The watt was named after Scottish inventor James Watt, who invented the steam engine. Watt power units are used to measure electricity; one watt is equivalent to one joule of electricity flow. A joule is a unit of energy that is utilized per second. If you’re curious about how much electricity or Watts your motherboard consumes. You must determine the power requirements of your motherboard, CPU, GPU, RAM, video card, hard drives, and other components.

Motherboards are not rated in terms of how much power they consume. They are rated on their power consumption, which varies depending on the type of CPU, motherboard, video card, and other factors. Some motherboards may consume less energy than others. On average, the motherboard uses less than 100 watts per month and only exceeds 10-20 watts for regular usage. Let’s deeply understand a motherboard’s power usage and more about it!


Key Takeaways

  • Calculating the motherboard’s power consumption can help you choose a suitable power supply unit.
  • Typically, a motherboard can consume 30-50 watts of power or even 80 watts in a few cases.
  • A motherboard’s power consumption varies depending on a few factors; check those below.

How many watts does a motherboard use?

The number of watts a motherboard uses depends on the number of components connected to the motherboard as well as the performance of the components, mainly the CPU. Typically, a motherboard consumes 30-50 watts or even 80 watts of power. Remember, you must look at certain factors to precisely discover how many watts your motherboard consumes. You can find this information by looking at the motherboard’s specifications. 

Factors affecting motherboard power consumption 

Several motherboard-related and external factors affect the power consumption of a motherboard. Most of them include as follow: 

  1. Motherboard Model
  2. Processor, graphics card, RAM kits, hard drive, etc.
  3. Number of components connected
  4. BIOS settings
  5. Power phases design
  6. Overclocking
  7. Power Supply Efficiency
  8. Usage (idle, heavy load)
  9. Integrated modules and chipsets; for example, onboard WiFi, USB connectors, SATA connectors, etc.

Note: You must consider all these factors and check them for your motherboard when determining the precise wattage it consumes. This is why we have mentioned an estimated value since it varies from user to user.  

Calculating the power consumption

The power your motherboard uses depends on a few factors, including the type of motherboard, the components you have installed, and your usage. To calculate how many watts your motherboard uses, you’ll need to know the individual wattage requirements for each component, such as CPU, GPU, RAM, storage drives, fans, etc.

This should give you an estimate of the minimum amount of power your motherboard will require to function correctly. For example, if your CPU is rated for 65W, your GPU for 50W, and your RAM for 10W, your total wattage requirement would be 125W.

Now that you know the components' wattage requirements and the estimated total wattage drawn from your system when in use, you’ll better understand how much power your motherboard needs to function correctly.

Tips to reduce power consumption

The power a motherboard uses can vary significantly depending on your hardware. Still, there are some steps you can take to reduce the amount of electricity consumed.

  • Investing in energy-efficient components is one of the most effective ways to reduce your overall consumption. Look for components with an 80 Plus certification, as these components use less energy when operating. Additionally, buying components with a lower TDP (thermal design power) rating is also a good idea. The lower the TDP, the lower the power consumption.

  • If you’re building a gaming rig or other powerful computer, look for a power supply with an adjustable wattage output. This will allow you to customize the power output of your system, which means you can keep it low when not playing games and ramp it up when necessary.

  • Another way to reduce power consumption is to keep your computer’s CPU under optimal temperature. Make sure to regularly clean out dust from your fan and heatsink and use thermal paste and thermal pads if necessary. Keeping your CPU cool will reduce its power consumption and extend its lifespan.

  • Finally, reducing the number of peripherals attached to your system can help to decrease power consumption. If possible, switch off any unused peripherals or unplug them entirely. This may not seem like much, but it could help you save some money in the long run.

Conclusion

Ultimately, the answer to the question of how many watts a motherboard uses will depend on your system’s type and components. It’s essential to know the power requirements of each component to calculate your total power consumption to ensure you don’t exceed the limits of your power supply. Proper planning and some energy-efficient components can reduce your overall power consumption and ensure your system runs smoothly.

Abdullah Sarfraz
Myself Abdullah Sarfraz and I am an SEO. My hobby is reviewing the latest tech-related products. For the past few years, I am working on amazon affiliated sites therefore, I came to know my interest and chose this field, now I have good experience in it.