Gaming laptop5.8p
Mid-range PC + monitor9.7p
High-end PC + monitor18p
Your region
Cost per hour of gaming at 26.32p per kWh (UK average), the live standard variable rate since 1 October 2026.
The short answer
Gaming laptops are built to use less power, because they have to stay cool in a small case. A powerful gaming laptop typically draws about 180 to 250 watts from the wall while gaming, with its screen included. A mid-range desktop draws around 300 to 350 watts, plus about 40 watts for a monitor.
| Setup | Watts while gaming | Per hour | Per year (3 hrs/day) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gaming laptop (RTX 4070–5080 class) | 180–250 W (our estimate) | 5.8p | £63.40 |
| Mid-range desktop + monitor | about 370 W (our estimate) | 9.7p | £106.64 |
| High-end desktop + monitor | about 690 W | 18p | £198.86 |
At 3 hours a day, a laptop can save you somewhere around £43.23 a year compared with a mid-range desktop.
But it's not the whole story
- Performance per pound. A desktop usually gives more performance for the money, which can outweigh the extra electricity.
- Laptops run hot. To get full speed, a gaming laptop needs to be plugged in and in its highest performance mode, which brings its power use closer to a desktop's.
- Battery wear. A laptop that's always plugged in benefits from a battery charge limit, which most gaming laptop makers include in their control apps.
Plug in your own setup in the calculator to compare them directly.
Sources: Evetech, Octopus Energy tariff data.