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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →There is no evidence-based universal winner on electricity cost between a used laptop and a Raspberry Pi running a continuous YouTube stream. The fair answer comes from measuring each complete setup at the wall while it streams the same video with the same encoder settings, then applying your electricity tariff. Raspberry Pi’s published power figures are board-level context, not whole-system measurements of a live stream.
What the published power figures do—and do not—tell you
Raspberry Pi Ltd.’s current hardware documentation lists typical bare-board active current of 600 mA for the Pi 4 Model B and 800 mA for the Pi 5. At a nominal 5 V, those figures work out to roughly 3 W and 4 W respectively. They are useful for board-level context, but they do not include the full setup or establish the power needed to encode and send your particular stream. Raspberry Pi notes that peripheral use changes current. Raspberry Pi hardware documentation
The recommended power supply is not a consumption figure: Raspberry Pi recommends a 5 V, 3 A supply for Pi 4 and a 5 V, 5 A supply for Pi 5. A supply’s capacity does not mean the device draws that amount continuously. Raspberry Pi setup guidance
Raspberry Pi’s 2023 Pi 5 announcement says intensive workloads can push Pi 5 peak power to around 12 W, versus 8 W for Pi 4. These are peak figures, not 24/7 averages. The announcement also says Pi 5 uses less power than Pi 4 on an identical workload—another reason not to infer a winner without defining the task. Raspberry Pi 5 announcement
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No matched wall-power measurements establish how a used laptop compares with a Raspberry Pi while both run the same continuous YouTube stream. A laptop’s display state, storage, cooling, peripherals and power supply all affect the whole-system reading, just as attached devices affect a Pi setup.
Measure both systems on an equal footing
- Set the same stream target. Choose resolution, frame rate, codec and bitrate before testing. Keep the video content and stream duration consistent where possible.
- Prepare each complete setup. Include its normal power supply, storage, cooling and any attached capture device. Set the laptop display to the state you would actually use for unattended operation.
- Measure active wall power. Connect the whole computer setup through a plug-in electricity usage meter and record its watts while it is encoding and sending the stream—not merely sitting idle. A meter reading captures the supply losses and attached equipment that a board-only specification omits.
- Check that the stream is stable. Keep the test long enough to expose dropped frames, thermal or performance limits, and connection problems. Record any failures alongside the power reading; a lower wattage is not useful if the stream cannot stay healthy.
- Calculate energy and cost. Use the measured whole-system watts, your intended operating hours and the price you actually pay per kWh.
Use these formulas:
- Energy (kWh) = measured watts Ă— operating hours Ă· 1,000.
- Electricity cost = energy (kWh) Ă— your tariff per kWh.
For a full non-leap year of uninterrupted operation, use 8,760 hours. If your stream runs fewer hours or you expect downtime, use the hours that fit your scenario. There is no single tariff to apply worldwide, so use your own bill’s per-kWh rate and currency.
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Make the YouTube stream settings part of the comparison
A computer’s power use depends on what it has to do. YouTube’s live encoder guidance lists RTMP/RTMPS and H.264, H.265/HEVC or AV1, supports frame rates up to 60 fps, recommends constant bitrate encoding and advises a two-second keyframe interval (not over four seconds). Use the same supported codec and target settings on both devices. YouTube live encoder settings
For H.264, YouTube’s recommended bitrate figures include 5 Mbps for 720p at 30 fps, 8 Mbps for 720p at 60 fps, 5 Mbps for 1080p at 30 fps, and 6 Mbps minimum / 17 Mbps recommended for 1080p at 60 fps. The settings table has codec-specific ranges, so consult the correct codec column rather than mixing values. These are YouTube recommendations, not guarantees that a particular old laptop or Pi can encode the target reliably.
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Your upload connection is part of the test too. YouTube Help says: “The total bitrate you’re streaming cannot exceed the amount of upload bandwidth available. Leave a bit of room (20% recommended).” Test the stream and monitor stream health rather than assuming a nominal internet plan delivers adequate sustained upload speed. YouTube streaming tips
YouTube says a channel must be verified and have no live-streaming restrictions in the past 90 days to stream. Its guidance covers mobile, webcam and encoder routes; an older computer still needs to be capable of the chosen encoding task. YouTube live-streaming eligibility
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Compare capability and reliability, not only watts
- Encoding headroom: If one machine struggles at the selected resolution, frame rate or codec, lower-quality output or instability can outweigh a modest projected electricity saving.
- Whole-system power: Compare the wall-meter reading during the same active task. Do not compare Raspberry Pi’s board-current documentation with a laptop’s wall-meter reading.
- Connection and recovery: The stream depends on sustained upload capacity and healthy streaming operation, not just a low-power computer. YouTube recommends testing and monitoring stream health.
- Purchase and setup cost: This comparison answers electricity cost only. Without device prices and matched workload measurements, it cannot establish purchase payback or which option is cheaper overall.
A 2018 paper in Agronomy Research describes streaming from a Raspberry Pi to YouTube and notes that transcoding camera output to H.264 can consume significant CPU resources. It demonstrates a historical implementation, not the performance of current Pi models or a 24/7 comparison against a used laptop. 2018 Raspberry Pi streaming paper
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshoot a fair test
- Power readings do not seem comparable: Check that the meter includes the complete setup in both cases, and that the laptop display, peripherals, storage and cooling match real use.
- The stream drops or buffers: Confirm the total bitrate fits the available upload bandwidth with the recommended headroom, then check YouTube’s stream health and repeat the test.
- The Pi’s reading is far below the laptop’s: Verify that the reading is a wall measurement during active encoding, not a bare-board current figure or idle reading.
- One computer cannot maintain the chosen output: Confirm codec, resolution, frame rate and bitrate are identical before attributing any power difference. If needed, test a lower common target on both.
- Annual cost looks unexpectedly high: Recheck the operating-hour assumption, measured watts and tariff units. Use 8,760 hours only for a full non-leap year with uninterrupted operation.
Or let it run in the cloud
If the aim is an always-on YouTube channel playing uploaded videos, StreamNeo avoids keeping either a home laptop or Pi running: upload the recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. It loops the uploaded videos from the cloud and can automatically recover if YouTube drops the stream. Each slot uses one flat price for the uploaded quality up to 4K 60fps, with no re-encode or quality tiers. The first day is free with no card. Monthly pricing is $9.99 per month.
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StreamNeo is for uploaded videos streamed to YouTube, not a live camera feed. See StreamNeo or start the free first day.
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