How much does it cost to run a mini PC 24/7 in Australia? Multiply its measured average power draw at the wall by 8,760 hours and your electricity usage rate. At 24.15 c/kWh, for example, a continuous 10 W load costs about A$21.16 a year; at 33.14 c/kWh, it costs about A$29.04. These are arithmetic examples, not measured mini-PC results. Whether a mini PC is cheaper than a VPS for 24/7 YouTube streaming depends on your actual electricity tariff, the PC’s sustained encoding draw and purchase cost, and a current VPS quote with its region and data terms.
How to calculate the mini PC’s annual electricity cost
Measure the complete computer at the wall while it is performing the intended streaming workload. An idle reading may understate consumption during encoding. Then use:
Annual electricity cost (AUD) = average watts × 8,760 ÷ 1,000 × usage rate in dollars per kWh.
For a 24/7 workload, 8,760 hours represents an ordinary year; use 8,784 hours for a leap year. The calculation covers electricity use, not the computer’s purchase price or other costs.
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- 【AMD Ryzen 7330U】 – The Efficiency-Tuned Powerhouse，AMD Ryzen 7330U (Zen 3, SMT, 4C/8T) in KAMRUI P2 mini PC crushes rivals: Intel i3-10110U (2C/4T, 2019) and N95 (4 efficiency cores, no HT, single-channel memory). Vs predecessor Ryzen 3 4300U (4C/4T): ~50% faster single-core, ~46% multi-core, 8MB L3 cache (vs 4MB). Beats both Intel chips hugely in multi-core, making heavy multitasking, coding, data work smooth at just 15W TDP. High-end power in a cool, efficient box.
- 【AMD Radeon Graphics】– Triple 4K Vision & Fluidity，The integrated Radeon Graphics (based on the modern Vega architecture with 6 CUs) is a visual beast, outclassing the iGPU offerings from both AMD's prior generation and Intel. The Intel UHD Graphics (i3-10110U/N95) struggles with single-channel memory and low execution units, crippling its gaming performance and barely handling basic 4K video without stuttering. While the older Radeon Vega 5 (4300U) was decent, our 7330U's Radeon Graphics (6 CUs) pushes the boundaries, delivering higher graphics clock speeds (up to 1.8GHz) and significantly better rendering capabilities. It can drive triple 4K@60Hz displays with zero lag, edit photos/videos.
- 【Generous Storage & Easy Expansion】The KAMRUI Pinova P2 mini desktop computers comes with 16GB LPDDR4X RAM (higher frequency, lower power) for buttery‑smooth multitasking, and a 256GB M.2 SSD for blazing fast boot‑up, quick file transfers, and no more long loading screens. It also features two storage expansion slots (1x M.2 2280 SATA/NVMe PCIe 3.0 slot + 1x M.2 2280 SATA slot), supporting up to 4TB total (not included). You’ll have all the space you need for projects, media, and important data.
- 【Triple 4K Display Output】The KAMRUI Pinova P2 mini desktop pc is equipped with HDMI 2.0 ×1 + DP 1.4 ×1 + USB 3.2 Gen2 Type‑C ×1 (with DP Alt Mode), enabling simultaneous triple 4K@60Hz output. Whether for home entertainment, remote work, or conference room presentations, it delivers an immersive visual experience. Two USB 3.2 Gen2 Type‑A ports (up to 10Gbps – 21x faster than USB 2.0) make data transfers and device expansion a breeze.
- 【USB 3.2 Gen2 Type‑C: 10Gbps & Versatile Connectivity】The USB 3.2 Gen2 Type‑C port on the KAMRUI P2 small pc supports 10Gbps data transfer speeds and can also output DisplayPort 1.4 video. Together with Gigabit LAN, Wi‑Fi, and Bluetooth, you get a fast, flexible, and productive connected environment – wired or wireless.
Example costs at two Australian reference rates
The following are scenario calculations, not measurements of any mini PC. The rates are examples from the Australian Energy Regulator’s 2026–27 Default Market Offer (DMO). At 24.15 c/kWh, the annual electricity costs are about A$21.16 for 10 W, A$42.31 for 20 W and A$63.47 for 30 W. At 33.14 c/kWh, those same loads cost about A$29.04, A$58.08 and A$87.12 respectively. Apply your own usage rate rather than treating these examples as an Australian average. See the AER’s current DMO figures.
