Hi

 

Can someone help me understand the real wattage and electricity cost of a video card?

 

I want to get a new GPU for my Unraid and I am deciding between GTX 1650 (draws power only from PCI-E slot) and GTX 1650 Super (requires 6-pin power connector)

 

The server is on 24/7 but the video card will be not be used for gaming very often, so vast majority of the time it will just sit idle.

 

One card TDP is rated 75W and the other is 100W. What I am trying to understand is if I pay 10.8c per kWh, realistically how much a year in electricity does 1650 cost vs 1650 Super? Currently my UPS shows about 130W idle load for my entire Unraid PC.

 

Thanks

100W = 0.1kW = 0.1kWh / hour = 2.4kWh / day = 876kWh / year * $0.108 / kWh = $94.61

$70.96 for 75W

 

That is obviously assuming your GPU is running max out all of the time but without overclock so the cost figure is closer to a worst-case-scenario than anything.

Based on the reviews I can find, the 1650 idle power consumption average is a hair above 8W so I would round it to 10W just for simplicity.

 

So if you estimate to be gaming for about let's say 2 hours a day then your cost estimate is closer to:

$94.61 * 2 / 24 + $94.61 / 100 * 10 * 22 / 24 = $7.88 + $8.67 = $16.56 for the 100W

 

Not much. A donut a day.

 

Won't it be even less, because the 100W is at 12V, and not the current that's actually being drawn at the mains?

Wattage is the same. 100W @ 110v is approx 0.9A whereas at 12v it's 8.3A.

 

Wattage is work done / time.

 

It's likely that 100W at the GPU is actually 120W at the wall socket due to losses in the PSU.

 

To the OP's point, the cards will be idle most of the time so any annualised power difference doesn't amount to much.

Thanks!