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There is no evidence-based universal winner. A 2023 Raspberry Pi 5 review measured 5.7–6.8 W at the wall while Chromium played YouTube fullscreen at Full HD using H.264, but no comparable used-laptop measurement is established here. To find which costs less in your home, measure both complete setups during similar playback and multiply their average wattage by your viewing hours and local electricity rate.
What the Raspberry Pi 5 measurement tells you
CNX Software reported a wall-meter reading of 5.7–6.8 W for a Raspberry Pi 5 with an active cooler, playing a YouTube video fullscreen in Chromium at Full HD with H.264/AVC1 in a 2023 review. This is a result from that particular setup, not a guaranteed draw for every Pi 5 or playlist. Read the CNX Software review.
Raspberry Pi says the Pi 5 can reach around 12 W under particularly intensive workloads. That peak is not an estimate for ordinary YouTube playback. Likewise, the manufacturer’s recommended 27 W USB-C supply describes the supply’s capacity, not the board’s continuous consumption. The official setup guide recommends that supply and notes that a 5 V, 3 A supply limits downstream USB current to 600 mA. See Raspberry Pi’s getting-started documentation and its Raspberry Pi 5 announcement.
Why you cannot yet compare it with a used laptop
Laptop power use varies with the model, screen, battery and power settings, browser, video resolution, codec, and connected devices. No named used laptop was measured under conditions comparable to the Pi test, so the available figures do not establish that either device is cheaper to run. A laptop’s adapter rating is no more a substitute for measuring its actual playback draw than the Pi’s supply rating is.
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The screen boundary matters. If the laptop’s built-in display is on, include it in the laptop reading. For a Pi connected to an external monitor, include the monitor’s consumption too when comparing complete viewing setups; Raspberry Pi notes that displays typically need their own power source. A device-only comparison can still be useful, but it answers a different question from the cost of watching a playlist.
How to measure both setups fairly
- Decide what counts as the system. For whole-viewing-cost comparison, measure at the wall with the display, power adapter, and peripherals used for playback. If you want device-only readings, measure that boundary consistently and label it clearly.
- Use a plug-in watt meter. Connect the setup through the meter and read its average power during playback. This optional tool measures actual wall draw, including adapter losses; the printed rating on a power supply is not consumption.
- Match the playback conditions as closely as practical. Use the same video or playlist, playback resolution, and similar volume, network conditions, and peripheral setup. Keep the display arrangement comparable, and note the browser and playback quality if they differ.
- Measure a representative interval. Let playback settle, then record average watts over a meaningful stretch rather than relying on a momentary peak. Repeat if playback conditions change substantially.
- Record the variables that affect the result. Note each device’s measured watts, whether the screen is included, hours of use, and your local price per kWh. These let you reproduce the estimate and compare different usage patterns.
Calculate electricity cost for your own tariff
Use your meter’s average wattage, playback hours, and electricity price. If your tariff is R currency units per kWh and you stream for H hours:
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- Energy: watts × H ÷ 1,000 = kWh.
- Electricity cost: watts × H ÷ 1,000 × R.
- Difference (laptop minus Pi): (laptop watts − Pi watts) × H ÷ 1,000 × R.
A positive difference means the laptop costs more to run for that interval; a negative result means the Pi costs more. For example, multiply each device’s measured average watts by the same hours and tariff, then compare the two costs. Because no laptop reading, usage schedule, or local tariff is specified here, there is no supported universal bill estimate.
Electricity is only one part of the decision
If you already own a suitable used laptop, its incremental purchase cost may be zero. A new Pi setup instead requires the board, storage, an appropriate power supply, a way to connect a display if needed, and possibly cooling. The official recommendation for the Pi 5 is a 27 W USB-C supply—not a claim that the Pi draws 27 W while streaming.
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For a total-cost or payback comparison, add actual dated purchase and setup prices to the estimated electricity costs. Without those prices, measured wattage for both systems, hours of use, and a local tariff, a payback period cannot be calculated responsibly.
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