Which Australian electricity rate should you use?
The DMO is a safety-net reference offer for standing offers in NSW, South Australia and South East Queensland, not a national electricity price or necessarily the cheapest plan. The 2026–27 DMO took effect on 1 July 2026. Actual charges depend on your retailer, distribution area, plan and tariff. If you are outside those regions or on a market offer, use the usage rate on your own bill or current offer. The AER DMO page provides current details; the AER release on the 2026–27 offer gives the effective date.
Rank #2
- 【Great power in a small computer】Get fast performance from the AMD Ryzen 5 3500U CPU (2.1GHz-3.7GHz, 4 Cores 8 Threads) inside this mini pc, TDP 15W up to 25W. It's perfect for all your home office and business use, like daily computing, web browsing, and smooth media streaming. This small desktop computer handles everyday tasks easily and quietly.
- 【Work on many things at once with lots of storage】This mini PC comes with 16GB of fast DDR4 RAM (expandable up to 32GB), allowing you to smoothly run multiple programs, dozens of browser tabs, and large files all at once. It also features a spacious 512GB NVMe SSD that provides ample storage and delivers dramatically faster boot-ups, app launches, and file transfers compared to a traditional hard drive.
- 【See everything clearly on one or two 4K screens】Connect one or two monitors for more space to work or play. Dual HDMI ports on this mini pc support super sharp 4K Ultra HD video. It's great for doubling your work area for business or watching movies in high definition.
- 【Fast modern connections in a tiny box】Enjoy a better and more stable internet connection with the latest WiFi 6. Use Bluetooth 5.3 to connect wireless headphones, keyboards, and mice without wires. This small pc is very compact to save desk space and has extra USB ports (USB 2.0×2, USB 3.0×2, Type-c 2.0×1, Type-c 3.2 full featured×1, HDMI×2) for your printer, webcam, or other computer accessories.
- 【Reliable Warranty and Support】We provides 1 year warranty for each Mini computers. So you don't need to worry about any product problems. If you have any questions about the product, please contact our customer service, we will provide 24-hour professional technical support and serve you at any time.
Flat and time-of-use tariffs
For an Ausgrid NSW residential example, the 2026–27 DMO lists a flat usage rate of 33.14 c/kWh. Its time-of-use example lists 24.04 c/kWh off-peak from 9:00 pm to 3:00 pm and 60.20 c/kWh during the 3:00 pm to 9:00 pm peak window. A continuous stream runs across both periods, so estimate its cost by weighting the hours spent in each window rather than applying only the off-peak rate. The AER page also shows a 24.15 c/kWh overnight time-of-use example for a different region. These are regulated standing-offer caps or examples, not recommendations and not necessarily the rates on your bill. Check the current figures for your distribution area.
Is a mini PC cheaper than a VPS for 24/7 YouTube streaming?
There is no established universal winner. A fair comparison needs both a mini PC’s measured average wall draw under the target workload and a current VPS quote for the required region, instance and data use. It must also account for the PC’s up-front cost and replacement horizon, plus any relevant VPS storage or other charges. Do not count home internet as an incremental streaming cost unless the workload changes your plan or bandwidth bill.
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Rank #3
- 【AMD Ryzen 3 5300U CPU: Outperforms N150 & 3500U】 BOSGAME E5 mini PC is powered by the TSMC 7nm FinFET architecture AMD Ryzen 3 5300U processor (4 Cores, 8 Threads, up to 3.8GHz boost, 6MB total cache). Compared to low-end Intel N150 or 3500U chips which only have 4 single threads and throttle under load, the 5300U delivers over 30% faster multi-core speed. Run 30+ browser tabs, large Excel sheets, and Zoom meetings simultaneously without system lag.
- 【8GB DDR4 RAM & 256GB NVMe SSD Storage】 Installed with high-speed 8GB DDR4 dual-channel memory and a fast 256GB M.2 2280 SSD, eliminating slow boot times and application loading delays. To accommodate growing data requirements, the upgradeable hardware design features dual SODIMM slots that allow you to expand memory up to 64GB RAM, ensuring smooth operation during heavy multitasking.
