There is no reliable single electricity-cost figure for running FFmpeg on an Intel NUC around the clock: the answer depends on the NUC’s actual average power draw at the wall and your electricity rate. Use annual kWh = average watts × 8.76, then multiply by your local price per kWh. At the U.S. 2025 residential average of 17.30 cents/kWh, a system averaging 10 W would cost about $15.15 per year, or $1.26 per month averaged across the year. Those are calculated examples, not measurements of an FFmpeg setup.
Calculate your NUC’s 24/7 electricity cost
For a system running continuously for a full year, 8,760 hours of use converts average wall power in watts to annual energy:
Annual energy (kWh) = average wall watts × 8.76
Annual electricity cost = annual kWh × your electricity price per kWh
For a rough annualized monthly cost, divide the annual cost by 12. For a specific calendar month, use that month’s actual hours instead. Use the rate on your bill or electricity plan; where relevant, account for variable charges that apply to each kWh.
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Illustrative costs at the 2025 U.S. residential average
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported a 2025 U.S. residential average of 17.30 cents per kWh. The table applies that rate to hypothetical average wall draws. The wattage values are scenarios—not measured consumption figures for a particular NUC or FFmpeg workload.
| Average wall draw | Energy per year | Approx. cost per year | Approx. cost per month, annualized |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 W | 43.8 kWh | $7.58 | $0.63 |
| 10 W | 87.6 kWh | $15.15 | $1.26 |
| 20 W | 175.2 kWh | $30.31 | $2.53 |
| 40 W | 350.4 kWh | $60.62 | $5.05 |
These figures are arithmetic based on the EIA’s 2025 rate, not a current universal tariff. EIA-reported state averages ranged from 8.20 cents/kWh in North Dakota to 35.72 cents/kWh in Hawaii across all utility customer classes; that range is not residential-only. Check the EIA’s electricity data for context, but use your own bill for a personal estimate.
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Why a NUC’s TDP or power adapter does not give the answer
Processor TDP is not a reading of the whole computer’s continuous electricity use. Intel explains that “Power consumption is less than TDP under lower loads.” It describes TDP as a design target and notes that power can temporarily exceed it in some conditions. Actual wall draw also includes the rest of the system and depends on the work being done.
Published measurements illustrate why assumptions vary, but they do not establish FFmpeg encoding power. Notebookcheck reported 3–7 W desktop idle draw for its NUC8i7BEH review unit. ServeTheHome measured about 11 W idle and 40 W at 70% load for its NUC11 Pro configuration, and reported 6–10 W idle for a NUC12 Pro configuration. These are model- and test-specific examples, not directly comparable results or 24/7 FFmpeg benchmarks.
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Intel also describes power-management modes and sustained and burst package-power controls; what is available varies by model. A low-power setting can reduce consumption while affecting performance, so measure with the settings and workload you intend to use.
Measure the actual whole-system draw
- Connect a plug-in energy meter between the wall outlet and the NUC’s normal power supply. Leave attached any storage or peripherals that will remain connected during operation.
- Run a representative FFmpeg job using the codec, resolution, frame rate, hardware-acceleration choice, and other settings you expect to use.
- Record average watts or cumulative kWh over a representative period. A CPU-only telemetry reading may not reflect the complete system’s AC input.
- If encoding is intermittent, include both encoding and idle periods in a weighted average that reflects your actual schedule. If encoding runs continuously, measure the sustained workload.
- Multiply measured kWh by your electricity rate. For a continuous annual estimate based on measured average watts, use average watts × 8.76 to get annual kWh.
A plug-in energy meter is a practical way to replace scenario assumptions with a measurement of the complete setup.
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Account for FFmpeg’s duty cycle and output requirements
“24/7” can mean either that the NUC stays powered all day or that FFmpeg is actively encoding all day. If the computer is on continuously but spends substantial time idle between jobs, an encoding-only wattage will overstate annual consumption. Measure a representative mix of active and idle time. Conversely, an idle measurement will understate consumption if encoding is continuous.
For a meaningful comparison between NUCs, use the same FFmpeg job and compare average wall watts while encoding, idle watts between jobs, encoding time or throughput, annual kWh at the same duty cycle, and the resulting cost at the same local rate. No matched FFmpeg test establishes the cost for an unspecified NUC configuration and YouTube workload.
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Best Value
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Or let it run in the cloud
If the goal is to keep prerecorded videos live on a YouTube channel, StreamNeo is a cloud alternative to leaving an Intel NUC on at home. Upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live; StreamNeo loops the uploaded videos in the cloud. It does not stream from a camera or to platforms other than YouTube.
- Nothing has to stay on at home, and a computer or home connection does not need to remain running.
- Videos stream as uploaded, up to 4K 60fps, at one flat price per slot rather than quality-based tiers.
- StreamNeo automatically recovers if YouTube drops the stream.
- The first day is free with no card required. Each slot includes 10 GB of storage, pooled across active slots, and supports 24/7 looping and playlists.
- The monthly option is $9.99 per month. UPI and cards are accepted in India; card checkout is available worldwide. Plans also offer daily, weekly, six-month, and yearly billing, with cancellation any time.
See StreamNeo for details, or start the free first day.
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