Check the power consumption of the CPU in watts.
Check the power consumption of the CPU in watts.
Your CPU's power consumption is based on its maximum rating, not current usage. A 65W TDP means it can safely draw up to that amount under ideal conditions, but in real life it varies. If it's running at 5% utilization, it's drawing around 3.25W, not 100W. The actual draw depends on workload and system load.
For precise wattage details on your CPU, you can use this tool: https://www.cpuid.com/softwares/hwmonitor.html
TDP indicates the maximum heat a CPU produces, not its power consumption. A 65W TDP CPU can handle up to 120W under load. It doesn’t always draw 100W; idle usage is typically 20-30W, and with a low-power profile it might only use 10W. The exact power depends on the workload.
Perhaps it isn't as precise as the readings you get by connecting wires and checking. I believe they likely recorded a video when Nvidia introduced their testing tools. Alternatively, it could mean the CPU uses around 33 watts, with other values indicating its minimum and maximum performance.
The processor frequently switches cores on and off or lowers their speed when they aren't needed or usage is low. This results in fluctuating power use, ranging from 5 to 10 watts during light tasks like typing in Word or browsing this forum, up to over 100 watts when performing heavy CPU work. The TDP indicates the amount of heat the cooling system must manage—65 watts means the heatsink and fan need to handle that much heat. For brief spikes, the processor may increase power consumption because it takes time for the heatsink to warm up and maintain efficiency. If the cooler can't keep pace, it might lower some core speeds or even shut down certain cores to conserve energy and reduce heat output.