AMD Clarifies ACP, TDP Enigma

Vikingod · Dec 11, 2007, 02:57 PM

Source: DailyTech
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Two whitepapers published by AMD raise questions about its new thermal rating; an inconsistency AMD justifies with margin calculations

AMD's Average CPU Power rating scale underwent its first test of scrutiny yesterday when two nearly-identical whitepapers discussing ACP caught the attention of DailyTech and other technology forums.

The inconsistencies between these two whitepapers included a table where the Thermal Design Power of AMD's new quad-core Opterons increased, without an increase in the Average CPU Power rating.

Several processor architectures ago, AMD and rival Intel used the same methods for calculating Thermal Design Power with regard to microprocessors. From an engineering standpoint, the TDP represents the amount of power the cooling mechanism for the CPU must dissipate before failure.

Dec 11, 2007, 02:57 PM	#1
Vikingod Int'l Fish Liaison Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: By the light of lamp I sit and type... Posts: 16,197 Rep Power: 112 System Specs	AMD Clarifies ACP, TDP Enigma Source: DailyTech ___________ Two whitepapers published by AMD raise questions about its new thermal rating; an inconsistency AMD justifies with margin calculations AMD's Average CPU Power rating scale underwent its first test of scrutiny yesterday when two nearly-identical whitepapers discussing ACP caught the attention of DailyTech and other technology forums. The inconsistencies between these two whitepapers included a table where the Thermal Design Power of AMD's new quad-core Opterons increased, without an increase in the Average CPU Power rating. Several processor architectures ago, AMD and rival Intel used the same methods for calculating Thermal Design Power with regard to microprocessors. From an engineering standpoint, the TDP represents the amount of power the cooling mechanism for the CPU must dissipate before failure.