TDP (Thermal Design Power)
pcTDP (Thermal Design Power) is the maximum amount of heat a computer component can produce that its cooling system is designed to dissipate under workload.
expanded
TDP, or Thermal Design Power, specifies the average power (in watts) a processor or computer component is expected to dissipate when operating at its base frequency. It is a critical design parameter for building cooling solutions to maintain safe operating temperatures. Accurate TDP ratings help ensure cooling systems are appropriately sized, which is vital for system stability and efficiency in real-world applications.
examples
The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X CPU is rated with a TDP of 105 watts.
This TDP value guides system builders in selecting appropriate cooling solutions to maintain optimal thermal performance during heavy workloads, such as gaming or computational tasks.
The Intel Core i9-11900K processor has a TDP of 125 watts.
This TDP is a key factor when assembling high-performance PCs, ensuring the cooling system is sufficient to sustain peak performance without overheating.