GameCube Power Consumption: Surprisingly Efficient at 35-55W Gameplay

Measured draw (original DOL-001 / DOL-101):

• Idle (menu): 10–15 W
• Gameplay (typical): 35–55 W
• Peak (loading, GPU heavy): up to 65 W
• Standby (orange LED): ~2–3 W

The external PSU (DOL-002) is rated 39 W / 12 V 3.25 A (early) or 46 W (later). Actual draw stays well under rating.

Context

• Wii (launch): ~18 W idle, ~45 W game
• Xbox (original): ~70–90 W
• PS2 Slim: ~30–40 W

GameCube is notably efficient—custom IBM PowerPC "Gekko" @ 485 MHz + ATI "Flipper" GPU on 180 nm process.