Mining Rig Wattage Calculator

About the Mining Rig Wattage Calculator

Building a mining rig requires careful power planning. Under-sizing your PSU risks instability and shutdowns, while over-sizing wastes money. This calculator sums up the power draw of every component — GPUs, CPU, motherboard, fans, and peripherals — to give you an accurate total wattage and PSU recommendation.

Knowing your exact power draw is also essential for estimating electricity costs. Every watt counts when your equipment runs 24/7. This calculator takes your component-level power numbers and calculates daily, monthly, and annual electricity costs at your rate.

The calculator also recommends a PSU size with a safety margin, ensuring your power supply runs efficiently and reliably under mining loads.

Use the result to map token-release or fee scenarios and revisit the model when market conditions, unlock terms, or portfolio assumptions change.

When This Page Helps

Correctly sizing your power supply prevents crashes, extends equipment lifespan, and ensures efficient operation. PSUs operate most efficiently at 60-80% load. This calculator helps you choose the right PSU and accurately predict electricity costs.

How to Use the Inputs

1. Enter the power draw per GPU (use measured mining wattage, not TDP).
2. Enter the number of GPUs in your rig.
3. Enter CPU, motherboard, and fan/peripheral power draw.
4. View total rig wattage and recommended PSU size.
5. Enter your electricity rate to see daily and monthly power costs.

Example Calculation

Tips & Best Practices

• Use actual measured power draw from mining software, not the GPU's advertised TDP.
• Add a 10% overhead for power spikes and PSU efficiency losses.
• Gold or Platinum rated PSUs are worth the premium for 24/7 mining operation.
• Dual PSUs can be more cost-effective and provide redundancy for large rigs.
• Server PSUs with breakout boards are a popular cost-effective option for miners.
• Keep ambient temperature in mind — hot environments increase power draw slightly.

Planning Your Power Setup

Power planning is one of the most critical aspects of building a mining rig. An undersized PSU causes instability, while an oversized one wastes money. The sweet spot is a PSU running at 60-80% of its rated capacity.

Electrical Safety

Never exceed the capacity of your wall outlet or circuit breaker. A standard 15A/120V circuit supports about 1,800W. At 240V (if available), the same breaker supports twice as much. Dedicated circuits are recommended for mining.

Cost Optimization

Server PSUs with breakout boards offer the best watts-per-dollar for mining rigs. Combined with proper undervolting of GPUs, you can significantly reduce both total power draw and PSU requirements, saving on both hardware and electricity costs.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Should I use measured watts or TDP?

  Always use measured watts from mining software or a kill-a-watt meter. Mining power draw is usually 20-40% lower than a GPU's TDP because mining workloads don't stress all GPU components equally, especially with undervolting.

• What PSU efficiency rating should I get?

  80+ Gold is the minimum recommendation for mining. Platinum or Titanium rated PSUs reduce waste heat and electricity costs. Over a year, the efficiency savings can pay for the higher PSU cost.

• Can I use two PSUs for one rig?

  Yes, dual PSU setups are common in mining. Use a dual PSU adapter or Y-splitter to sync both PSUs. This lets you power 8+ GPU rigs without needing a single expensive high-wattage PSU.

• What if my PSU is under-sized?

  An under-sized PSU may shut down under load, causing mining downtime. It also runs at high temperatures, reducing lifespan. Even if it seems to work, running at 90%+ load continuously degrades the PSU faster.

• How do server PSUs compare to consumer PSUs?

  Server PSUs (like HP 750W or 1200W units) are extremely efficient (Platinum rated), very affordable used, and reliable. They require breakout boards for PCIe connectors but are a popular cost-effective mining PSU solution.

• Does the CPU matter for power draw?

  In mining rigs, the CPU does minimal work, so even a 65W TDP CPU may draw only 15-30W. However, you still need to account for it. Use a low-power CPU (Celeron or similar) to minimize overhead.