Very often, in the parameters of processors and video cards on the websites of online stores, a value called TDP is displayed. It can also be referred to as "Energy Consumption" or "Heat Dissipation".

In this article we will tell you what this parameter means and how it can be used when building a computer system.

What is TDP?

The abbreviation stands for thermal design power.

This parameter shows the value in watts for which the cooling system is calculated for a specific device. In simpler terms, this is the approximate amount of energy consumed at maximum load and, as a consequence, maximum heat dissipation.

Most modern desktop processors have a TDP of less than 95 watts. The same applies to video cards.

An example of specifying TDP for a processor in an online store

But there are still quite a lot of Phenom processors from AMD from 2009, which have a TDP of 140 watts!

Example 140 wadded processor

Why Know and Specify TDP?

This option is useful for computer assembly and planning. Since the higher the TDP of the processor and video card, the more power you need a power supply.

It is also important to know the maximum heat dissipation when choosing a cooler for a processor, since TDP (maximum power dissipation) is indicated for them as well.

Power dissipation specified in the CPU cooler parameters. Ideally, there should be at least the TDP of the processor on which it will be installed

conclusions

TDP is a value, usually indicated in watts, and displays the theoretically maximum possible power consumption of a device and, as a consequence, its maximum heat dissipation. It helps to correctly calculate the power of the power supply and choose the right cooling system.

Appliance. For example, if the processor cooling system is rated for a TDP of 30W, it should be able to dissipate 30W of heat under some given "normal conditions".

TDP shows no maximum theoretical heat dissipation of the processor, but only the requirements for the performance of the cooling system.

TDP is designed for certain "normal" conditions that can sometimes be violated. For example, in the event of a fan breakdown or improper cooling of the case itself. At the same time, modern processors either give a signal to turn off the computer, or go into the so-called throttling mode (eng. throttling) when the processor skips some of the cycles.

Different chip manufacturers calculate TDP differently, so the value cannot be directly used to compare processor power consumption. The point is that different processors have extreme temperatures. If for some processors the critical temperature is 100 ° С, then for others it can be only 60 ° С. To cool the second, a more efficient cooling system is required, because the higher the temperature of the radiator, the more actively it dissipates heat. In other words, with a constant processor power, when using cooling systems of different capacities, only the resulting temperature of the crystal will differ. It is never safe to say that a processor with a TDP of 100W draws more power than a processor from another manufacturer with a TDP of 5W. A bit strange, but TDP is often declared for a crystal that unites a whole family of processors, without considering the clock frequency of the processor, while the younger models usually consume less power and dissipate less heat than the older ones.

Also, some experts interpret this term as "thermal design package" - the design of a device based on the thermal analysis of the structure.

Intel processor classification

• X - TDP over 75 W
• E - TDP up to 45 W
• T - TDP up to 35 W
• P - TDP up to 25W
• L - TDP up to 17 W
• U - TDP up to 10 W
• SP - TDP up to 25W
• SL - TDP up to 17W
• SU - TDP up to 10 W

• non-index models - TDP 95 W
• K - TDP 95<Вт для 4-ядерных моделей (индекс “K” отображает наличие у процессора разблокированного множителя)
• S - TDP 65W for 4-core models
• T - TDP 45W for 4-core models, 35W for 2-core models

AMD processor classification

• E - TDP up to 45W
• U - TDP up to 25W

ACP

With the release of the Barcelona-based Opteron 3G processors, AMD introduced a new energy specification called ACP ( Average CPU Power, "Average power consumption") of new processors under load.

AMD will also continue to indicate the maximum power consumption level - TDP.

Notes (edit)

Literature

• See Power and thermal management in the Intel® Core ™ Duo processor in Intel® Centrino® Duo Mobile Technology (Volume 10 Issue 02 Published May 15, 2006 ISSN 1535-864X DOI: 10.1535 / itj.1002.03) .)

