Context: Cookies have transitioned from simple data fragments to essential components in digital interactions, playing a significant role in shaping user experiences and privacy. Regulatory frameworks like GDPR and CCPA have emphasized the importance of explicit user consent for cookie settings, making privacy decisions an integral part of the online experience. Objectives: The study aims to investigate the impact of user privacy-related decisions on cookie consent configurations, particularly how different settings affect system resource usage and user experience. The research seeks to provide insights into the behavior of cookies under varying consent scenarios to benefit developers and users alike. Methods: We developed cookie preference configuration sets representing distinct user privacy profiles as identified in literature. An experiment was designed to collect reliable data on the impact of these configurations on system resources. Our methodology involved 1,500 measurements, analyzing 15 websites utilizing the five most common Consent Management Platforms (CMP) for cookie functionalities. Data collection focused on CPU and RAM usage, mass storage drive content, loaded cookies, and JavaScript scripts. Results: The findings revealed notable differences in system resource consumption across various cookie consent configurations. These variations highlighted how consent settings influence the behavior of cookies and the associated impact on CPU, RAM, and storage usage. Conclusion: This study underscores the significant effects of cookie consent settings on system resource utilization. By understanding these impacts, developers can optimize CMP implementations, and users can make informed privacy decisions. These insights contribute to enhancing user experience and fostering a better understanding of cookies’ role in digital interactions.