laptop for the same work pay for itself?
At your hours and region above, this desktop computer uses about 438 kWh a year and Laptop about 131 kWh.
Saves – per year. Pays for itself in –, and over 10 years you come out –.
For office work and browsing. Not comparable for gaming or rendering. Prices are typical and editable; the saving updates with the region and hours you set in the table above.
Frequently asked questions
How many watts does a gaming PC use?
Between 300 and 600 watts while gaming, depending on the graphics card. Idle draw is typically 50 to 100 watts.
Does leaving the PC on overnight cost a lot?
At 60 watts idle for 12 hours it uses 0.72 kWh, roughly the cost of a few minutes of a space heater.
Does a bigger power supply use more electricity?
No. The PSU only delivers what the components request. A larger unit just has more headroom.
Compare with
Cost by region
US states
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Canadian provinces
Related appliances
- Computer Monitor30 W typical
- Printer (Inkjet or Laser)30 W typical
- Phone Charger10 W typical
- Cable or Fiber Modem8 W typical
Use the generic electricity cost calculator → · Which uses more? Take the quiz →