How Much Does It Cost to Run a Desktop Computer in Virginia? (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 $0.026 per hour, or about $6.20 per month at 8 hours a day in Virginia. Average running cost
| Wattage | Per hour | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low 60 W | $0.010 | $0.083 | $2.48 | $30.17 |
| Typical 150 W | $0.026 | $0.21 | $6.20 | $75.42 |
| High 500 W | $0.086 | $0.69 | $20.66 | $251.41 |
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 Virginia, with electricity at 17.2¢ per kWh (source: EIA Table 5.6.A, 2026-06), a typical desktop computer costs $0.026 per hour and about $75.42 per year at 8 hours a day. That is about 6% less than the national average for the US ($6.60 per month), because electricity in Virginia costs 17.2¢ per kWh against 18.3¢ nationally. Each $1.00 of electricity buys roughly 38.7 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 ($3.02) per year if it is never unplugged.
Is an efficient desktop computer worth it?
Desktop PC with monitor for office work, about 150 W: about 438 kWh a year. Laptop for the same work, about 45 W: about 131 kWh. The difference is worth $52.87 a year in Virginia.
- Replacing one that still works pays back in 17.0 years.
- When yours needs replacing anyway, the extra cost of the efficient model pays back in 17.0 years.
Usage assumed: 8 hours a day. Typical prices: $900.00 for the efficient model, $900.00 more than a basic one. Work it out with your own prices
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