The AI Footprint ← All 134 models

How much energy does DeepSeek-R1 use?

DeepSeek · released 2025-01-20

Complex prompt
63.9 Wh
≈ 118 m of driving
Everyday chat
2.74 Wh
Capability
71.7
Energy rank
121 of 134

What this figure is

Calculated  Calculated from a published parameter count. Every model on this site is calculated the same way, so the comparison holds even where the absolute value carries uncertainty. Our figures are good to roughly a factor of two to three, which is why we only ever state a difference of 5× or more.

Is there a better choice?

A lighter model that does the job
OpenAI · capability 93.3. It is more capable than DeepSeek-R1 and uses about 8.1× less energy per answer: 7.94 Wh against 63.9 Wh.

What DeepSeek publishes

Energy cannot be worked out without knowing how big a model is. Of the 11 models from DeepSeek that we track, 10 can be assessed at all — the rest publish too little for anyone outside the company to calculate anything.

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Figure calculated 2026-09-01 · how these numbers are made · the full comparison of 134 models