There is no single monthly price: Google Cloud Compute Engine cost depends on the VM, region, disk and data transfer, while a mini PC’s electricity cost depends on its measured power draw and your local electricity rate. Compare both over the same runtime, then account separately for hardware, internet service, reliability and whether the machine can sustain your chosen stream settings.
Start with a fair monthly comparison
Use 730 hours as a normalized month (about 30.4 days), not as the length of every calendar month. Keep recurring operating costs separate from one-time hardware costs, and identify what the estimate includes.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
| Cost or factor | Google Cloud Compute Engine | Mini PC |
|---|---|---|
| Core recurring cost | Selected VM hourly price × 730 hours, using the chosen region and machine type. Google lists machine-family prices in USD and notes that rates vary by region. Google Cloud Compute Engine pricing | Measured average wall power in watts ÷ 1,000 × 730 hours × your local electricity price per kWh. |
| Other costs to identify | Persistent disk, network egress and any other billable resources applicable to the configuration. | Hardware purchase, internet service and any other costs not included in the electricity calculation. |
| Important uncertainty | A low VM price alone does not establish that the VM can encode your particular stream workload. | There is no established generic wattage for a mini PC continuously encoding a YouTube stream; measure the exact setup. |
Google describes its E2 series as cost-optimized general-purpose machines, but that description does not guarantee that a particular small VM can handle your stream’s encoding workload. Check the current regional rate and the machine’s suitability before treating compute cost as an all-in figure. E2 machine documentation
Calculate the Compute Engine cost
- Choose the configuration. Record the region, machine type and operating system, if relevant. A machine-family label is not enough to calculate the price or prove encoding capacity.
- Calculate compute. Multiply the current hourly VM price for that region and configuration by 730. This is compute only.
- Add applicable resources. Include persistent disk, expected outbound network transfer and any other services your configuration uses. Check the current pricing for each item; cloud prices and billing details can change.
- State the scope. Show compute separately from the total estimate, and say whether disk, egress and other resources are included. Include a hardware or network cost only if your estimate actually covers it.
Without a specified VM, region and resource configuration, a concrete monthly cloud total would be misleading. Use Google’s current Compute Engine pricing page for the inputs rather than assuming a price applies worldwide.
#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.
Calculate the mini PC’s electricity cost
- Measure the whole setup at the wall. Use a plug-in electricity meter while the PC is running the intended encoder and stream settings. Measure over a representative period, rather than relying on a model’s advertised maximum or idle power.
- Convert watts to energy. Divide average watts by 1,000 and multiply by 730 hours to get kWh for the normalized month.
- Apply your local rate. Multiply monthly kWh by your electricity price per kWh.
- Keep ownership costs visible. List the PC purchase separately from recurring electricity. If you amortize the purchase, state the assumed period; do not present it as an electricity charge. Keep internet service separate too.
For arithmetic illustration only, 10 W sustained for 730 hours equals 7.3 kWh; 20 W equals 14.6 kWh. These are hypothetical inputs, not typical mini-PC measurements. Actual consumption depends on the specific hardware, encoder, stream settings and workload.
Check that either option can handle the stream
Match encoder capacity to YouTube’s ingest settings
YouTube documents RTMP/RTMPS ingest and encoder options including H.264, H.265 (HEVC) and AV1. Its live encoder guidance includes frame rates up to 60 fps and recommends constant bitrate. The recommended bitrate depends on codec, resolution and frame rate; for H.264, YouTube lists 5 Mbps for 1080p at 30 fps and 6 Mbps for 1080p at 60 fps. Check the current YouTube Live encoder settings for the profile you plan to use.
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.
The host sends the configured ingest stream; it does not need to create every playback rendition for viewers. YouTube says: “YouTube will automatically transcode your live stream to create many different output formats so that all of your viewers across many devices and networks can watch.” That does not remove the need for the VM or mini PC to encode and deliver your chosen input reliably.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Verify upload bandwidth and network stability
Test the upload connection used by the host and leave capacity above the stream bitrate. YouTube recommends 20% upload-bandwidth headroom and warns that network interruptions can break a stream. A low-cost VM or low-power PC will not compensate for insufficient or unreliable upload capacity. See YouTube’s streaming tips.
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.
Compare more than the monthly bill
- Capability: Can the selected VM or mini PC sustain the exact codec, resolution, frame rate and bitrate? Verify with the intended configuration; the lowest compute price does not prove capacity.
- Recurring versus one-time cost: Compare cloud compute and other recurring cloud resources with measured electricity, then show PC purchase cost separately or state an explicit amortization assumption.
- Power and network: A mini PC depends on local power and an internet connection; a cloud VM depends on the relevant cloud services and network path. Treat reliability as specific to the setup rather than assigning an unsupported numeric advantage.
- Operations: Account for the monitoring and maintenance required to keep the encoder and stream running. Compare the actual recovery and restart process for each configuration.
Or let it run in the cloud
If your goal is an always-on YouTube channel rather than managing a VM or keeping a PC running, StreamNeo runs uploaded videos or playlists from the cloud. Upload your recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. No computer, OBS or home connection has to stay on. It automatically recovers if YouTube drops the stream.
Every slot streams your upload as made, up to 4K 60fps, at one flat price per slot with no re-encode or quality tiers. Each slot includes 10 GB of storage, pooled across active slots, 24/7 looping and playlists, and support from the StreamNeo team. The first day is free with no card (one free day per account); billing is available by day, week, month, six months or year, with cancellation any time. UPI and cards are accepted in India; card checkout is available worldwide. For five or more slots, contact support. See StreamNeo for details and current pricing.
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
Monthly: $9.99 per month. Start the free first day at StreamNeo registration.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