- 【High-Capacity Dual M.2 SSD Storage Expansion】 Never worry about running out of space for your business files. In addition to the pre-installed 256GB system drive, the motherboard houses an extra empty internal M.2 2280 NVMe PCIe 3.0 slot. This allows you to easily add a second solid-state drive for up to an additional 2TB of storage capacity (upgrades not included) without needing to remove or reinstall the original operating system.
- 【Radeon 6-Core Graphics & Triple 4K Displays】 Integrated with official AMD Radeon Graphics (6 Graphics Cores, 1500 MHz frequency) for casual gaming, photo editing, and crisp 4K media decoding. Featuring 1x HDMI 2.0 port, 1x DisplayPort, and 1x Full-Function Type-C port, the E5 outputs true 4K@60Hz resolution to three monitors at once. This multi-screen setup eliminates constant window-switching for traders, programmers, and office workers.
- 【Dual 2.5GbE LAN Ports for Advanced Networking】 Experience fast wired network transmission speeds up to 2500Mbps without lagging or buffering. The integration of dual 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet ports (powered by Realtek RTL8125 controller) makes this compact computer an exceptional hardware choice for tech enthusiasts. Easily configure it into software routers, hardware firewalls (pfSense, OpnSense), home NAS servers, or local homelabs.
| Comparison factor | Mini PC at home | VPS |
|---|---|---|
| Recurring cost | Measured annual electricity use multiplied by your actual tariff. | Current quote for the intended region and instance, including applicable bandwidth or egress, storage and other charges. A comparable Australian VPS quote was not established here. |
| Up-front and replacement cost | Include the device purchase price and peripherals if material; choose and disclose a replacement horizon. | Check any applicable setup or storage charges in the provider’s current terms. |
| Encoding capability | Verify that the chosen hardware sustains the required codec, resolution and frame rate while encoding. | Verify that the selected instance sustains the same workload. |
| Network and data | Test sustained home upload under real conditions, with sufficient headroom. | Check regional availability and the provider’s current outbound-data terms; egress may be included or billed depending on the service. |
| Operations | Plan for monitoring, restarts, power and internet interruptions, and ongoing maintenance. | Check what monitoring, restart behavior, support and reliability terms the provider actually offers. |
The table describes what to verify, not provider-specific service levels. No representative mini-PC encoding power measurement or comparable current Australian VPS bill is established here, so a categorical cheapest-option claim would be misleading.
Check the workload before choosing hardware or a VPS
“Mini PC” and “VPS” do not guarantee that an encoder can maintain a particular format continuously. YouTube supports RTMP/RTMPS ingest and lists H.264, H.265/HEVC and AV1 video codecs, with frame rates up to 60 fps. Its recommended bitrate depends on codec, resolution and frame rate. For H.264, YouTube lists 5 Mbps minimum and 14 Mbps recommended for 1080p30, and 6 Mbps minimum and 17 Mbps recommended for 1080p60. These are ingest settings, not proof that a particular computer or instance can encode reliably. Consult YouTube’s encoder settings for the requirements that match your chosen format.
Rank #4
- Office Gaming Mini PC - UPGRADED GMKtec Nucbox M5 Ultra Series is equipped with the powerful AMD Ryzen 7 7730U processor, 8 Cores/16 Threads, Base 2.00GHz (Power Saving Quiet Mode) with Turbo Boost up to 4.50GHz (Performance Mode) in BIOS settings, Based on the ZEN 3+ architecture, this small but powerful mini pc delivers satisfying results in productivity, office work, and gaming. 35% Performance increase over AMD Ryzen 5 7430U/ Ryzen 7 5700U, 5600U, 5560U, 5500U.
- 32GB DDR4 RAM & 512GB PCIe SSD - Installed with DDR4 32GB RAM Dual Channel (2x16GB), the Nucbox M5 Plus mini pc support expansion to 64GB RAM. Featured with 512GB M.2 2280 PCIe 3.0 SSD, support dual slot expansion to 4TB SSD. (Upgrades not included)
- DUAL NIC LAN 2.5G RJ45 - Fast Network Speeds: Enjoy up to 2500Mbps data transmission speed without worrying about lagging. Ideal for working, gaming, and surfing the internet. Great for Untangle, Pfsense or as a server office PC.
