Checked against official sources on 15 October 2026
How much does a gaming graphics card cost to run?
Up to $4.18 a month
for a GeForce RTX 5070 at full power used 3 hours a day in No match. Pick "Another country" to type your own price. , at 18.31 cents per kWh.
Type your electricity price to see the cost.
- Total graphics power
- 250 W
- Costs per hour
- $0.05
A graphics card is usually the most power-hungry part of a gaming PC, and NVIDIA publishes the most each card is designed to draw, its total graphics power. That ranges from 130 W for a GeForce RTX 5050 to 575 W for an RTX 5090. Treat the cost here as an upper limit for the card alone: the rest of your PC adds to it, while lighter games draw less.
For your real figure, plug the PC into a plug-in energy meter while you play, then type the watts into the calculator with "I know its watts".
Work out your own gaming GPU
Draws about 250 W
Look on the label or plug for a number followed by W.
Graphics cards compared
Total graphics power from NVIDIA's specifications. Costs below use the price you set above.
| Graphics card | Total graphics power | Cost per hour |
|---|---|---|
| GeForce RTX 5090NVIDIA recommends a 1,000 W power supply | $0.11 | |
| GeForce RTX 5080NVIDIA recommends a 850 W power supply | $0.07 | |
| GeForce RTX 5070 TiNVIDIA recommends a 750 W power supply | $0.05 | |
| GeForce RTX 5070NVIDIA recommends a 650 W power supply | $0.05 | |
| GeForce RTX 5060 TiNVIDIA recommends a 600 W power supply | $0.03 | |
| GeForce RTX 5060NVIDIA recommends a 550 W power supply | $0.03 | |
| GeForce RTX 5050NVIDIA recommends a 550 W power supply | $0.02 | |
| GeForce RTX 4090NVIDIA recommends a 850 W power supply | $0.08 | |
| GeForce RTX 4080 SUPERNVIDIA recommends a 750 W power supply | $0.06 | |
| GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPERNVIDIA recommends a 700 W power supply | $0.05 | |
| GeForce RTX 4070 SUPERNVIDIA recommends a 650 W power supply | $0.04 | |
| GeForce RTX 4070NVIDIA recommends a 650 W power supply | $0.04 | |
| GeForce RTX 4060NVIDIA recommends a 550 W power supply | $0.02 |
What it costs in other countries
For a GeForce RTX 5070 at full power used 3 hours a day, at each country's official average electricity price.
| Country | Price per kWh | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 18.31 cents | $4.18 | $50 |
| United Kingdom | 26.32 pence | £6.00 | £72 |
| Germany | 36.18 cents | €8.25 | €99 |
| Ireland | 38.71 cents | €8.83 | €106 |
| France | 24.85 cents | €5.67 | €68 |
| Spain | 25.09 cents | €5.72 | €69 |
| Italy | 31.42 cents | €7.17 | €86 |
| Netherlands | 24.40 cents | €5.57 | €67 |
Prices from the U.S. EIA, Ofgem and Eurostat; see Sources below. To see another country, pick it at the top of the page; we cover 51.
How to cut the cost of running your gaming GPU
-
Play one hour less a day
At the RTX 5070's 250 W total graphics power, one hour less a day saves up to this much.
Saves up to $17 a year
-
Cap your frame rate
Stopping the card working harder than your screen can show cuts its power draw.
-
Lower settings in lighter games
Demanding settings push the card closer to its maximum.
Savings use the electricity price you set above and figures from this page's sources.
What can power it
A graphics card runs inside a PC, so plan for the whole computer, not the card alone. The table above lists NVIDIA's recommended power supply for each card.
Common questions
How many watts does an RTX 5070 use?
NVIDIA lists the GeForce RTX 5070's total graphics power as 250 W and recommends at least a 650 W power supply for the PC.
How many watts does an RTX 5090 use?
NVIDIA lists the GeForce RTX 5090's total graphics power as 575 W and recommends at least a 1,000 W power supply for the PC.
What power supply do I need for an RTX 4060?
NVIDIA lists the GeForce RTX 4060's total graphics power as 115 W and recommends at least a 550 W power supply.
How much does it cost to run a gaming GPU per hour?
Up to $0.05 an hour in the United States, at the average price of 18.31 cents per kWh, or about £0.07 in the UK at 26.32 pence, for a GeForce RTX 5070 at full power drawing 250 W.
Sources
- NVIDIA, Compare current and previous GeForce series of graphics cards: total graphics power and required system power
- Eurostat, Electricity prices for household consumers (nrg_pc_204): consumption band 2,500–4,999 kWh, all taxes and levies included, January–June 2026 (updated 13 October 2026)
- Ofgem energy price cap: average Direct Debit electricity unit rate, England, Scotland and Wales, 1 October to 31 December 2026
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electricity Monthly Update: average residential price, July 2026 (released 24 September 2026)
Last checked 15 October 2026. How we get our numbers.