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

See what "TDP" is in other dictionaries:

TDP- can mean: * Telugu Desam Party, a regional political party in India * the dreamscapes project, eccentric folkcore quintet from Washington D.C. area * Thermal depolymerization, a process for converting biomass into oil * Thermal Design Power, a ... ... Wikipedia

TDP- steht für: Telugu Desam Party, eine indische Partei Thermal Design Power, die typische Verlustleistung elektronischer Bauteile Thiamindiphosphat, ein Phosphatester des Thiamins Time Diffusion Synchronization Protocol, ein…… Deutsch Wikipedia

TDP- Trade and Development Program Short Dictionary of (mostly American) Legal Terms and Abbreviations ... Law dictionary

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Tdp- Mit Thermal Design Power (Abkürzung: TDP, gelegentlich auch falsch: Thermal Design Point) wird in der Elektronikindustrie ein typischer Wert für die Verlustleistung eines Prozessors oder anderer elektronischer Bauteile bezeichnet, auf derenia… ... Deutsch

Quite often, technical periodicals mention such characteristics of processors as TDP, crystal temperature, maximum power dissipation, etc. However, the general public is not sufficiently informed about what each term means and how to interpret it; or other results and, accordingly, erroneous conclusions. The article discusses the issues of heat dissipation using the example of Intel processors, as well as some features of the next generation CPUs.

As you know, every entity has two extremes. With regard to microprocessors, these are performance and power consumption, and the first parameter is familiar to us better, since the most attention is paid to it in the press, and the average PC user is much less aware of the second. This knowledge is divided into two parts - empirical and theoretical, while the latter most often boil down to acquaintance with the mysterious abbreviation TDP (Thermal Design Point or Thermal Design Power) and the corresponding unit of measurement - watt. The term TDP does not have an established Russian equivalent; it can be translated as "thermal design capacity" of the processor. The term TDP is most often used to characterize the thermal (thermal) performance of a microprocessor (its "hotness": the less, the better), and all other things being equal, a processor with a low TDP is preferred. In addition, this indicator serves another purpose - consumer intimidation. They say that this processor dissipates "a lot of watts", so its use in home or office conditions is impossible.

As will be seen below, everything is determined not by the magnitude of this power, but by how efficiently we can dissipate it. A PC user receives an empirical assessment "by ear" - the computer makes noise (which is most often associated with the processor cooling system), or visually - through the BIOS or using software supplied by the motherboard manufacturer. Unfortunately, reviewers usually do not pay due attention to these characteristics, namely: not just mentioning the temperature values ​​in certain places on the board, but their correct interpretation. For example, if a PC user observes a processor temperature of 100 ° C in the utility readings, there is no need to despair - in fact, it is much lower. At such a high temperature, the processor simply could not function, since in case of overheating, which is this value, the CPU will simply stop. This means that such a temperature cannot be reached even theoretically.

Actually, the main purpose of the proposed material is to clarify what is hidden under the mentioned characteristics and how they should be correctly understood and used. All of the following discussion applies solely to Intel microprocessors.

Introduction to Process Physics

First of all, let us recall some of the principles of power supply of microprocessors and the basics of thermodynamics in order to give an idea of ​​the range of problems solved by the manufacturer.

The Intel microprocessor is powered by a Voltage Regulator Down (VRD) source, known to many as a voltage converter. It converts the 12 V voltage to the one required to power the processor - about 1.5 V or less (Vcc - CPU Voltage Core, processor core voltage). In this case, the supply voltage on the 12 V bus with a current of 16 A (192 W) is converted, as indicated on the power supply, into a supply voltage of 1.5 V, but with a current of 100 A (these figures are given solely to simplify mathematical calculations). In such a situation, of course, a part of the power is lost (in our case, for example, 42 W), since the converter has an efficiency of less than 100%. The total current of 100 A is fed to the processor through several hundred pins - in the technical documentation, you may be surprised to find that most of the pins of the LGA775 socket are used for powering the processor and grounding.

