What each GPU costs to run per month
Measured gaming draw converted into dollars at the current US average residential rate — the answer to “what will this card add to my bill?” per model.
At the April 2026 US average of 18.83¢/kWh, running a current GPU 4 hours a day costs between roughly $2.60 (RTX 5050 class) and $13.10 (RTX 5090) per month, using the formula cost = W ÷ 1000 × hours × rate on measured gaming draw.
Sources & reference date
Wattage: midpoint of each card's measured gaming band from the GPU power draw table (independent review measurements, not rated TBP). Rate: 18.83¢/kWh, EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A, April 2026 US residential average. Month = 30.44 days. Computed 2026-07-13. These are GPU-only figures — the rest of the tower is not included.
| Graphics card | Gaming draw used (W) | 2 h/day ($/mo) | 4 h/day ($/mo) | 8 h/day ($/mo) | 4 h/day ($/year) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GeForce RTX 5090 | 570 | $6.53 | $13.07 | $26.14 | $157 |
| GeForce RTX 4090 | 390 | $4.47 | $8.94 | $17.88 | $107 |
| Radeon RX 7900 XTX | 347 | $3.98 | $7.97 | $15.93 | $96 |
| GeForce RTX 5080 | 315 | $3.61 | $7.22 | $14.44 | $87 |
| Radeon RX 9070 XT | 305 | $3.50 | $6.99 | $13.99 | $84 |
| Radeon RX 7900 XT | 305 | $3.50 | $6.99 | $13.99 | $84 |
| GeForce RTX 4080 Super | 295 | $3.38 | $6.76 | $13.53 | $81 |
| GeForce RTX 5070 Ti | 290 | $3.32 | $6.65 | $13.30 | $80 |
| GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super | 267 | $3.07 | $6.13 | $12.27 | $74 |
| Radeon RX 7800 XT | 250 | $2.87 | $5.73 | $11.46 | $69 |
| GeForce RTX 5070 | 237 | $2.72 | $5.45 | $10.89 | $65 |
| Radeon RX 7700 XT | 230 | $2.64 | $5.27 | $10.55 | $63 |
| Radeon RX 9070 | 212 | $2.44 | $4.87 | $9.74 | $58 |
| GeForce RTX 4070 Super | 207 | $2.38 | $4.76 | $9.51 | $57 |
| GeForce RTX 4070 | 190 | $2.18 | $4.36 | $8.71 | $52 |
| Intel Arc B580 | 165 | $1.89 | $3.78 | $7.57 | $45 |
| Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB | 162 | $1.86 | $3.73 | $7.45 | $45 |
| GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB | 157 | $1.81 | $3.61 | $7.22 | $43 |
| Radeon RX 7600 | 152 | $1.75 | $3.50 | $6.99 | $42 |
| GeForce RTX 4060 Ti | 147 | $1.69 | $3.38 | $6.76 | $41 |
| GeForce RTX 5060 | 132 | $1.52 | $3.04 | $6.08 | $36 |
| Intel Arc B570 | 130 | $1.49 | $2.98 | $5.96 | $36 |
| GeForce RTX 5050 | 117 | $1.35 | $2.69 | $5.39 | $32 |
| GeForce RTX 4060 | 115 | $1.32 | $2.64 | $5.27 | $32 |
Scaling to your state and your hours
The table scales linearly in both directions. Costs are proportional to your rate: multiply any cell by your rate ÷ 18.83. A Californian at 35.25¢/kWh multiplies by 1.87; a North Dakotan at 12.35¢/kWh multiplies by 0.66 — state rates are in the US electricity rate table. Hours scale the same way: 6 h/day is 1.5x the 4-hour column. Worked example for the RTX 5080 row: 315 W × 4 h × 30.44 days = 38.4 kWh/month; 38.4 × $0.1883 = $7.22.
Why the wattage column isn't the sticker TDP
Each row uses the midpoint of the card's measured gaming band, compiled from independent reviews that log power at the card itself. Rated TBP would overstate the cost for cards that rarely reach their limit (an RTX 5060 Ti at 180 W rated actually games at 145–170 W) and slightly understate it for factory-overclocked flagship variants. If you undervolt or cap frames, your real figure drops below these rows; if you run 4K path tracing on an overclocked AIB card, expect the high end of the band in the power draw table.
The GPU is most, but not all, of the bill
These figures cover the graphics card only. Under gaming load a typical tower adds 60–150 W of CPU draw plus 40–70 W for the motherboard, memory, storage, and fans, and the power supply loses another 6–15% as conversion heat, so a whole-system estimate runs roughly 1.3–1.6x the GPU-only cost, before the monitor. The upcoming full-PC cost calculator combines these parts; until then, the ratios here give a serviceable envelope. Cost outputs on this page are informational estimates, not billing predictions.
FAQ
How much does an RTX 5090 cost to run per month?
About $13 per month at the US average residential rate (18.83¢/kWh, April 2026) if you game 4 hours a day, based on ~570 W measured gaming draw. At 8 hours a day it is about $26/month, and in California (35.25¢/kWh) the same usage costs nearly double the national figure.
How much electricity does a gaming PC use per month in dollars?
For the GPU alone, typically $2–$13 a month at 4 gaming hours a day depending on the card. Add roughly 30–60% on top for the CPU, motherboard, fans, and PSU losses to estimate the whole tower, plus your monitor.
Is it expensive to leave a gaming PC on all day?
Idle is much cheaper than gaming. A card idling at 15 W for 20 hours a day costs about $1.70/month at the national average rate, while the same card gaming draws 10–30x more per hour. Sleep mode cuts the idle figure to near zero.
How is the monthly cost in this table calculated?
cost = watts ÷ 1000 × hours per day × 30.44 days × rate. Example: RTX 5080 at 315 W midpoint, 4 h/day: 0.315 × 4 × 30.44 × $0.1883 ≈ $7.22/month. The rate is the April 2026 EIA US residential average; your state can shift this by ±50% or more.