How big impact does TDP have on system temps and noise?

[Ronin13]

Planning a new build (no OC) to replace my venerable Core 2 Duo system that's been happily chugging along with a TDP of 65W.

Within my budget, I've been looking at i3 4160 (54W) or i5 4460 (84W), but getting a more powerhungry CPU seems like a step back to me (and I'm not sure it'll be worth the 50% increase in cost).

I'm also considering an S model, like the i5 4690S (65W) - which would require some stretching of my budget.

Or maybe even wait for a Skylake i5 6500 (3.2 GHz / 65W) - anybody care to take a guess on the pricing on this?

Now the question is whether going from a 54 or 65W to a 84W CPU actually will make a difference (apart from your electricity bill)?

Basically, will the extra TDP have a noticeably averse impact on system temps and overall noise levels?

 

[Wall Street]

TDP is a maximum value and not an average. Intel has improved the idling characteristics of their processors substantially since the Core 2 generation, so as a result the newer chips all operate at a very low power when the PC isn't doing intensive calculations. As a result, the quad core i5 should really only use more power than your Core 2 Duo when you are running a thermal stress program on it such as Prime 95 or IntelBurnTest. In day to day use such as web browsing, watching movies or even playing games, the processor power consumption averages well below TDP. Additionally, heatpipes have advanced considerably since 2008. Get a nice cooler like the CM Hyper 212 Evo and everything will stay quiet and cool.

I would personally get a quad core, because it is 2015 and more and more games benefit from the extra cores. However, it is impossible to give advice for you unless we know more about your plans for use of the computer and your budget.

 

[videogames101]

It depends on the cooling solution, generally just get the highest TDP you can cool effectively. For a desktop, 84W is no problem to dissipate. Power bills will be nearly identical unless you're folding or something.

 

[Hi-Fi Man]

Remember TDP is not a direct measurement of power consumption. It is a measurement of thermal output.

That Core i5 probably uses about the same amount power if not less as that Core 2 at load (if it's a 65nm) and less at idle. Since the TDP is higher the i5 will output slightly more heat at load which might not be the case unless running AVX workloads.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

The Intel Power Gadget will tell you how much power your CPU is actually using.

Even at full load, I've never seen my "84w" TDP CPU go over 60w of power use.

 

[Insert_Nickname]

Or maybe even wait for a Skylake i5 6500 (3.2 GHz / 65W) - anybody care to take a guess on the pricing on this?

Unless you need something right now, at this point I'd wait a few more months and get a Skylake system. Especially if you're shooting for using it as long as your current system.

That Core i5 probably uses about the same amount power if not less as that Core 2 at load (if it's a 65nm) and less at idle. Since the TDP is higher the i5 will output slightly more heat at load which might not be the case unless running AVX workloads.

Don't forget newer CPUs have both memory controller and northbridge integrated in that TDP. That's a separate chip on a C2D system.

 

[SPBHM]

the power usage is affected by how you use it, (example a 84W TDP and 54W Haswell are probably going to use the same power while idling), noise is affected by the quality of your cooling system and also the thermal dissipation, but not just one or the other...

I don't think core i3 (54) to core i5 (84) makes to much of a difference in terms of noise using the Intel cooler in typical conditions

 

[Ronin13]

Thanks for your replies. It seems like a (non S) i5 is the way to go.

Unless you need something right now, at this point I'd wait a few more months and get a Skylake system. Especially if you're shooting for using it as long as your current system.

Yes, I would like to keep this system for quite some time. Besides the lower TDP for a similar clocked Skylake, a longer upgrade path and the extra connections offered by the new chipset, what reasons are there to wait?

 

[ShintaiDK]

Yes, I would like to keep this system for quite some time. Besides the lower TDP for a similar clocked Skylake, a longer upgrade path and the extra connections offered by the new chipset, what reasons are there to wait?

Updated platform overall.
2x DMI throughput to chipset.
New IGP (I dont know if you use a discrete card) with.
Faster CPU.
Faster memory (If DDR4).
You may get USB 3.1 C ports.

 

[AtenRa]

I would wait for Skylake

 

[frozentundra123456]

I would not worry about heat or power consumption with an i3 or lower end i5. The higher end quads can push the stock cooler, but I dont think the 4460 should be a problem.

