We have been fine-tuning some open-weights models here recently and noticed that our GPU temperature in Celsius and the power consumption hover around the same number: 80 (Celsius / Watts)
We know that 80 degrees Celsius is painfully hot to the touch, yet not boiling. But is 80W power consumption a lot? So we decided to look into the power consumption of other household appliances and compare.
| Appliance | Estimated Power (Watts) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Vinyl record player (turntable) | ~ 3-10 W | Typical motor + electronics. |
| E-reader (e.g., Kindle reading) | ~ 5 W | Low consumption e-ink device. |
| Phone charger (e.g., iPhone 17 Pro) | ~ 5-20 W | While charging; drops when full. |
| LED light bulb (equiv. to 60 W incandescent) | ~ 10 W | Efficient lighting. |
| Standby/idle small electronics (clock radio, modem) | ~ 10-20 W | Misc small loads. |
| Starlink Mini dish | ~ 20-40 W | Active network equipment. |
| Incandescent light bulb (~60 W) | ~ 60 W | Classic lighting. |
| Laptop (e.g., MacBook Pro) watching YouTube | ~ 30-80 W | Depends on screen brightness & workload. |
| Desktop computer / gaming PC | ~ 100-300 W | Typical mid-range consumption. |
| Modern large living room TV | ~ 100 W | Reasonable estimate for many newer TVs. (EnergySage) |
| Ceiling fan / large TV + soundbar etc | ~ 150-200 W | Combined or larger displays. |
| Refrigerator (running) | ~ 300-800 W | Varies widely by size, age, cycle. (EnergySage) |
| Clothes washer (active) | ~ 350-500 W | Motor + water pump etc. (Solar Energy DC) |
| Toaster (toasting bread) | ~ 800-1500 W | Heating elements draw a lot. (Electrical Safety First) |
| Microwave popcorn / microwave oven | ~ 900-1200 W | Typical microwave power. (EnergySage) |
| Small space heater | ~ 1000-1500 W | High draw for resistance heating. (Cornhusker Power) |
| Dishwasher (running cycle) | ~ 1200-2400 W | Especially during heating/drying stages. (Solar Energy DC) |
| Clothes dryer (electric) | ~ 1800-5000 W | Large load when heating. (Solar Energy DC) |
| Electric oven / range (high use) | ~ 2000-5000 W | Especially when baking/self-cleaning. (EnergySage) |
| Electric vehicle charger (Level 2 home) | ~ 7200 W (7.2 kW) | Charging at full rate. (EnergySage) |
| High-performance AI workstation (e.g., DGX Spark while training) | ~ >1000 W (could be several kW) | Heavy compute loads can draw large power — treat as high tier. |