The value of this part of the power is quite high. A processor with a core frequency of 3 GHz dissipates less than a CPU with a frequency of 3.4 GHz, but both of them fall under a TDP of 95 W! We will talk about the TDP parameter itself a little below, the main thing for now is to understand that the maximum power dissipated by the processor is not the same as the TDP parameter.

The power leaving the processor is converted into heat, which must be transferred to another place to equalize the thermal balance. If the possibility of removing this heat from the processor was not provided, then the temperature of the CPU would rise rapidly and it would be out of order. Therefore, the heat generated by the processor (its crystal) must be taken away from the microcircuit and spent on an absolutely useless thing - heating the air in the room. For this, the Fan Heatsink Solution, or active cooling system, was invented. The modern design is shown in the figure (the fan is not shown there). The heat generated by the processor crystal (in the figure - dark green) is removed from it in the following order: first it passes through the heat-conducting material of the microcircuit, then falls on the metal cover of the distributor (the main purpose of which is not mechanical protection of the crystal, as many believe, but even distribution of heat dissipated by the microprocessor crystal). After that, it moves to the so-called heat-conducting material, which is applied to the sole of the heatsink and has different crystalline phases depending on the temperature (therefore, never try to remove the heat sink from the processor without first turning on the PC for 10-15 minutes, otherwise you can simply pull out the processor from the socket , especially when using Socket 478). Further, the heat enters the radiator and, with the help of a fan blowing, goes outside the structure.

Let us remind you once again that the main task of this design is to remove heat from the microprocessor and disperse it in the surrounding space. On this path, certain difficulties await us, and the main one is related to ensuring the thermal efficiency of the device. It is a "layer cake", each layer of which can both help and harm. Any material has its own characteristic of thermal resistance or, in the terminology of Intel - thermal efficiency (in the documentation for the processor - parameter Ψ). This means that it will heat up, and as a result, the heat can return to the processor crystal. Thermal resistance is measured in ° C / W (the lower the better) and shows that when a thermal power of 1 W passes through the material, the temperature of the material will rise by this amount. For example, when one watt of thermal power passes through the radiator material with the parameter Ψ = 0.3 ° C / W, its temperature will increase by 0.3 ° C, at 100 W of thermal power, the heating will already be 30 ° C. Adding an ambient temperature of 40 ° C to this value, we get as much as 70 ° C without much effort! And this means that sooner or later the processor will also heat up, which is exactly what we want to avoid, or at least minimize.

The author tried to assess the quality of thermal pastes common on the domestic market - it does not stand up to criticism. In all cases, their use led to the fact that the fan speed of the processor heatsink was 200-300 rpm higher than for the heat-conducting material from Intel. The reason for this is the high thermal resistance value. Of course, Intel does not produce such material for its "boxed" products on its own, but when choosing a supplier, a thorough analysis is carried out in terms of price / performance ratio. The materials with the best characteristics are expensive, and the same is true for radiators. It can be made entirely of copper and with a huge scattering surface area, but it will come out heavy, cumbersome and expensive. You can use an additional fan, the air flow from which will "blow off" heat from the surface of the radiator - cheap but noisy. There are also other exotic methods - for example, water cooling, cryogenic installations. They are more efficient, but they are unlikely to get into mass production due to their high price and low reliability.

Therefore, Intel uses a number of technical solutions that ultimately provide an optimal balance. Finding the optimal cooling solution is always a trade-off between cost, efficiency and reliability. The total thermal index of heat dissipation is the sum of the thermal resistances of each of the elements of our "pie" that are encountered along the path of movement of thermal power. And each element can significantly affect the final integral characteristic of the thermal efficiency of the heat sink.

More about TDP

TDP is a value used to calculate the thermal efficiency of a cooling system. The widespread belief that TDP determines the maximum power dissipation of an Intel processor is fundamentally wrong.

