Does TDP Affect the Processor's Temperature?
As computer processors have increased in speed, they have required more elaborate and noisy cooling solutions to keep them within acceptable temperatures. If computer noise bothers you or you intend to build a computer in a small chassis with little room for cooling, it can be helpful to know which processors generate the most heat. Thermal Design Power can help you determine this.
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Thermal Design Power
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TDP is an indication of the cooling system the processor requires. Measured in watts, TDP indicates the amount of heat energy a cooling system must be able to dissipate to keep the processor from crashing under full load. Although TDP does not correlate directly with a processor's operating temperature, you can use it as a relative indicator of heat production; a processor with a TDP of 100 watts runs at higher temperatures than a processor with a TDP of 10 watts.
Cooling Units
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There are steps that you can take to lower the temperature of a hot processor. One of these is using a more efficient cooling unit than the one included with the processor. Cooling units designed for efficient operation typically feature copper, which is more expensive but a better conductor of heat than the aluminum usually used in basic cooling units. They may also feature large fans and pipes filled with phase-changing liquid. In addition to reducing the processor's operating temperature, these cooling units often operate at lower noise levels than basic cooling units.
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Thermal Compound
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If you are unable to budget the funds for an expensive cooling unit, you may experience a temperature drop by replacing your processor's thermal compound. Thermal compound contains particles of substances such as aluminum, ceramic and silver and fills the microscopic cracks between the processor and cooling unit. If your processor's thermal compound is dry and brittle or uses a poor heat conductor as its base, replacing it can help your current cooling unit function more efficiently. Of the materials typically used in thermal compounds, silver is the best conductor of heat.
Alternative Cooling
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Conventional cooling units use air to carry heat away from a processor, but in an environment that demands a combination of high performance and low noise, you may wish to consider an alternative such as liquid cooling. A liquid cooling system consists of sealed tubes that deliver water to a block placed over the processor. When water passes through the block, it absorbs heat. The water is then pumped to a radiator that dissipates the heat, allowing the cycle to begin again. A 2007 water cooling guide published by computer website Tom's Hardware noted that a liquid cooling system could reduce the load temperature of an Intel Core 2 Duo processor by as much as 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
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