Looking to update my PC

[KeyboardDemon]

Why do people continue to confuse TDP with actual power consumption?? They're two different things.

I find TDP quite confusing, the way I understand it is that it is a measure of thermal output while power consumption is a measure of power used, the heat is an unfortunate and unwanted by-product, efficiency improvements are about reducing the power input without losing performance (but preferably gaining performance) all at a lower heat output.

I don't know if it would be fair to say that they come across as two side of the same coin? But I think I see why people might confuse the two, and maybe I've been guilty of doing that myself.

[DanceswithUnix]

I find TDP quite confusing, the way I understand it is that it is a measure of thermal output while power consumption is a measure of power used, the heat is an unfortunate and unwanted by-product, efficiency improvements are about reducing the power input without losing performance (but preferably gaining performance) all at a lower heat output.

I don't know if it would be fair to say that they come across as two side of the same coin? But I think I see why people might confuse the two, and maybe I've been guilty of doing that myself.

No it is simpler than that.

Power consumption is what the thing actually uses. That power almost entirely comes out as heat (the fan may make some trivial sound energy).

TDP is the recommended size of heatsink you put on it. Nothing more, it is a totally at the whim of the manufacturer made up number.

[KeyboardDemon]

No it is simpler than that.

Power consumption is what the thing actually uses. That power almost entirely comes out as heat (the fan may make some trivial sound energy).

TDP is the recommended size of heatsink you put on it. Nothing more, it is a totally at the whim of the manufacturer made up number.

Yeah, but I like to over-complicate stuff, clearly!

[DanceswithUnix]

Yeah, but I like to over-complicate stuff, clearly!

lol, well you wouldn't be the only one

I think part of the problem is that both values are expressed in Watts. But seeing a 50W power consumption next to a 88W TDP, they are as valid to compare as 2 litres of car engine capacity to 1 litre of Volvic. In some ways worse, there is no standard for creating a TDP, so that value is basically meaningless outside of heatsink guidance where even there it is taken with a large pinch of salt.