How is TDP used? The input data for calculating the thermal efficiency of the cooling system (and as a result of the development of its design) are the TDP value and the maximum operating temperature of the crystal T case max. It is measured at the point T case (see Fig.) - the geometric center on the surface of the heat spreader cover (note: T case is not the temperature of the crystal, as it is mistakenly believed). As an example, consider the TDP value of 95W, which is used today for calculating cooling systems in approximately 90% of Intel desktop processors. Tcasemax for them is approximately 70 ° C (the exact value can be found in the SSpec database at support.intel.com by the SL-code, which is present on the microcircuit label and on the processor carton). The formula for calculating thermal efficiency (thermal resistance) will look like this:

T case max = T ambiеnt + TDP × Ψ,

where T ambiеnt is the "ambient" temperature,

Ψ = (T case max - T ambiеnt) / TDP = (70 - 38) / 95 = 0.34 C / W.

Ultimately, we have to design a cooling system with such thermal efficiency. And here begins the struggle between "good" (thermal efficiency) and "evil" (economy).

Let's imagine that we have developed such a system, now it needs to be tested. To do this, you will have to damage the surface of the heat spreader cover. A groove is made in it, into which one thermocouple is laid. The other is placed on the surface of the fan motor (in Fig. T ambient). With the first thermocouple, we measure the temperature of the crystal, and the second, the ambient temperature. We begin to gradually load the processor and see how our cooling system works. Upon reaching the threshold of 95 W, the temperature at the measuring point should not exceed 70 ° C. The specified power can be dissipated by only a few models out of 90% that fit "under the umbrella" of 95 W, the rest will never reach this value. For example, in the line of Intel Pentium 6x1 processors, all models dissipate up to 86 W, that is, hypothetically, it can be assumed that only starting with a core frequency of 3.8-4 GHz, this barrier will be overcome.

So, if during our measurements the temperature at this point exceeds T case max = 70 ° C, something is wrong here. For example, we applied cheap thermal paste to the sole of the heatsink. The question arises, how much can the maximum dissipation of an Intel processor at a TDP of 95 watts. In principle, the top-end model of the family is capable of dissipating a little more, but this is only achievable by running a special Intel utility (it is not available to the general public), the task of which is to make all the transistors on the processor work. This is almost impossible to achieve with commercial software.

Now let's move on to the question of whether it is possible to use sensor readings from the BIOS or specialized software to assess the efficiency of the cooling system. To do this, you need to understand what temperature the user sees in the BIOS settings or the motherboard software. The fact is that there are two thermal sensors on the crystal itself. We will temporarily forget about one, the TCC control sensor. The second one (in Fig. T diode) is a thermal diode, in which the anode and cathode are brought out to two contact pads of the processor in the LGA4 package (for the LGA775 socket). There are several models for using this sensor. For example, the board contains a so-called current comparator and an ADC circuit that converts the difference between the currents of the reference and a specific sensor into a digital value and informs the user of this value through the BIOS or specialized software from the board manufacturer, having previously converted this value into temperature according to the existing template, which may be wrong. That is, when reading the number 12, which should correspond to a temperature of 40 ° C, we translate it into 47 ° C, or, even worse, we counted from the sensor instead of 12 the number 16, which corresponds to 70 ° C.

Thus, we see the so-called crystal temperature ... which has already been measured once, but in a different place and in a different way. This is where the largest number of problems are hidden, here are a few of them. First, the sensor shows the temperature at a specific place on the crystal, and if it is 100 ° C at this point, this does not mean that the entire crystal has the same temperature. Its value displayed on the monitor screen largely determines the application software used. Namely: at 90% CPU load while playing DOOM, it will be 70 ° C, and at the same 90% load in Photoshop - 55 ° C. Those. the temperature at this point depends on which nearby CPU blocks are most actively used.

