There is no universal winner on cost. AWS Lightsail has listed Linux public-IPv4 plans from $5/month, but the right plan and any data-transfer overage depend on your stream. A mini PC’s monthly electricity cost depends on its measured power draw and your local electricity tariff—and its purchase price matters too. Compare both over the same ownership period, including setup and reliability costs, rather than comparing a cloud bill with electricity alone.
What a 24/7 stream costs on Lightsail
AWS lists these Linux/Unix public-IPv4 bundles. Prices and allowances below are the listed plan figures; they do not guarantee that a plan can encode every stream workload reliably. AWS bills instance use hourly up to the plan’s monthly maximum.
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| Listed plan | Memory | vCPUs | SSD | Transfer allowance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $5/month | 0.5 GB | 2 | 20 GB | 1 TB |
| $7/month | 1 GB | 2 | 40 GB | 2 TB |
| $12/month | 2 GB | 2 | 60 GB | 3 TB |
| $24/month | 4 GB | 2 | 80 GB | 4 TB |
Source: AWS Lightsail bundles. These are recurring listed monthly prices, not a workload-specific estimate. AWS charges continue while an instance is stopped; delete the instance to stop instance billing, according to its billing FAQ.
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Estimate transfer before choosing a plan
A 24/7 stream sends its encoded contribution feed out from the instance. Estimate monthly transfer from bitrate and hours, then compare it with the plan allowance for the instance’s region. In Mumbai, Sydney, Jakarta, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and São Paulo, AWS states that allowances are half the standard stated amount. Eligible outbound transfer above the allowance can incur fees; AWS pricing search results state that overage rates vary by region and start at $0.09/GB. Check the current rate for your region before budgeting an overage. Inbound and outbound traffic count toward the allowance, but excess fees apply to eligible outbound transfer. See the Lightsail data-transfer FAQ.
#1 Best Overall
- 【AMD Ryzen 4300U True 4-Core CPU: Outperforms N95 & i3-10110U】KAMRUI P2 Mini PC is equipped with true 4-core AMD Ryzen 4300U processor built on advanced 7nm Zen2 architecture，This means you get consistent, unthrottled performance for hours on end, whether you’re running multiple browser tabs, streaming 4K content, or managing virtual machines. Compare that to Intel N95 (4 efficiency cores that throttle under load) or Intel i3-10110U (only 2 cores total), and the difference is night and day: The KAMRUI P2 AMD Ryzen 4300U (28W) is 40% faster than the Intel i3-10110U and 25% faster than the Intel N95 in multi-core tasks, ensuring smooth, lag-free performance even during heavy workloads.
- 【Integrated AMD Radeon Graphics: 2.5X Stronger for Tri 4K】The KAMRUI P2 AMD 4300U Mini PC have unlocked the full potential of the built-in AMD Radeon Vega 5 graphics with 28W power delivery, making it 2.5 times stronger than the Intel UHD graphics found in the N95 and i3-10110U. This means you can enjoy Tri 4K@60Hz displays without a single stutter, perfect for productivity setups, home theaters, or even light photo/video editing and casual gaming. While the Intel N95/i3-10110U struggle to run a single 4K display without lag, The KAMRUI AMD 4300U Mini PC handles Tri 4K effortlessly, turning your workspace into a high-efficiency hub or your living room into a premium entertainment center.
- 【Large Storage Capacity, Easy Expansion】KAMRUI Pinova P2 mini computers is equipped with 16GB LPDDR4 for faster multitasking and smooth application switching. 512GB M.2 SSD ensures fast startup, fast file transfers and plenty of storage space,eliminating slow loading times and ensuring fast responsiveness. the two storage slots (1x M.2 2280 SATA/NVMe PCIe3.0 slot, 1x M.2 2280 SATA slot) can be combined to provide up to 4TB of total storage(Not included). This gives you enough space for all your projects, media and data.
- 【4K Triple Display】KAMRUI Pinova P2 4300U mini desktop computers is equipped with HDMI2.0 ×1 +DP1.4 ×1+USB3.2 Gen2 Type-C ×1 interfaces for faster transmission, Triple 4K@60Hz Display, KAMRUI P2 mini computer is ideal for visual home entertainment, home office, conference rooms, etc. USB3.2 Gen2 Type-A port ×2 with a transfer speed of up to 10 Gbps (21 times faster than USB 2.0) for efficient data transfer. Ideal for seamless multitasking between spreadsheets, browsers and presentations, or for an immersive entertainment experience.
- 【USB3.2 Gen2 Type-C 10Gbps, Versatile connectivity】KAMRUI P2 mini desktop pc fast and versatile connectivity! The USB3.2 Gen2 Type-C port offers a data transfer rate of 10Gbps and simultaneously supports DisplayPort 1.4 video output. The P2 AMD Ryzen 4300U Mini PC is complemented by Gigabit LAN, WiFi and Bluetooth, so nothing stands in the way of a productive working environment.
