3600x tdp question
3600x tdp question
TDP is unrelated to the cooler. You may switch the cooler, though it stays unchanged. Edited August 13, 2020 by nox_
The power consumption of the 3600x remains consistently at 95W, unless you lower the voltage.
The TDP serves as a design metric to manage cooling needs. Using components with power draw equal to or below the specified TDP ensures you receive at least baseline performance from the CPU. A superior cooler beyond the minimum can push higher or extend operation compared to the standard cooler. Keep in mind that TDP does not represent maximum power usage. On Zen 2 processors, CPUs with 65W TDP typically cap at around 88W (PPT) even when stocked. I don't have the figures for higher TDP models, but they generally exceed the stated TDP value.
TDP of a CPU and TDP of a cooler have no relation whatsoever. There's no industry standard for measuring TDP, so everyone does it differently. For AMD it's mostly a measure of power consumption while boosting (though it's still arbitrary) and for Intel, it's mostly a measure of running at the base clock (though it's still arbitrary). This is why you'll actually find AMD CPUs with higher TDPs than Intel CPUs running both cooler and with less power than those Intel CPUs. When it comes to cooler manufacturers, it's even more arbitrary, especially if they're selling a cooler for both Intel and AMD CPUs. In general, you just buy a cooler with a TDP higher than your chip, and that should be good enough. Mostly about AMD, but same principles apply to Intel.
There could be variations in how each manufacturer defines thermal design power, but I believe it’s not the main reason Intel CPUs can handle higher power without overheating. The key distinction lies in whether Intel restricts power when CPUs run at non-overclocked speeds. An infinite power allowance isn’t considered overclocking, whereas AMD imposes a power cap on Zen 2 chips—specifically 88W for those with 65W TDP. Running at stock settings means these limits apply, and bypassing them is seen as overclocking by AMD.
the dpd number is just marketing fluff, actually drawing around 95 watts means it's closer to 130 watts. those 95-watt dpds are similar to the higher end at about 130 watts. cooler ratings give a better idea of what power a cpu can use with that cooler, but this varies between different models.