Gaming & Entertainment Hardware worked example

Burn-In Load with burn-in connected load of 45 kW: a worked example

What does the result look like when burn-in connected load reaches 45 kW? The full calculation is worked below with real intermediate numbers. Use it when gaming PCs, arcade boards, displays, power supplies, VR modules, headsets, controllers, or AV devices run under load for reliability screening.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Burn-in connected load: 45 kW (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 18)
  • Burn-in runtime per cycle: 24 hr (unchanged)
  • Blended electricity rate: 0.14 $ / kWh (unchanged)
  • Units completed through burn-in: 480 units (unchanged)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Total burn-in energy cost = burn-in connected load × burn-in runtime × blended electricity rate) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 1,080 kWh for burn-in energy used, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 151 $ for total burn-in energy cost.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 0.32 $ / piece for burn-in energy cost per unit.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 6.3 $ / hr for hourly burn-in energy cost.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where burn-in connected load sits at 18 kW and the headline result is 432 kWh, this scenario comes in 150% above the baseline at 1,080 kWh.
  • A figure at this level is achievable when burn-in connected load is genuinely sustained, not just peaked for a shift. It models steady connected load only — it ignores ramp/soak transients, HVAC and chamber-cooling overhead, and demand charges, so true facility cost is usually higher.

Results at a glance

  • Burn-in energy used: 1,080 kWh (headline result)
  • Total burn-in energy cost: 151 $
  • Burn-in energy cost per unit: 0.32 $ / piece
  • Hourly burn-in energy cost: 6.3 $ / hr

Run it with your numbers

  • Every input above is editable in the live Burn-In Load calculator, which recalculates instantly and can be shared with the inputs intact.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.