Do not assume the smallest plan’s allowance covers a high-bitrate stream. For a rough encoded-feed estimate, convert bitrate to gigabytes per hour and multiply by the hours streamed; account for the distinction between bits and bytes and check AWS’s regional allowance and billing terms. This estimates the feed, not every other transfer the instance may generate.
What a mini PC costs to run
Measure the actual stream, not a specification-sheet idle figure
Use a plug-in power meter to measure average wall draw with the intended stream running, including the chosen resolution, frame rate, codec, overlays, and any hardware encoding. Idle or CPU-only figures are not substitutes. The monthly electricity formula is:
Average watts × operating hours ÷ 1,000 × local price per kWh
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Rank #2
- Office Gaming Mini PC - UPGRADED GMKtec Nucbox M5 Ultra Series is equipped with the powerful AMD Ryzen 7 7730U processor, 8 Cores/16 Threads, Base 2.00GHz (Power Saving Quiet Mode) with Turbo Boost up to 4.50GHz (Performance Mode) in BIOS settings, Based on the ZEN 3+ architecture, this small but powerful mini pc delivers satisfying results in productivity, office work, and gaming. 35% Performance increase over AMD Ryzen 5 7430U/ Ryzen 7 5700U, 5600U, 5560U, 5500U.
- 16GB DDR4 RAM & 256GB PCIe SSD - Installed with DDR4 16GB RAM (1x16GB), the Nucbox M5 Ultra mini pc support expansion to 64GB RAM. Featured with 256GB M.2 2280 PCIe 3.0 SSD, support dual slot expansion to 4TB SSD. (Upgrades not included)
- DUAL NIC LAN 2.5G RJ45 - Fast Network Speeds: Enjoy up to 2500Mbps data transmission speed without worrying about lagging. Ideal for working, gaming, and surfing the internet. Great for Untangle, Pfsense or as a server office PC.
- Mini Desktop Computer with 4K Triple Screen Display - Nucbox M5 Ultra integrates AMD Radeon Graphics 8 Cores 2000 MHz GPU to deliver powerful graphics processing power to easily handle the demands of complex design software, 4K@60Hz UHD video editing, and playback. It can connect to 3 display screens simultaneously.
- Fast Internet WiFi 6E + BT5.2 Connection - GMKtec Mini PC with WiFi-6E Wireless, have 2.5G/5G/6G triple band, more faster and lower latency. Bluetooth 5.2 allowing you more quickly to connect other wireless devices (headset, mouse, keyboard, etc.) Interface features 2*USB3.2 ports, 2*USB2.0 ports, 1*HDMI 2.0 port(4K@60Hz), 1*USB-C port(PD/DP/DATA), 1*DP Port, 1*Audio 3.5mm (HP&MIC), 1*DC Power Port.
For arithmetic illustration only, a meter reading of 15 W sustained for a 30-day month equals 10.8 kWh; multiply 10.8 by your tariff. That example is not a claim that mini PCs typically draw 15 W. Electricity prices and actual device draw vary, and no single monthly electricity cost applies to every mini PC or location.
Include the purchase and ownership period
A fair local-hosting total also includes the mini PC purchase price, necessary accessories, and any maintenance or replacement assumptions over the period being compared. If the device is already owned, state that assumption: the incremental cost may then be different from the total cost of acquiring hardware for streaming.
How to compare the total cost fairly
Choose a comparison period, such as one year, and use the same stream workload and operating hours for both options.
Rank #3
- 【AMD Ryzen 3 5300U CPU: Outperforms N150 & 3500U】 BOSGAME E5 mini PC is powered by the TSMC 7nm FinFET architecture AMD Ryzen 3 5300U processor (4 Cores, 8 Threads, up to 3.8GHz boost, 6MB total cache). Compared to low-end Intel N150 or 3500U chips which only have 4 single threads and throttle under load, the 5300U delivers over 30% faster multi-core speed. Run 30+ browser tabs, large Excel sheets, and Zoom meetings simultaneously without system lag.
- 【8GB DDR4 RAM & 256GB NVMe SSD Storage】 Installed with high-speed 8GB DDR4 dual-channel memory and a fast 256GB M.2 2280 SSD, eliminating slow boot times and application loading delays. To accommodate growing data requirements, the upgradeable hardware design features dual SODIMM slots that allow you to expand memory up to 64GB RAM, ensuring smooth operation during heavy multitasking.
- 【High-Capacity Dual M.2 SSD Storage Expansion】 Never worry about running out of space for your business files. In addition to the pre-installed 256GB system drive, the motherboard houses an extra empty internal M.2 2280 NVMe PCIe 3.0 slot. This allows you to easily add a second solid-state drive for up to an additional 2TB of storage capacity (upgrades not included) without needing to remove or reinstall the original operating system.
