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There is no reliable universal winner. One review measured a Raspberry Pi 5 at 5.7–6.8 W at the wall while Chromium played YouTube fullscreen at Full HD using H.264, but the available evidence does not include a comparable used-laptop measurement. To find out which costs less in your setup, measure both devices during similar playback and apply your local electricity rate.
What the Raspberry Pi 5 measurement tells you
In a 2023 test, CNX Software measured a Raspberry Pi 5 drawing 5.7–6.8 W at the wall while Chromium played a YouTube video fullscreen at Full HD using H.264/AVC1. The tested setup included an active cooler. This is a useful real-world reference, not a guaranteed figure for every Pi 5: playback settings, peripherals, cooling, power supply and other setup details can change the result. Read the CNX Software Raspberry Pi 5 review.
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Do not substitute the Pi 5’s peak power for its playback draw. Raspberry Pi says consumption can reach around 12 W under particularly intensive workloads; that is a peak-load figure, not an ordinary YouTube-streaming estimate. Likewise, the recommended 27 W USB-C supply describes the supply’s capacity, not continuous power consumption by the Pi. Raspberry Pi’s announcement discusses peak consumption, and its getting-started documentation covers power-supply guidance.
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A laptop’s draw depends on its model, configuration and what is running. No comparable measurement is established here for a used laptop playing YouTube, so comparing the Pi review’s measured watts with an assumed laptop figure would be guesswork. The result also depends on what you count: a laptop’s built-in screen is part of its whole-system draw, while a Pi connected to an external monitor may require a separately powered display.
#1 Best Overall
- Includes Raspberry Pi 5 with 2.4Ghz 64-bit quad-core CPU (8GB RAM)
- Includes 128GB Micro SD Card pre-loaded with 64-bit Raspberry Pi OS, USB MicroSD Card Reader
- CanaKit Turbine Black Case for the Raspberry Pi 5
- CanaKit Low Noise Bearing System Fan
- Mega Heat Sink - Black Anodized
For a fair answer, compare the complete setups you would actually use, and keep the playback conditions as alike as practical. Report device-only and whole-viewing-system figures separately if, for example, one setup includes a monitor and the other does not.
Measure both setups fairly
- Choose a representative playback period. Play a YouTube playlist for long enough to capture normal operation rather than a brief startup. Use a plug-in watt meter at the wall so the reading includes the power adapter’s losses.
- Match playback conditions. Use the same video or playlist, resolution, browser where practical, volume, network conditions and approximate test duration. Note differences you cannot match, such as the Pi review’s H.264 playback test or whether a display is included.
- Measure the full setup consistently. Include the display, adapter and peripherals in both readings—or exclude them from both. If the Pi uses an external monitor, measure its power too when assessing total viewing cost. A display’s consumption can make a device-only comparison misleading.
- Record average watts and your tariff. Use the meter’s average wattage over the playback interval, not the number printed on a power supply. Find your local electricity price per kilowatt-hour from your bill or provider.
- Calculate cost for the hours you expect to stream. Use the formulas below. They estimate electricity only; compare purchase and setup costs separately.
Calculate playlist electricity cost
Let W be the measured average watts, H the playback hours, and R your local tariff in currency units per kWh:
Rank #2
- Includes Raspberry Pi 5 16GB with 2.4Ghz 64-bit quad-core CPU (16GB RAM)
- Includes 128GB Micro SD Card pre-loaded with 64-bit Raspberry Pi OS, USB MicroSD Card Reader
- CanaKit Turbine Black Case for the Raspberry Pi 5
- CanaKit Low Noise Bearing System Fan
- Mega Heat Sink - Black Anodized
- Energy: W × H ÷ 1,000 = kWh.
- Electricity cost: W × H ÷ 1,000 × R.
- Laptop-minus-Pi cost difference: (laptop watts − Pi watts) × H ÷ 1,000 × R.
A positive difference means the laptop uses more electricity for those measured conditions and hours; a negative difference means the Pi does. For example, the calculation can use CNX Software’s measured 5.7–6.8 W only as a reference range for that review setup. For your decision, put your own meter readings into the formula. No local tariff or matched laptop reading is established here, so a universal monthly bill or payback period cannot be calculated.
Include hardware and setup costs separately
Electricity is only one part of the total cost. If you already own a usable laptop, its purchase cost may be zero for this decision, though it still has electricity and wear-related costs. A Pi setup requires the board and storage, a suitable power supply, a display connection and possibly cooling; an external monitor may add both an up-front cost and ongoing electricity use.
Rank #3
- CanaKit Raspberry Pi 5 Essentials Starter Kit
- Raspberry Pi recommends a 27 W USB-C supply for Pi 5. This is supply capacity, not the board’s expected draw while streaming.
- Raspberry Pi documentation says a 5 V, 3 A supply limits downstream USB current to 600 mA.
- A display typically needs its own power source; the documentation lists a micro-HDMI-to-HDMI cable as an option for connecting to a standard HDMI monitor.
Estimate payback only after you have the actual hardware prices, measured wattage difference, expected hours of use and local tariff. Without those inputs, a claim that one option pays for itself in a particular period is not supportable.
