Short answer: the cited mini PC reviews report lower wall-power readings for two Intel N100 examples playing YouTube than for one Ryzen 5 7545U example—but they used different video settings, browsers, operating systems and hardware setups. They do not establish that Intel systems generally use less electricity than AMD systems. More importantly, these figures are for watching YouTube in a browser, not for broadcasting a loop as a continuous YouTube live stream.
What the comparison measures
A “YouTube loop stream” can mean either playing a YouTube video repeatedly on a PC or sending a continuous live broadcast from a PC to YouTube. The published figures below cover browser playback: a viewer’s PC plays YouTube video. They do not measure the power needed to encode and upload a live loop.
The reviews used wall meters, so their readings represent the tested whole-system draw at the outlet, including the connected equipment described by each reviewer. They are more useful for estimating electricity use than processor TDP or CPU-only telemetry. Still, the systems and tests were not matched, so treat them as examples—not a controlled AMD-versus-Intel test.
Published YouTube playback readings
| Example | YouTube playback reading | Test conditions and qualifications |
|---|---|---|
| GEEKOM A7 2026 Edition, Ryzen 5 7545U | 23.0–29.1 W at 4K/60 | CNX Software measured the system in Firefox on Ubuntu 26.04 in its June 27, 2026 review. The tested setup included Wi-Fi 6, a USB keyboard/mouse receiver and a KTC 4K monitor. The review also reported 4.8–5.3 W idle. CNX Software’s GEEKOM A7 review. |
| MINIX NEO Z100-0dB, Intel N100 | 14.7–17.9 W at 8K/60 | CNX Software measured it in Chrome on Windows 11 in its February 25, 2024 review. The setup included Wi-Fi 6, a USB keyboard/mouse receiver and a VGA screen connected through an HDMI-to-VGA adapter. The review reported 8.9–9.2 W idle and said playback was smooth up to 8K/30, with some dropped frames at 4K/8K 60. CNX Software’s MINIX NEO Z100-0dB review. |
| GEEKOM Mini Air12 Lite, Intel N100 | 10.9–15 W at 8K/60 | CNX Software’s Windows 11 Pro review included Wi-Fi, a USB keyboard/mouse and a drawing tablet. This is a second Intel-system example, not a platform average. CNX Software’s Mini Air12 Lite review. |
The AMD example is a 4K/60 test on Ubuntu in Firefox; the MINIX Intel example is an 8K/60 test on Windows in Chrome. Resolution, browser, operating system, display and peripherals differ. The readings cannot isolate the effect of processor brand. The second N100 result also shows why one mini PC should not stand in for all systems using the same processor.
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Estimate electricity use and cost
Use average wall watts for the workload you care about. For a 30-day month:
monthly kWh = average wall watts × hours per day × 30 ÷ 1,000
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estimated energy charge = monthly kWh × your marginal electricity price per kWh
For continuous operation over a 365-day year:
annual kWh = average wall watts × 24 × 365 ÷ 1,000 = average watts × 8.76
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Applying that arithmetic to the published playback ranges gives the following 24/7 extrapolations. These are calculated from review readings, not measured annual consumption.
| Tested example | Playback range | Calculated energy at 24/7 operation |
|---|---|---|
| GEEKOM A7, Ryzen 5 7545U, 4K/60 | 23.0–29.1 W | 201.5–254.9 kWh/year |
| MINIX NEO Z100-0dB, Intel N100, 8K/60 | 14.7–17.9 W | 128.8–156.8 kWh/year |
To turn either result into an energy-charge estimate, multiply the kWh by your local marginal rate. There is no single bill figure that applies worldwide: tariffs may be tiered or include taxes and fixed charges, which this calculation does not cover. The cited tests do not establish the power draw of a live broadcast, so do not use their playback figures as a broadcast bill prediction.
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How to make a fair comparison for your setup
- Measure at the wall. Use a plug-in wall-power meter with the PC and the equipment you intend to leave connected. Include the display if it will remain on during playback.
- Use the actual workload. Match video resolution and frame rate, browser, operating system, hardware-acceleration settings and playback conditions across candidate PCs.
- Measure representative periods. Record readings during playback and during any idle or standby periods that occur in your normal schedule. For an always-on setup, include the hours between videos.
- Calculate from average watts. Apply the monthly or annual formula above to the measured average and your actual operating hours, then use your local marginal rate.
- If you are broadcasting, measure the broadcast. Run the intended encoder, video loop and upload configuration and meter that workload itself. Browser playback tests do not answer how much a live encoding and uploading setup consumes.
What changes when the PC broadcasts a live loop?
A live broadcast can involve video encoding, an active upload and streaming software in addition to video playback. Its wall draw depends on the PC, settings, peripherals and operating conditions; the reviews above did not measure that workload. For a meaningful estimate, meter the complete broadcasting setup while it is live rather than substituting a playback result.
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