- 【Radeon 6-Core Graphics & Triple 4K Displays】 Integrated with official AMD Radeon Graphics (6 Graphics Cores, 1500 MHz frequency) for casual gaming, photo editing, and crisp 4K media decoding. Featuring 1x HDMI 2.0 port, 1x DisplayPort, and 1x Full-Function Type-C port, the E5 outputs true 4K@60Hz resolution to three monitors at once. This multi-screen setup eliminates constant window-switching for traders, programmers, and office workers.
- 【Dual 2.5GbE LAN Ports for Advanced Networking】 Experience fast wired network transmission speeds up to 2500Mbps without lagging or buffering. The integration of dual 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet ports (powered by Realtek RTL8125 controller) makes this compact computer an exceptional hardware choice for tech enthusiasts. Easily configure it into software routers, hardware firewalls (pfSense, OpnSense), home NAS servers, or local homelabs.
| Cost or condition | AWS Lightsail | Mini PC |
|---|---|---|
| Recurring core cost | Applicable instance-plan charges over the period | Measured electricity use at your tariff |
| Data and connectivity | Check the regional transfer allowance and possible eligible outbound overage | Consider any incremental internet cost; upload capacity must sustain the stream |
| Upfront cost | No mini-PC purchase in this comparison; include any other setup costs you incur | Hardware purchase and accessories, amortized over the chosen ownership period |
| Reliability and upkeep | Cloud compute avoids dependence on the home PC and power, but you still manage the stream process and recovery | Depends on the PC, home power, broadband, router, and any backup power; include maintenance assumptions |
Use this framing:
- Lightsail total: applicable instance charges + any eligible transfer overage + other costs you choose to include.
- Mini-PC total: purchase price + electricity for the comparison period + incremental internet, backup-power, maintenance, and replacement costs you choose to include.
A numerical break-even is meaningful only after specifying the AWS region and plan, estimated transfer, tested stream settings, measured average wall watts, electricity tariff, hardware price, and ownership period. Without those inputs, a claim that one option is universally cheaper would be guesswork.
Check whether the machine and connection can sustain the stream
Cost only matters if the selected setup can encode and deliver the intended stream. YouTube’s official live encoder guidance lists RTMP/RTMPS ingestion, H.264, H.265/HEVC, and AV1; frame rates up to 60 fps; CBR bitrate encoding; and a recommended two-second keyframe interval, not exceeding four seconds. For H.264, its recommendations include 10 Mbps at 1080p/30 and 17 Mbps at 1080p/60. YouTube recommends RTMPS. These are encoder recommendations, not proof that a particular mini PC or Lightsail size can handle the workload.
Encoding needs vary with codec, resolution, frame rate, overlays, and whether encoding is hardware-accelerated. Test the actual stream configuration on the machine you plan to use; no specific mini-PC model or Lightsail plan is established here as capable of every workload.
Rank #4
- 12th Intel Alder Lake N95 Processor – The GMKtec G3 S Mini PC is powered by the 12th Gen Intel N95 processor with 4 cores, 4 threads, 6MB cache and a burst frequency up to 3.4GHz. Compared with N100/N5105/N5100/N5095, the N95 delivers up to 36% overall performance improvement. Perfect for routine tasks, office work, and home entertainment, this compact mini desktop is more convenient than traditional bulky PCs.
- 8GB RAM & 256GB SSD Storage – Pre-installed with 8GB DDR4 memory and a fast 256GB M.2 2242 SSD, the G3 S mini desktop offers quicker startup, smoother multitasking, and faster file transfers. Enjoy seamless performance whether you’re working on multiple applications, browsing, or streaming content.
- Rich Interfaces & Connectivity – The G3 S mini computer comes equipped with USB 3.2 (up to 10Gbps), dual HDMI 2.0 (4K@60Hz), and a 3.5mm audio jack. With support for WiFi 5, Bluetooth 5.0, and Gigabit Ethernet (RJ45 1000MbE), it connects easily with monitors, projectors, printers, office equipment, and other peripherals, making it versatile for both home and business use.
- Dual 4K Display Support – Featuring upgraded Intel UHD Graphics (up to 1000MHz), the G3 S supports 4K video playback and AV1 decoding for a smooth viewing experience. With dual HDMI outputs, you can connect two 4K@60Hz displays simultaneously, enabling efficient multitasking for work and entertainment.
- GMKTEC WARRANTY - GMKtec offers a 3-year limited warranty (1 year replacement + 2 years parts replacement) for each mini PC, starting from the date of the purchase effective on all sales starting Oct. 2026. All defects due to design and workmanship are covered. With a professional after sales team always ready to attend to your needs, you can simply relax and enjoy your mini PC
Leave upload headroom and test realistically
YouTube’s streaming tips say available upload bandwidth should exceed the stream bitrate and recommend leaving 20% headroom. Test with similar audio and movement, monitor stream health, and use a reliable network. A local setup additionally depends on home power, broadband, and router availability; backup power may be relevant where interruptions are likely. Moving compute to the cloud changes where the stream process runs, but does not eliminate the need to manage that process and its recovery.
Or let it run in the cloud
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Quick Recap
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