Secondly, the conversion circuit on the board may not be calibrated (most often the calibration correction is done through the BIOS) or simply fail, and the specialized software of the motherboard may be mistakenly programmed to the wrong pattern of values. For these reasons, Intel strongly discourages using the values ​​of this sensor (in the BIOS or board software) to perform thermal validation work on assembled PCs. As an example, we examined the performance and thermal characteristics of an Intel Pentium Extreme Edition 955 processor on an Intel D975XBX motherboard. After taking a large number of temperature measurements with this (not recommended) sensor and getting higher values, the reviewer concluded that the maximum power dissipation of this CPU is 200W, and not 130, as Intel claims.

Employees of one of the popular English-language Web-resources faced a similar situation. When they saw that the sensor showed abnormal temperatures of 100 ° C or more, they turned to Intel, and after an unsuccessful attempt to solve the problem through updating the BIOS (most often this eliminates the abnormal readings), they had to replace the board. In addition, the overclocking experience of this processor (with an unlocked multiplier) suggests that with a standard cooling system the Pentium Extreme Edition 955 can be overclocked to 4.2 GHz without modulating the core frequency (more on that later). And it's worth reminding again that 130 W is the design characteristic of the cooling system, not the processor. In other words, this was a confirmation of the manufacturer's recommendation not to use these values ​​to assess the efficiency of cooling systems.

The question arises: why such a sensor, where can it be used? Its main purpose today is to control the fan speed of the cooling system for the LGA775. The same circuit reads the readings of this sensor and, using the fourth wire of the cooling fan (connected to the motherboard), using PWM modulation, controls the fan speed. This scheme differs significantly from the one used in the Socket 478 cooling system, where the fan was controlled by a temperature sensor located above the engine, under the fan cover with Intel marking. With such a scheme, it was necessary to take into account the inertia of the cooling system, and therefore the fan worked at a significantly higher speed than necessary, which means that the noise was higher. The processor temperature could rise sharply (point T diode), but we would feel it only after a long time - the temperature sensor, which is designed to immediately respond to all changes, is at the T ambient point. So I had to turn the fan at 2000, not 1500 rpm.

On the LGA775, the T diode temperature control system instantly reacts to temperature increases and increases the speed. As in the previous case, the board manufacturer may make a mistake in programming the control system and overclock the fan when it is not necessary. This problem with uncalibrated sensors or erroneous programming will be eliminated in the next generation of the Broadwater family of chipsets (i965), where the temperature sensing and fan speed control circuit is part of the system logic. In addition, the sensor (s) on the Conroe processor will become digital (the digital sensor circuit is already running on the Intel Core Duo and is called DTS).

As an interim result, we note the following. The TDP of a processor is used as a starting point when calculating the thermal efficiency of a cooling system for this CPU. The use of a temperature sensor (T diode) for the fan speed control circuit is today one of the most progressive mechanisms for reducing the noise level of a PC, at least in terms of the processor cooling system. However, the readings from this sensor should not be used as an accurate estimate of the thermal efficiency of the processor cooling system and the thermal performance of the system.

CPU overheating behavior

Let's take a separate look at how an Intel processor behaves when the cooling system cannot cope with heat dissipation. This is managed by the second sensor on the CPU, which is completely autonomous and there is no access to it (in the figure it is T prochot). All threshold values ​​for it are "sewn up" at the factory at the manufacturing stage. There are two of them - T prochot and T thermtrip. When the sensor reaches the first value, modulation of the processor core frequency starts. There are two schemes - TM2 and TM1. Most of the time, the board manufacturer decides which one to use, but Intel recommends using TM2 whenever possible. In this case, the processor multiplier changes to 12 (2.4 GHz for new samples) or 14 (2.8 GHz for old ones), and then the core voltage decreases. When the temperature is normalized, the CPU returns to the nominal operating point in the reverse order. When the supply voltage is changed, the processor is available and running, while when the multiplier is changed, it becomes unavailable for 5 or 10 μs (depending on the model).

