Why is my cpu at 95watts instead of 65watts?

[dman777]

i have an and phenom II X3 705e cpu. it is rated at 65watts, but when i use amd overdrive to look at my system it shows each cpu at 95watts idle. why isn't it at 65watts idle?

 

[warmon6]

Hmm... this is stange. i cant seam to find this cpu on amd. What Ghz does you cpu have?

 

[dman777]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103683

 

[warmon6]

Nvm. finally found although it not where it should be. anyways i still cant figure out what the deal with that. Im guessing you haven't overclocked it yet.

 

[Gulli]

If you didn't overclock it, it shouldn't exceed 65 watts, even under load (I believe AMD really means TDP to be the maximum power draw under full load, Intel is less strict.)

I think you just can't trust a piece of software when it comes to voltages and wattages.

 

[warmon6]

Hmm...... maybe the program has a bug and needs to be updated/reinstalled.

Second thing i can guess is maybe it reading what the socket can put into the cpu and not whats it's giving.

I will ask this question. What the temp of the cores at idle?

 

[warmon6]

If you didn't overclock it, it shouldn't exceed 65 watts, even under load (I believe AMD really means TDP to be the maximum power draw under full load, Intel is less strict.)

I think you just can't trust a piece of software when it comes to voltages and wattages.

Or what he said.

 

[dman777]

 

[Gulli]

With those voltages and temps and what are clearly stock speeds, there's no way it's munching 95W, AMD Overdrive is contradicting itself.

 

[Kari]

thats 0.95Volts not Watts

 

[Scotteq]

OP - You're referring to 65 watt TDP?


TDP means "Thermal Design Power" and refers to the amount of heat energy the processor is rated to withstand and therefore also what computer's cooling system will need to dissipate under maximum load. While the amount of electricity consumed is clearly a factor, "TDP" is no direct measurement of power used.

 

[TechnologyCoordinator]

thats 0.95Volts not Watts

This.

 

[Gulli]

OP - You're referring to 65 watt TDP?


TDP means "Thermal Design Power" and refers to the amount of heat energy the processor is rated to withstand and therefore also what computer's cooling system will need to dissipate under maximum load. While the amount of electricity consumed is clearly a factor, "TDP" is no direct measurement of power used.

Once the current has bridged a potential difference (the voltage) no more energy (voltage times current) will be consumed, the energy that has been consumed has been turned into heat, radiation, mechanical energy or stored in a storage parallel to the potential difference. In a CPU energy is only converted into heat (and a small amount of EM-radiation, but that will also manifest itself as heat once it reaches the heatsink.)
So, in short, it is possible that more power (energy/time) than the TDP flows through a CPU, but only a portion of that power is consumed (the TDP, or less.)

Example: you can make a 20V series circuit loop of 10 2V bridges and pump 10A through this loop (the loop could be: wall socket --> 10 computer components --> wall socket), than every bridge (computer component) will consume 20W of power, even though the first nine bridges will have more than 20W flowing through them.

 

[cjl]

Example: you can make a 20V series circuit loop of 10 2V bridges and pump 10A through this loop (the loop could be: wall socket --> 10 computer components --> wall socket), than every bridge (computer component) will consume 20W of power, even though the first nine bridges will have more than 20W flowing through them.

This is a somewhat misleading example. The statement that the first 9 components will have "more than 20W flowing through them" is pretty much dead wrong. What will be flowing through them is current. The power is determined by the current and the potential difference (there isn't any such thing as an absolute voltage, honestly - all voltages are relative). The voltage drop across any component in your example is 2V, so the power dissipated is 2V*10A, or 20W. There isn't any more power available early in the loop - the relevant issue as far as the components are concerned is simply the voltage drop across any component, regardless of position in the loop.

 

[Gulli]

This is a somewhat misleading example. The statement that the first 9 components will have "more than 20W flowing through them" is pretty much dead wrong. What will be flowing through them is current. The power is determined by the current and the potential difference (there isn't any such thing as an absolute voltage, honestly - all voltages are relative). The voltage drop across any component in your example is 2V, so the power dissipated is 2V*10A, or 20W. There isn't any more power available early in the loop - the relevant issue as far as the components are concerned is simply the voltage drop across any component, regardless of position in the loop.

Yeah, you're right, bad example (I always get current and power mixed up), what I meant to say was that a system of multiple power consuming components must consume more power than any one of its components, the CPU uses only part of the power running through the computer because it does not represent the complete potential difference across the system and since a CPU only converts energy into heat (and a tiny bit of radiation) its heat dissipation is therefore equal to its power consumption, which was the point I was trying to prove, contrary to Scotteq idea that power can be consumed by a CPU, without heat production (which is impossible.)

Hope that clears it out a bit...

 

[Scotteq]

which was the point I was trying to prove, contrary to Scotteq idea that power can be consumed by a CPU, without heat production (which is impossible.)

You misread me, sir: The spec "TDP" ('Thermal Design Power) represents the manufacturer's rating for the amount of heat the Processor is rated to withstand and also therefore what cooling system of the computer needs to be able to dissipate under load. As your example so ably shows: Actual power consumption is diferent, since only a portion gets turned into heat.

In a simpler sentence: If a Processor has a TDP of 95 watts, that does *not* mean it pulls 95W of power. TDP means heat generated under load... And, yes, I would agree with someone who took the position that Joules would be more clear.

So anyways, thank you for confirming my post.

 

[Gulli]

You misread me, sir: The spec "TDP" ('Thermal Design Power) represents the manufacturer's rating for the amount of heat the Processor is rated to withstand and also therefore what cooling system of the computer needs to be able to dissipate under load. As your example so ably shows: Actual power consumption is diferent, since only a portion gets turned into heat.

In a simpler sentence: If a Processor has a TDP of 95 watts, that does *not* mean it pulls 95W of power. TDP means heat generated under load... And, yes, I would agree with someone who took the position that Joules would be more clear.

So anyways, thank you for confirming my post.

No, everything gets turned into heat (the radiation is negligible), because a CPU doesn't store energy, nor does it convert electrical energy into mechanical energy.
If we were talking about a car engine you would have been right, but a CPU is different.