Often abbreviated as TDP, this metric defines the thermal envelope for a processor or component. It tells system builders the maximum continuous wattage the chip will reject as heat when running real-world applications. While not strictly the absolute peak power draw, exceeding the cooling solution's capacity for this value causes the chip to throttle its clock speeds to prevent physical damage.
The new server rack is going to need better airflow because these CPUs have a thermal design power of 250 watts each.
TDP is a thermal metric, not an electrical one. A chip with a 65W TDP might briefly draw significantly more than 65 watts of electrical power during boost spikes.
Also heard as
- TDP
Related terms
CPU
The central processing unit is the primary logic chip that executes instructions and coordinates system operations.
TIM
A time interval meter, an instrument used to measure the precise time elapsed between two events.
Clock speed
The operating frequency of a processor or digital chip, determining how fast it executes instructions.