- Mini Desktop Computer with 4K Triple Screen Display - Nucbox M5 Ultra integrates AMD Radeon Graphics 8 Cores 2000 MHz GPU to deliver powerful graphics processing power to easily handle the demands of complex design software, 4K@60Hz UHD video editing, and playback. It can connect to 3 display screens simultaneously.
- Fast Internet WiFi 6E + BT5.2 Connection - GMKtec Mini PC with WiFi-6E Wireless, have 2.5G/5G/6G triple band, more faster and lower latency. Bluetooth 5.2 allowing you more quickly to connect other wireless devices (headset, mouse, keyboard, etc.) Interface features 2*USB3.2 ports, 2*USB2.0 ports, 1*HDMI 2.0 port(4K@60Hz), 1*USB-C port(PD/DP/DATA), 1*DP Port, 1*Audio 3.5mm (HP&MIC), 1*DC Power Port.
Before committing to continuous streaming, test with representative audio and motion, preview the feed in Live Control Room, and monitor stream health. YouTube recommends allowing 20% upload headroom above the total stream bitrate. A nominal broadband or VPS network specification cannot guarantee an uninterrupted broadcast; YouTube warns that a connectivity disruption can break the stream. See its streaming tips.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.YouTube Live requirements for an encoder stream
YouTube says a channel must be verified and have no live-stream restrictions in the previous 90 days to stream live. Configure the encoder for YouTube’s supported ingest and encoding settings, then test the complete setup before relying on it for a 24/7 broadcast. YouTube’s guidance is to check the preview in Live Control Room and monitor stream health. Read YouTube’s encoder setup guidance and its encoder settings.
Best Value
- WHY CHOOSE CORE I3-10110U - Better single-core performance: The Core i3-10110U has a higher peak boost clock (4.1 GHz) compared to the Ryzen 3 4300U and the Intel Alder Lake N150 series, making it better for tasks that rely on fast single-core performance (e.g., web browsing, office apps). Better multi-thread performance via Hyper-Threading: the Core i3-10110U offers better performance in multi-threaded workloads compared to the Ryzen 3 4300U, especially for light productivity work and multitasking.
- 16GB RAM MEMORY & 512GB SSD STORAGE - GMKtec Nucbox G3 PRO mini pc is prebuilt with 16GB DDR4 RAM SO-DIMM DUAL CHANNEL, you will enjoy a speedier experience with Built-in 512GB M.2 Hard Drive. Our mini desktop pc boots up in seconds, work on multiple browser tabs, software applications and quickly transfers files. There is a primary slot and secondary expansion storage. Primary slot is M.2 2280 PCIE/SATA and secondary slot is M.2 2242 SATA .
- RICH INTERFACE - Nucbox core i3 mini computer is equipped with USB 3.2*4,up to 5Gbps/S, HDMI(4K@60Hz)×2, 3.5mm Audio Jack. Supports WiFi 6, and Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 2.5GbE network connectivity, Bluetooth 5.2. This Mini PC supports multiple device connection and can be used with servers, monitoring equipment, office equipment, displays, projectors, televisions, etc.
- 4K DUAL SCREEN DISPLAY - Mini desktop computer is equipped with upgraded Intel Graphics(max 1000MHz), supports 4K video playback and AV1 decoding, connect the pc with a projector as a home theatre, enjoy a variety of entertainments. Two HDMI 2.0 ports allows you to multi-task efficiently on two 4K@60Hz displays.
- UPGRADED COOLING FAN - The G3 PLUS has upgraded the cooling fan to reduce fan noise and thermals. We are using an upgraded thermal paste as well to help reduce heat on the CPU.
Or let it run in the cloud
If you want prerecorded videos to keep a YouTube channel live without leaving a home computer running, StreamNeo is a cloud option. Upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key, and go live; the cloud loops the uploaded video. Nothing has to stay on at home. Each slot streams the video as uploaded, up to 4K 60fps, at one flat price per slot; it does not re-encode or use quality tiers. Automatic recovery is included if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card. Monthly billing is $9.99 per month. See StreamNeo for details, or start the free first day.
Quick Recap
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