Mini PC Power Consumption — Real Measurements & Electricity Costs | Mini PC Lab
By Mini PC Lab Team · February 3, 2026 · Updated March 27, 2026
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Power consumption matters for a home server because it runs 24/7. A 10W difference between two mini PCs compounds to $10.51/year at average US electricity prices ($0.12/kWh). Over three years of continuous operation, that’s $31. This guide compiles real-world power measurements for every major homelab mini PC — measured at the wall, not manufacturer-estimated.
How We Measure
All measurements below use a wall outlet power meter (Kill A Watt P4460 or equivalent) measuring watts drawn from the AC outlet. This captures total system power including the power supply’s efficiency losses.
Measurement states:
- Proxmox idle: Proxmox VE 8.x installed, no VMs running, measured after 10 minutes of idle
- Light load: 3–4 LXC containers running (Pi-hole, Nginx PM, Vaultwarden, Home Assistant)
- VM load: 4–6 KVM VMs running, moderate activity
- Full load: CPU stress test (all cores at 100%)
Sources are cited where our own measurements aren’t available (ServeTheHome, Lon.TV, scottstuff.net). Manufacturer specifications are noted but not used as primary data.
Power Consumption by Platform
Intel N-Series (Budget Tier)
| Model | Proxmox Idle | Light Load (4 containers) | Full Load | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beelink EQ14 (N150) | 6.2W | 8–10W | 18–22W | Measured |
| Generic N100 mini PC | 5.5–6.5W | 7–10W | 14–18W | Various |
N-series is the clear winner for always-on idle power. The Intel N150’s 6W TDP class actually delivers 6W in real use — this is unusual; higher-tier chips often idle well above their rated TDP.
Annual cost at $0.12/kWh, 24/7:
- N150 at 6.2W idle: $6.51/year
- N150 at 8W light load (mixed state): $8.40/year
Intel Core (Mid-Range)
| Model | Proxmox Idle | Light Load | Full Load | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GEEKOM IT12 (i9-12900H) | 10–12W | 15–20W | 65–85W | Community + Lon.TV |
| GEEKOM IT13 (i9-13900H) | 22–28W | 30–40W | 75–95W | Community reports |
| Minisforum MS-01 (i9-13900H) | 25–33W | 35–50W | 90–110W | scottstuff.net Jan 2025 |
The 14-core Intel Core chips draw significantly more at idle than AMD 8-core equivalents. The 13900H’s idle is especially high compared to its Zen 4 competitors.
Annual cost:
- IT12 at 11W idle: $11.55/year
- IT13 at 25W idle: $26.28/year
- MS-01 at 30W idle: $31.54/year
AMD Ryzen 7/9 APUs (Mid to High Range)
| Model | Proxmox Idle | Light Load | Full Load | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beelink SER9 PRO+ (Ryzen 7 H 255) | 7.8–8.2W | 12–18W | 55–70W | ServeTheHome H 255 |
| Minisforum UM790 Pro (Ryzen 9 7940HS) | 11–13W | 18–25W | 65–80W | Community reports |
| GMKtec K11 (Ryzen 9 8945HS) | 14–16W | 22–30W | 70–96W | Lon.TV Apr 2025 |
AMD Ryzen 7/9 hits a sweet spot: far more capable than N-series for VMs and GPU workloads, but still efficient enough for 24/7 operation.
Annual cost:
- SER9 PRO+ at 8W idle: $8.40/year
- UM790 Pro at 12W idle: $12.61/year
- K11 at 15W idle: $15.77/year
Complete Comparison Table
| Mini PC | CPU | Idle (W) | Annual Cost | CPU Tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beelink EQ14 | N150 | 6.2W | $6.51 | Budget |
| Beelink SER9 PRO+ | Ryzen 7 H 255 | 8.0W | $8.40 | Mid |
| Minisforum UM790 Pro | Ryzen 9 7940HS | 12W | $12.61 | Mid |
| GEEKOM IT12 | Core i9-12900H | 11W | $11.55 | Mid |
| GMKtec K11 | Ryzen 9 8945HS | 15W | $15.77 | High |
| GEEKOM IT13 | Core i9-13900H | 25W | $26.28 | High |
| Minisforum MS-01 | Core i9-13900H | 30W | $31.54 | High |
Annual Electricity Cost Calculator
Formula:
Annual Cost = (Watts / 1000) × Hours × kWh Rate
= (Watts / 1000) × 8760 × $0.12Quick reference at $0.12/kWh:
| Idle Watts | Daily Cost | Monthly Cost | Annual Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5W | $0.014 | $0.44 | $5.26 |
| 6W | $0.017 | $0.52 | $6.31 |
| 8W | $0.023 | $0.69 | $8.40 |
| 10W | $0.029 | $0.87 | $10.51 |
| 12W | $0.035 | $1.04 | $12.61 |
| 15W | $0.043 | $1.31 | $15.77 |
| 20W | $0.058 | $1.75 | $21.02 |
| 25W | $0.072 | $2.19 | $26.28 |
| 30W | $0.086 | $2.63 | $31.54 |
Adjust for your electricity rate: Divide by $0.12, multiply by your actual rate. US average is $0.12–0.16/kWh depending on state. Hawaii ($0.40/kWh) and California ($0.25/kWh) are significantly higher.