According to the TM1 scheme, the core frequency is modulated - from 3 ms, the core is idle for 1.5 ms and works for 1.5 ms. She also has the software ability to control the duty cycle. This scheme is used by utilities that reduce the noise of the cooling system. It is clear that you have to pay for this with performance, miracles do not happen. The purpose of both schemes is simple: if the processor overheats, it must be slowed down, allowing it to cool down, which is better than stopping work immediately - you can at least save the files. As soon as the processor has cooled down and the sensor “senses” this, the TCC (Thermal Control Circuitry) circuit is disabled. Of course, a small hysteresis has been added to avoid constant mode switching.

For TM2 and TM1, their inclusion is manifested in the form of a slowdown in the operation of the system. If this does not correct the situation, the sensor immediately turns on the THERMTRIP circuit, all internal processor units are stopped and a signal is generated, commanding the voltage converter (VRD) to stop supplying power to the CPU. The approximate value of the temperature at which this situation occurs is 90 ° C. More recently, it became possible to turn on the TM1 / TM2 circuits when the VRD overheats: the processor slows down and starts to consume less, and the VRD can take a break. On Pentium D, instead of the PROCHOT # signal line, FORCEPR # is used to activate the processor slowdown when the voltage converter overheats.

The presence of a separate sensor for the overheating circuitry introduces a new group of problems. We can see the temperature T diode = 100 ° C on the processor, and on the T prochot sensor it will only reach 70 ° C, that is, according to the readings of the first sensor, the processor should have stopped long ago, but it is functioning. And again, everything is determined by the software profile, which can influence the readings of these sensors in different ways. The most annoying thing about this protection scheme is that it is disabled by default, and the task of the motherboard BIOS is to enable it. (The forgetfulness of the BIOS designer or his mistake can be costly for the PC owner). The latest Conroe processors use the same sensors for both the fan speed control circuit and the CPU overheat control. This should eliminate the problem of misreading the sensor readings. This scheme is implemented in Intel Core Duo (Yonah) - already mentioned DTS. The summary is simple: the developers of the processor do everything to ensure that even if it overheats, it remains possible to continue working. Even in case of catastrophic overheating, you don't have to worry - the CPU itself and a properly designed motherboard with the correct BIOS will not allow itself to be burned out.

Further - better

In conclusion, let's touch on one of the most important questions: what is Intel doing to reduce power dissipation? There are two main ways. The first is to disable at the microarchitecture level those processor blocks that are not currently being used. This scheme is most actively used in mobile microprocessors. The second way is to make changes at the semiconductor material level. One of the main goals in the implementation of the 65 nm process technology was to reduce leakage currents, and this was achieved - their values ​​decreased hundreds of times. As a result, for example, we received dual-core microprocessors of 900 stepping C-1 models, which fit into a 95 W thermal package at frequencies up to 3.4 GHz inclusive.

Naturally, the story would be incomplete without an attempt to look into the near future. A desktop processor, codenamed Conroe, is expected in Q3 this year, which at launch will be the quintessential Intel innovation in energy efficient performance. Expected to be 40% faster (over Intel Pentium D 950) in SPECint_rate and an even higher gaming rating, while dissipating just 65W of thermal power, utilizing more advanced fan speed control and overheating control.

The presented material was deliberately simplified in a number of places, however, we hope, it has not lost its relevance. For more information on thermal specifications for Intel processors, visit support.intel.com in the following documents: Thermal and Mechanical Design Guide (TMDG), Thermal Design Guidelines, Processor Datasheet, VRD Design Guide.

The cooling system of the processor or other semiconductor device must be calculated. For example, if the processor cooling system is designed for a 30W heat sink requirement, it should be capable of 30W heat dissipation under normal conditions.

Heat Dissipation Requirements (TDP) does not show maximum theoretical heat dissipation of the processor, but only the minimum requirements for the performance of the cooling system under conditions of "complex load".

Heat dissipation requirements are based on certain “normal” conditions, which can sometimes be violated, for example, in the event of a fan failure or improper cooling of the case itself. At the same time, modern processors either give a signal to turn off the computer, or go into the so-called throttling mode, when the processor misses part of the cycles.

