This is a peak value, but still impressive
As you can see, for the Core models with an unlocked multiplier, Intel set the TDP to 125 W, and for the rest of the usual models – 65 W. At the same time, of course, Intel’s TDP has long been little to say. If we turn to the Intel site, we will find out that now TDP indicates the average value of performance in watts when the processor power dissipates (when working at the base frequency, when all the cores are engaged) under the difficult load determined by Intel. It is important for us that this value is when the processor operates at the base frequency with all active cores. That is, in reality, under load, power consumption can significantly exceed the TDP value.
How much? These data often pass us by, but now we can evaluate them. The source obtained official data on Intel models with an unlocked multiplier.
Intel Core i9 PowerAs you can see, we are dealing with three indicators: TDP, PL1 (these indicators are equal) and PL2. PL1 – this indicates the effective stable expected power consumption, and Intel recommends setting it equal to TDP. The second is peak maximum consumption achieved over short periods of time. As you can see, for Core i9-10900K the value of PL2 is 250 W, for Core i7-10700K – 229 W, for Core i5-10600K – 182 W. The latter is especially impressive when you consider that even with the Core i9-9900KS it was much smaller.
Time in seconds is just that “short period” for which energy consumption can increase to the indicated values. That is, at the peak under load, the new Intel flagship can consume 250 watts for about a minute in a row. Of course, these are peak values, but with a certain long-term load, the actual power consumption of the Core i9-10900K may well exceed 200 W, which should be considered before buying this CPU.
