Are you going to send your processor to someone else via some delivery companies? Then you must know the weight of the CPU.
It’s because some delivery companies charge the shipping cost based on the product’s weight.
Here, I will first describe how much a processor weighs. Also, I will discuss how much an average PC and its hardware parts weigh for your convenience.
So, tag along.
Before you dive in, know if your CPU is going to survive if you drop it.
How Much Does the CPU Weigh on Average
The mass of every CPU is different from the other. On average, the CPU weighs around 2.1 ounces (59.5 grams). The weight can be low as 1 ounce (28.35 g) and high as 3 ounces (85.05 g). Intel Core i9-11900K processor weighs about 1.1 ounces (31.18 g).
The processor is very much lighter if you compare it to other PC components. You may not feel the weight that much when you take it in your hand. When I took my CPU in my hand, its weight felt the same as a chocolate chip cookie.
The manufacturer makes the processor as small & light as possible intentionally.
Since the CPU will always stay on the motherboard and other hardware components will be around it, manufacturers use smaller parts & advanced manufacturing processes to make it compact, small & light as much as possible. Because of that, the processor can fit into a small space of the motherboard.
Nonetheless, there is no reason to think that small and low-weight CPUs perform poorly.
In this area, manufacturers take good care of this situation. They design the processors in a way that they will be as lightweight as possible, and the CPU won’t lose its performance & reliability.
Apart from everything, want to know an interesting fact? Check out this awesome article on whether you can take a flight with your CPU.
How Much Do the PC and Components Weigh
The total weight of a computer entirely depends on the hardware components you have in your PC case. Generally, a PC weighs around 10 to 30 pounds (4.5 to 13.6 or 14 kg). It can be more if you have a massively powerful GPU and a high-end cooling fan in your computer.
A laptop computer weighs less than a desktop PC. Like a desktop, a laptop’s weight depends on the size, components, and materials used to make it.
For example, the Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch weighs around 3.02 lbs (1.37 kg). On the other hand, the Dell XPS 17 laptop has a larger screen and some powerful components. That’s why it weighs up to 5.53 pounds (2.51 kg).
Let’s see some PC components’ average weight, and you will know why a desktop computer is heavier.
Here is the average weight of the hardware components of the PC:
| Hardware Parts | Avg. Weight | Example |
|---|---|---|
| PC Tower or Casing | Around 20 pounds (9.07 kg) | Lian Li O11 Dynamic EVO (21.3 lbs or 9.7 kg). Corsair iCUE 7000X RGB (19.8 lbs or 8.98 kg) |
| Processor | Around 2.1 ounces (59.53 g) | AMD Ryzen 9 5950X (1.4 oz, or 39.7 or 40 g) |
| Hard Drive | For 3.5 inches, around 1.6 pounds (730 g). For 2.5 inches, around 0.3 pounds (115 g). | Seagate BarraCuda, 1 TB of 3.5-inch Desktop Hard Disk Drive, weighs approximately 0.88 lbs or 400 g. |
| Solid State Drive (SSD) | Around 2.5 oz (70.87 g) | SAMSUNG (MZ-V7E1T0BW) 970 EVO 1 TB SSD weighs around 1.76 ounces or 49.89 g |
| RAM | Around 4.5 ounce (127.57 g) | Corsair Vengeance LED 32 GB (2x16 GB) DDR4 RAM weighs 4 ounces or 113.4 g |
| Graphics Card | Around 3 pounds (1.36 kg) | The dimension, and weight of AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX are 287 x 123 x 51.5 mm, and 3.9 lbs (1.799 kg). The size and weight of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti are 242 x 112 x 38 mm and 2.27 pounds (1.031 kg). |
| Power Supply | Around 2.5 to 5 pounds (1.13 kg to 2.27 kg) | Cooler Master V850 weighs 3.68 pounds (1.36 kg). Corsair RM750x weighs 3.35 pounds (1.67 kg). |
| Motherboard | Around 2 to 3 pounds (0.9 to 1.4 kilograms) | MSI PRO Z690-A Wi-Fi DDR4 motherboard Weighs 3.3 pounds (1.5 kg) MSI B550-A PRO ProSeries Motherboard weighs 3.5 pounds (1.59 kg) |
As you can see from the chart, an average PC tower weighs close to 20 pounds. However, it can be heavier, depending on the manufacturer. For example, if you take the Obsidian Series™ 900D super tower, they weigh nearly 40 pounds (or 18.1 kg).
Moreover, if you are looking for a soundproof case, those weigh slightly more than the usual ones.
As for the hard drive, it weighs more or less 0.3 to 1.6 pounds.
Note: The heavier the hard disk is, the more storage space there will be.
The HDD has several essential components, such as platters, actuators, read & write arm, spindle, etc. Platters determine how much storage capacity a hard drive has in its system.
The SSD is another storage device you may have on your computer. It’s much lighter than the HDD. However, depending on the storage capacity, it can vary. But not that much.
Another lightest component of the PC is the RAM. The weight of this hardware may range between 1 and 4.5 ounces (28.3 – 127.5 grams).
Now, let’s talk about the heaviest components of the PC.
In that region, GPU comes first. There are several factors like fans, heavier material, and better quality responsible for the weight of the GPU. That’s why it feels heavier when you grab a powerful and expensive GPU in your hand.
Besides, modern GPUs like the RTX 4090 are way too heavy, weighing 4.8 pounds. Worse is that it barely fits in a regular ATX case.
Next comes the Power Supply Unit (PSU). You can see from the table above that it weighs around 2.5 to 5 pounds (1.13 kg to 2.27 kg). However, the quality and materials used in the production of PSU make the difference between light and heavy power supplies.
Modern motherboards are also marginally weightier than the old ones. Since it is the main base of a PC, it can be solid and heavy. Otherwise, it may crack or be damaged from the over workload.
So, if you calculate all the weight of the components, a budget-friendly regular desktop PC will weigh around 10 to 30 pounds.
Gaming PCs weigh more. They are often between 20 to 90 pounds.
It’s because a gaming computer has a strong processor, a high-end graphics card, large numbers of USB connections, cooling fans, and more to make that perfect for playing games.
The fun fact is that it’s all fair, as the CPU and the GPU are important components of a gaming computer. So a beefy video card adds way more weight.
All of these components combined make gaming computers heavier than normal ones. For example, the Alienware Aurora R10 weighs around 39.2 pounds.
Gaming laptops are also heavier than typical laptops. For example, the Dell G7 gaming laptop weighs a hefty 7.2 pounds due to its large size and robust components.
FAQs
Why are gaming PCs so heavy?
Gaming PCs are so heavy because some parts, like graphics cards and cooling fans, are inside the case. Those hardware components make the PC heavier.
Is gaming CPU or GPU heavy?
Yes, gaming GPUs are heavy, but the CPUs are not. Since most modern games are made of 2D & 3D graphics, rendering polygons, and have better mapping textures, a powerful & fast GPU is required. Powerful GPUs are usually heavier than regular GPUs.
Is the CPU made of metal?
The CPU is made of various metals such as silicon, aluminum, copper, etc. There are other metals like gold, platinum, and more you may find in the processor.
Final Thought
If you switch a lot, you should consider the weight of your desktop PC before you build a high-end one. Moving from one state to another with a heavy desktop computer is pretty uncomfortable.
By reading this article, I hope you know your processor’s mass, including the hardware parts.
Comment below if you have any additional queries. Peace!
