By Achilles Hill | Last Updated
Although most power supply test software can calculate the power consumption of a laptop's CPU, they can't check the power consumption of a PC. And in some cases, checking the power consumption of a laptop is necessary. So this post, we will tell you how to measure the power consumption of a PC without software.
Most computers have a minimum power consumption of around 50W and maximum power consumption of between 100W and 200W. Of course, a well-configured computer can consume more than 200 watts. For more accurate data, you can search the rated power of your PC through Hardware models.
The power consumption of a computer is mainly determined by the CPU, graphics card, hard disk, memory, and monitor, while power consumption of others is small. For everyday use, search for the models of these components would be enough. Generally speaking, it is faster and more accurate to go direct to the manufacturer's official website to find specific information.
CPU：Intel and AMD are two major manufactures of computer processors. Take Intel i7-9700K as an example. We can find its power consumption through the following steps. Access the Intel website first, then enter the model number in the search box. Click the Intel® Core™ i7-9700K Processor Product Specifications
Hard disk: No matter SSD or HDD, its' power consumption can also be searched through official websites. For instance, we can see the power consumption of Samsung 860 EVO SATA M.2 on its website. And find that its average power consumption of a 1 TB drive is 3W.
Monitor: Its information is also available on the website. When finding the power draw of Lenovo M14 Monitor, we can search it on Lenovo's official website. Chose the right model. Then on the "Tech Specs" section, click on the Datasheet for more information on specifications. We can find that the typical power consumption of this model is 6W.
Graphics card: The procedure to view the power consumption of GPU is similar to the above hardware. For example, the model number of a GPU is NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650. Enter the NVIDIA website and search for the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650. When entering the page of the product, click on the "Learn More" > "SPECS"> view full Specs. Then you can know that the power consumption of the product is 100W.
Some old products couldn't be found on the official website while some official websites do not label the power consumption of products. In this case, we can ask the question to online customer service and wait for the answer. Besides, it may be quicker to ask the seller for power consumption or look up the manual to find its values.
The whole search process may be more tedious than you think. If you want to know the power consumption of your pc more quickly, move to the next method.
It is also an effective way to calculate power consumption through online Power Supply Calculators. You will obtain load wattage and recommended power supply wattage by simply selecting the data that matches your pc for each component. The more accurate the selected data, the more accurate the results.
There are lots of online Power Supply Calculators available for your choice. Among them, OuterVision has a free-to-use Power Supply Calculator which is used by computer enthusiasts and hardware manufactures. It also suitable for everyday use because its "Basic" mode only require basic information of hardware components. If you know a lot about your computer, it's recommended using "Expert" mode for more accurate data.
Another great option is the Power Supply Calculator made by PC builds. For accurate results, the basic information of each component is required. Its results contain "Max Wattage in regular use" and "PSU recommended wattage". A graph of the ratio of each piece of hardware to the computer's power consumption is also included. Besides, it lists the specific data of each component for better understandings.
Because the online tools have slightly different calculation methods, their recommended values are not exactly the same.
If you want to know the real-time power draw of the computer, proceed to the next one.
Using an external power meter is the best way to find out the exact amount of electricity your computer is using. It is convenient to get one on major shopping platforms. When purchasing, please choose an electric monitor that meets the voltage specification of your area.
Follow this procedure to use a power meter:
Step 1: Turn off your PC or turn off everything for safety.
Step 2: Unplug your computer from your wall outlet or power socket.
Step 3: Then plug the power meter into the wall or power socket.
Step 4: Plug your computer into the power meter.
After completing these steps, turn on your computer and use it as you normally would. Check the power meter, you will get an accurate reading of your computer's power draw.
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