Different chip manufacturers calculate heat dissipation requirements differently, so the value cannot be directly used to compare processor power consumption. The point is that different processors have different temperature limits. If for some processors the critical temperature is 100 ° C, then for others it may be already 60 ° C. To cool the second, a more efficient cooling system is required, because the higher the temperature of the radiator, the faster it dissipates heat. In other words, with a constant processor power, when using cooling systems of different capacities, only the obtained temperature of the crystal will differ. It is never safe to say that a processor with a 100W heat sink requirement draws more power than a processor with a 5W requirement from another manufacturer. There is nothing strange that heat dissipation requirements are often stated for a whole family of microcircuits, without taking into account the clock frequency of their operation, for example, for a whole family of processors, in which younger models usually consume less power and dissipate less heat than older ones. In this case, the maximum value of the requirements for heat dissipation is declared, so that the hottest models of microcircuits are guaranteed to receive the necessary cooling.

Intel processor classification

• X - TDP over 95 W
• E - TDP up to 65W
• T - TDP up to 35 W
• P - TDP up to 25W
• L - TDP up to 17 W
• U - TDP up to 10 W
• SP - TDP up to 25W
• SL - TDP up to 17W
• SU - TDP up to 10 W

• non-index models - TDP 95W
• K - TDP<95 Вт для 4-ядерных моделей (индекс «K» отображает наличие у процессора разблокированного множителя)
• S - TDP 65W for 4-core models
• T - TDP 45W for 4-core models, 35W for 2-core models

AMD processor classification

• E - TDP up to 45 W
• U - TDP up to 25 W

Average CPU Power (ACP)

Literature

• The "Power and thermal management in the Intel® Core ™ Duo processor" section of the article

Reading time: 3 minutes

Many probably noticed such a parameter as TDP on processors, video cards. This parameter stands for thermal design power, and in Russian it refers to the requirement of a cooling system. Roughly speaking, if the TDP of the processor is 95 W, then the cooling system should at least remove 95 W of thermal energy. In the article we will analyze in detail what is the tdp of the processor, what it is for, how to find out.

What is TDP of a processor

What is TDP of a processor? As you know, all operations on the computer are performed by the processor. From such a load, it does not heat up badly and so that it does not burn out during operation, you need to install a cooling system, that is, in simple words, a cooler (fan with a radiator) that is attached to the processor. Coolers for each processor family are different, so just take any and install it won't work. Not only may the mount not fit, it may still not be able to cope with the heat generated by the processor, which will cause the processor to warm up and fail. And to understand what kind of cooler you need, just the same TDP parameter will help you.

Let's take a closer look at this parameter using the example of an Intel Core i5-7400 processor.

How to find out the tdp of the processor

It is quite easy to find out the tdp of the processor, that is, the heat dissipation during its operation. This parameter is written in every store. We went to the first store in the search and go to the characteristics. There we see the "Thermal characteristics" section, where the TDP parameter we need is located.

From the data obtained, we can conclude that the TDP of the Intel Core i5-7400 processor is 65W. Now you need to choose a cooler for this processor. If the processor outputs 65 watts of thermal energy, then the power dissipation of the cooler must be at least 65 watts.

When choosing a cooler, the first thing to pay attention to is the socket on the motherboard. A socket is where the processor is inserted. You can find out the socket in the same place as the TDP.

As you can see, our socket is 1151. Now it remains to find a cooler for socket 1151, with a dissipative power of at least 65 watts.

We find the cooler Cooler Master XDream i117, which has the following characteristics:

The socket and power dissipation are suitable, which means you can take such a cooler for this processor.

This parameter also serves for the correct selection of the power supply. After all, the power supply is selected on the basis of those components that will be installed. The higher the TDP value of the processor and video card, the more powerful the power supply should be.

Did you know that if the processor starts to warm up, it means that it is time to clean the system unit from dust and replace the thermal paste. If you're wondering how to apply thermal grease to your processor, we discussed it recently.