Entertainment · South Dakota
How Much Does It Cost to Run a Gaming PC in South Dakota?
The short answer
In South Dakota, a gaming PC drawing 500W costs about $0.08 per hour — roughly $9.35 a month if it runs 4 hours a day.
That’s based on South Dakota’s average residential rate of 15.4¢/kWh (EIA, July 2026), 16% below the US average.
Source: U.S. EIA, July 2026 data · Updated
Gaming PC cost by daily use in South Dakota
| Daily use | kWh/month | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 hour/day | 15.2 | $0.08 | $2.34 | $28.05 |
| 2 hours/day | 30.4 | $0.15 | $4.68 | $56.10 |
| 4 hours/day | 60.8 | $0.31 | $9.35 | $112 |
| 8 hours/day | 121.7 | $0.61 | $18.70 | $224 |
| 12 hours/day | 182.5 | $0.92 | $28.05 | $337 |
| 24 hours/day | 365.0 | $1.84 | $56.11 | $673 |
South Dakota vs other states
At typical use, a gaming PC costs $112 a year in South Dakota — $238 less than in Hawaii and $19.35 more than in Louisiana.
South Dakota has the 18th-cheapest residential electricity of the 50 states and DC. South Dakota price per kWh · all states ranked
Electricity price trend in South Dakota
15.4¢/kWh in July 2026 — ▲ +5.9% from a year earlier.
How to lower the cost of running a gaming PC
A gaming PC's power draw depends on the GPU and CPU and on how demanding the game is. A mid-range build typically pulls around 400–500W from the wall during gaming, while high-end systems with top-tier graphics cards can exceed 700–800W. Idle and desktop use is much lower, often 60–120W. The monitor adds another 30–80W.
- Cap frame rates to your monitor's refresh rate — rendering frames you can't see wastes power.
- Use your GPU's power-limit or efficiency settings for a large power cut with a small performance loss.
- Set the PC to sleep after 15–30 minutes of inactivity.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to run a gaming PC for 24 hours in South Dakota?
Running a 500W gaming PC for 24 hours uses about 12.0 kWh, which costs about $1.84 at South Dakota’s average rate of 15.4¢/kWh.
How many kWh does a gaming PC use per month?
At 4 hours a day, a typical gaming PC uses about 60.8 kWh a month. In South Dakota that costs $9.35.
Is it expensive to run a gaming PC in South Dakota?
South Dakota has the 18th-cheapest residential electricity of the 50 states and DC at 15.4¢/kWh — cheaper than most. Running a gaming PC here costs about $112 a year at typical use, compared with $134 at the national average rate.
What is the electricity rate in South Dakota right now?
The average residential electricity rate in South Dakota was 15.4¢ per kWh in July 2026, according to the latest EIA data — up 5.9% from a year earlier.
Does a gaming PC use more electricity than a console?
Usually yes. A typical gaming PC draws 2–3 times more than a PS5 or Xbox Series X while gaming.
Gaming PC costs in nearby states
Other appliances in South Dakota
Cheapest and priciest states
Comparisons
Sources & method
- Electricity rates: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly — average residential retail price, July 2026 (latest available). Retrieved .
- CO₂: EIA State Electricity Profiles, 2024 emissions rate of in-state power generation.
- Default usage for gaming PC: 4 hours a day. Typical power 500W.
- Formulas, duty cycles and limitations: methodology. Data download: open data (CC BY 4.0).