Power Consumption vs. Performance Trade-Off
The right way to evaluate power consumption is performance per watt — not just idle watts.
| Comparison | Power Difference | Annual Cost Diff. | What You Get for the Extra Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| SER9 PRO+ vs. EQ14 | +1.8W idle | +$1.89/year | 8C/16T vs. 4C/4T; Radeon 780M; 4–6× more VM capacity |
| K11 vs. SER9 PRO+ | +7W idle | +$7.35/year | Dual Intel NICs; OculLink; Ryzen 9 |
| IT13 vs. SER9 PRO+ | +17W idle | +$17.87/year | 14-core Intel; 96GB RAM support; Quick Sync |
For most homelab workloads, the SER9 PRO+‘s $1.89/year premium over the EQ14 is worth it many times over. The IT13’s $17.87/year premium over the SER9 PRO+ is only worth it if you need 96GB RAM or the specific Intel Core platform.
Reducing Power Consumption
If you want to minimize power without changing hardware:
In BIOS:
- Set CPU power profile to “Power Saving” or reduce TDP ceiling
- Disable unused controllers (Wi-Fi if using wired, Bluetooth if not used)
- On the GMKtec K11: use “Quiet” mode (35W TDP) — reduces idle to ~10–12W from ~15W
In Proxmox:
- Enable CPU scaling governor:
echo powersave > /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu*/cpufreq/scaling_governor - Persist via
/etc/rc.localor a systemd unit
In Linux (bare metal):
# Install TLP for automatic power management
apt install tlp tlp-rdw
systemctl enable tlp
systemctl start tlpTLP reduces idle power by 1–2W on most systems by managing CPU frequency scaling and PCIe power states automatically.
Measuring Your Own Mini PC
To measure your actual power draw, you need a wall outlet power meter:
- Kill A Watt P4460 (~$30) — displays watts, voltage, amps, and cumulative kWh
- TP-Link Kasa EP25 (~$15) — smart plug with energy monitoring via app (convenient for remote logging)
- Shelly Plus 1PM (~$20) — local API for Home Assistant integration
How to measure:
- Plug the meter into the wall
- Plug your mini PC into the meter
- Boot to your OS (Proxmox, Linux, etc.)
- Wait 10 minutes for the system to reach steady-state idle
- Read the wattage displayed
Compare your measurement to the table above. Differences of 1–2W are normal due to RAM quantity, storage, connected peripherals, and room temperature affecting fan speed.
Quick Price Summary
- Beelink EQ14 — 6.2W idle, most power-efficient pick
- Beelink SER9 PRO+ — 8W idle, 8-core Ryzen performance
- GMKtec K11 — 15W idle, dual Intel NICs + OculLink
- Minisforum MS-01 — 30W idle, 10GbE networking
Frequently Asked Questions
Does leaving a mini PC on 24/7 significantly increase electricity bills?
A 6W mini PC running 24/7 costs about $6.31/year. Even a 15W mini PC costs $15.77/year. For comparison, a gaming PC at idle (~50W) costs $52.56/year. Mini PCs are among the most efficient always-on home servers available.
Should I shut down my home server at night to save power?
For most people, no. The savings are minimal ($0–3/year for efficient mini PCs), and shutting down prevents services like Pi-hole and Home Assistant from running when you wake up. The startup/shutdown cycles also add wear to the NVMe SSD. Keep it running.
Why does the GEEKOM IT13 idle at 25W when the Ryzen SER9 PRO+ idles at 8W?
The Intel Core i9-13900H is a 45W TDP processor designed for maximum performance laptops. Even at idle, its 14-core P+E architecture keeps more hardware active than AMD’s 8-core Zen 4 design. The GEEKOM IT13’s advantage is 96GB RAM support and Intel Quick Sync — not power efficiency.
Check Prices
→ Check Current Price: Beelink EQ14 on Amazon — 6.2W idle, most efficient always-on server → Check Current Price: Beelink SER9 PRO+ on Amazon — 8W idle, 8-core Ryzen performance → Check Current Price: GMKtec K11 on Amazon — 15W idle, dual Intel NICs + OculLink → Check Current Price: Minisforum MS-01 on Amazon — 30W idle, 10GbE networking → Check Current Price: Kill A Watt P4460 on Amazon — measure your own wall draw → Check Current Price: TP-Link Kasa EP25 on Amazon — smart plug with energy monitoring
Use our power consumption data alongside hardware recommendations in the best mini PC for home server guide to find the right balance of performance and efficiency for your workload.