As always, an idea of your budget and proposed usage would be very helpful. For the most efficient normal usage box, browsing, social apps, office, etc. an i3 would be a good choice. If you will be gaming or doing other cpu heavy apps, go with an i5.

Edit: You can wait for skylake. It should use less power and perhaps be a bit faster. The platform is more modern, but will require DDR4, which is coming down in price, but is still a bit more expensive than DDR3. And as Shintai said, if you are planning on using the igp, Skylake could be a significant improvement.

 

[MongGrel]

I would wait for Skylake

+1

 

[escrow4]

The 2015 Core 2's are the Haswell Celeron's (which I am using). You don't need anything else for a basic box unless you start doing CPU heavy work. If you are thinking of an i3 may as well jump to an i5 for those extra cores.

 

[Ronin13]

My usage is browsing and some light gaming. Mostly some of my old 2D games and occasionally some new'ish 3D games (Mass Effect, Fallout 3). I'll be using a discrete graphics card (either my current GTX 550Ti which has worked pretty well with my low res monitor which I won't be upgrading, or a new 750Ti).

Not many things offered by Skylake seems worth the wait for me. Also, it feels like my current 8 yo rig is on its last legs, so I'd rather not wait too long.

Stuff's a bit more expensive here than in the US, so a strict budget is hard to narrow down, but here are the parts I'm looking at to give you an idea:

Fractal Design R5 case
Coolermaster V550S PSU
ASUS Z97-AR motherboard
i5 4460 CPU
G.Skill DDR3 1600 1.25V 8GB kit
Crucial BX100 or Samsung 850 EVO 500 GB SSD
An ASUS or Samsung DVD burner
Maybe an ASUS DSX or a SB Z soundcard
Either my old EVGA GTX 550Ti or an EVGA 750Ti Super Clocked 2GB

and I think that's about it...

I don't doubt that an i3 could be enough for my current needs, but if I'm getting a GPU upgrade in a couple of years, I'm thinking the extra cost for an i5 will be worth it.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Re Skylake likely pricing:

The i5-4460 you are looking at is $190 at a well known US supplier. I see some prices for it as low as the high $170s.

It's 3.2 GHz.

I'd be surprised if the US price for the 3.2 GHZ Skylake i-5 6500 was above $200 on average.

Personally, I'd wait for Skylake. I am going to build soon and am waiting. You'll get on a new socket (1151) that may have more longevity than 1150. The required DDR4 RAM is somewhat more expensive right now, but has declined significantly in the last few months.

But if your budget is quite sensitive to a $50 or $75 US difference, do what you have to do.

 

[Compddd]

I have a similar question. Can higher GPU TDP make a CPU fan spin up more? I'm running a 4790k with a Noctua HSF. I used to have a regular GTX 980 and I would never hear the CPU fan spin up.

I recently switched to a GTX 980 Ti and now I can hear my CPU fan spin up when opening email, deleting lots of files, etc.

I'm scratching my head and don't know what would cause that? I haven't changed any BIOS settings or anything else except swapping in a new GPU.

Both the 980 and 980 Ti were blower coolers.

 

[Qwertilot]

If its putting more heat into the case (so making the CPU hotter), then sure
(Slightly surprised to seemingly see it happening with the GPU at 'idle'.).

 

[Insert_Nickname]

Updated platform overall.
2x DMI throughput to chipset.
New IGP (I dont know if you use a discrete card) with.
Faster CPU.
Faster memory (If DDR4).
You may get USB 3.1 C ports.

That about sums it up.

Fractal Design R5 case
Coolermaster V550S PSU
ASUS Z97-AR motherboard
i5 4460 CPU
G.Skill DDR3 1600 1.25V 8GB kit
Crucial BX100 or Samsung 850 EVO 500 GB SSD
An ASUS or Samsung DVD burner
Maybe an ASUS DSX or a SB Z soundcard
Either my old EVGA GTX 550Ti or an EVGA 750Ti Super Clocked 2GB

A couple of suggestions:

1) Loose the sound card. Get a mainboard with a Realtek ALC1150. Should be more then good enough for your needs. If you're really serious about audio quality, you should be looking at an external DAC.
2) If you wait for Skylake, the Gen9 IGP might be enough for older games, so you don't even need a discrete card. Unless you want to play newer titles. In which case you should be shooting for a GTX960 minimum.

 

[Ronin13]

Thanks for your suggestions guys, I'll take 'em under consideration.