There is no published, dependable wattage for an M2 Mac mini streaming a YouTube playlist nonstop. Apple lists 7 W for Finder-only idle and 50 W at CPU maximum for a specified 2023 M2 configuration, but neither figure measures video playback. To find your setup’s actual use, measure it at the wall while the playlist runs.
What Apple’s M2 Mac mini figures do—and don’t—tell you
Apple’s current support table lists a 2023 Mac mini with M2, 24 GB of unified memory and a 2 TB SSD at 7 W idle and 50 W CPU maximum. These are wall measurements that include system and power-supply losses. Apple defines idle as having only Finder open under default power-management settings; CPU maximum is a compute-intensive test that maximizes processor use. Neither is a YouTube-playback result. Apple Support
Apple’s 2023 M2-era Product Environmental Report provides a separate measurement for “Idle—Display on”: 3.92 W at 100 V, 3.96 W at 115 V and 4.01 W at 230 V. It also lists sleep at 0.55 W, 0.50 W and 0.51 W, and off at 0.08 W, 0.10 W and 0.11 W, respectively. The report defines display-on idle as macOS loaded and connected to Ethernet; sleep has Wake for network access enabled and Ethernet connected; off is the lowest-power mode after shutdown, also called standby. These are distinct states and test descriptions, not alternate measurements of playlist playback. Apple’s 2023 Product Environmental Report
How to measure nonstop playlist power accurately
- Measure at the wall. Connect the Mac mini’s power supply to a plug-in electricity usage meter. This captures the system and power-supply losses included in Apple’s wall figures. Use a meter that reports accumulated kWh if possible.
- Run the real workload. Play the playlist continuously using the browser, resolution, networking method and playback settings you intend to use. Let the system settle into its usual behavior before recording a representative period.
- Define what is included. For Mac mini-only power, keep the display and speakers outside the measurement or measure them separately. Record whether any display or peripherals are included; a screen, network state, browser, video resolution, codec and playback behavior can all affect the overall setup’s draw.
- Record the conditions. Note the browser, resolution, wired Ethernet or Wi-Fi, display and peripherals, and measurement duration. If comparing results, compare like with like: power state and workload, wall versus device-only measurement, input voltage, and the meter’s averaging method all matter.
- Convert energy to cost. Use the meter’s accumulated kWh. If it reports average watts instead, calculate watts ÷ 1,000 × hours = kWh. Multiply the resulting kWh by your local electricity rate for the cost.
For example, a hypothetical constant draw of 10 W would use 0.010 kW × 24 hours = 0.24 kWh per day. That is only an arithmetic illustration, not a measured M2 Mac mini streaming result. Your tariff determines the cost; there is no single universal electricity price.
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What continuous-use estimates look like
If the Mac drew exactly Apple’s 7 W Finder-only idle figure continuously, the arithmetic would be 0.007 kW × 24 hours = 0.168 kWh per day, or 5.04 kWh in 30 days. This is a baseline illustration using an idle measurement—not a prediction of YouTube playback consumption. A playlist workload must be measured separately.
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