For a YouTube channel that must stay live
If by “streaming” you mean keeping a YouTube channel live with prerecorded videos, rather than watching a playlist, a laptop or Pi is only one way to keep a local device running. StreamNeo is a cloud service for keeping a YouTube channel live from uploaded videos: upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. Its one flat price per slot covers any uploaded quality up to 4K 60fps; it runs from the cloud, can recover automatically if YouTube drops the stream, and the first day is free without a card. Learn more at StreamNeo.
Rank #4
- All-in-One Complete Kit: This SANOOV RPi 5 bundle comes with Raspberry Pi 5 4GB RAM single board, active cooler, durable ABS case and screwdriver. No extra parts needed, ready to use right out of the box for beginners and hobbyists
- Powerful Single Board Computer: Equipped with 4GB RAM and high-performance processor, delivers fast running speed for 4K playback, AI projects, programming and daily computing tasks. SANOOV for raspberry pi 5 4GB is equipped with broadcom 64 quad-core Arm Cortex A76 processor with gigabit ethernet and upgraded with IEEE 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0 dual-band 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz and Power Over Ethernet (POE). Upgrading delivers 2-3 x speed vs Pi 4, redefining the experience
- Efficient Active Cooler: Effectively lowers operating temperature and prevents performance throttling. Runs quietly even under long-time heavy load, ensures stable operation all day long. SANOOV RPi 5 4GB kit offer an active cooler, which combines an aluminium heatsink with a high-performance PWM fan. Active cooler is fully compatible with the Pi OS, which can effectively reduce the temperature of RPi5 and ensure its good performance during long-term high load operation
- Sturdy ABS Protective Case: Well-fitted for Raspberry Pi 5 board, can be secured with 4 screws to effectively protect the Pi 5 motherboard from damage, reserves full access to all ports and buttons. SANOOV uses ABS material to produce the case, which has a softer texture and feel. Meanwhile, SANOOV case adopts a layered design for easy disassembly and installation. (Tip: The Case cannot install M.2 HAT Add on Board and Solid State Drive!)
- Wide Application & Full Compatibility: Seamlessly compatible with official OS and mainstream peripheral accessories for Raspberry Pi 5. Whether you are a beginner, student, electronics hobbyist or professional developer, this all-in-one kit meets your diverse needs. It excels in IoT projects, robotics design, retro gaming devices, home media servers and other DIY creations. Backed by a large global community, you can easily find guides, technical support and shared projects online
For a DIY setup, the electricity comparison above still applies: measure the complete device and display at the wall, then calculate using your actual hours and tariff. Cloud service charges and hardware purchase costs are separate from home electricity costs, so compare them against the job you need done rather than treating watts alone as the total cost.
Or let it run in the cloud
- Upload your recording or build a playlist.
- Add your YouTube stream key once.
- Go live; StreamNeo loops the uploaded video from the cloud.
- Nothing has to stay on at home.
- Uploaded quality streams as made, up to 4K 60fps, at one price per slot.
- Automatic recovery is included if YouTube drops the stream.
- The first day is free with no card required.
Monthly: $9.99 per month. Start your free day with StreamNeo.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- 【What you Get】You will get 1*Pi 5 8GB Single Board,1*RasTech Case,1*Active Cooler,1*Screwdriver,1*Installation instructions,12-month free warranty, lifetime service, 24-hour prompt and friendly response.
- 【More Connectors】There are two USB 3.0 ports(5Gbps simultaneously) and two USB 2.0 ports, which triple total bandwidth ,support any combination of up to two cameras or displays. Peak SD card performance is doubled through support for the SDR104 high-speed mode. It provides a smooth desktop experience for you. Offer Gigabit Ethernet and a PCIe interface, along with dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0/BLE wireless capability. The RasTech Pi 5 Kit use the new 27W 5.1V 5A USB-C power connector.
- 【 Support Dual 4Kp60 Display 】Each of the two microHDMI sockets can control a 4K display at 60 Hertz, now support HDR, offering super HD video for media streaming projects. RPi 5 is the first RPi model that comes with a PCI Express port (PCIe 2.0 x1 with 500 MB/s) to attach SSDs (requires separate M.2 HAT).
- 【 Excellent Chips And Applications】Pi 5 is a full-size Pi computer using silicon built in-house at Pi. The RP1 “southbridge” provides the bulk of the I/O capabilities for Pi 5. Pi 5 is more friendly and convenient in the development of Internet of Things, Web development, machine identification, automatic control and other electronic equipment applications and network.
- 【 Faster CPU, Better GPU 】 Pi 5 features a Broadcom BCM2712 64-bit quad-core Arm Cortex-A76 processor running at 2.4GHz, it delivers a 2–3× increase in CPU performance relative to RaspberryPi 4. The 800MHz VideoCore VII GPU is compatible to OpenGL ES 3.1 and Vulkan 1.2, substantial uplift in graphics performance. Pi 5 Offers lightning-fast CPU speed, a PCI Express interface, a Real Time Clock (RTC) and a power button and runs significantly cooler than Pi 4.
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