Computer Gaming Consumes US $10 Billion Annually

And this consumption could more that double by the year 2020, suggests a new study conducted at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, CA. One billion people around the world engage in some form of digital gaming, which is the most energy-intensive use of personal computers.

Using actual measurements of five gaming PCs with progressively more efficient components, the researchers estimate the typical gaming computer, including display, uses approximately 1400 kWh/year. This is the same as 10 game consoles, six standard PCs, or three refrigerators. More intensive users could easily consume twice this central estimate.

While gaming PCs represent only 2.5% of the global installed PC equipment base, initial estimates suggest that gaming PCs consumed 75 TWh/year (US$10 billion) of electricity globally in 2012 or approximately 20% of total PC, notebook, and console energy usage.

Based on projected changes in the installed base, the researchers further estimate that consumption will more than double by the year 2020 if the current rate of equipment sales is unabated and efficiencies are not improved. Although they will represent only 10% of the installed base of gaming platforms in 2020, relatively high unit energy consumption and high hours of use will result in gaming computers being responsible for 40% of gaming energy use.
Savings of more than 75% can be achieved via premium efficiency components applied at the time of manufacture or via retrofit, while improving reliability and performance (nearly a doubling of performance per unit of energy). This corresponds to a potential savings of approximately 120 TWh/year or $18 billion/ year globally by 2020.

Find out more: http://evanmills.lbl.gov/pubs/pdf/Taming-the-Energy-Use-of-Gaming-Computers.pdf.