Intel Comet Lake processors in their different versions have a difficult time competing with AMD Ryzen processors. Not everything is brutal power, there are factors such as price, temperatures and consumption that are important. The Core i9-10980HK features Thermal Velocity Boost, a technology that allows 1 core to reach 5.3GHz. For this, a temperature condition must be given, so it is difficult to reach this temperature.
But it is not the only special feature of the Comet Lake-H processors and it is that they arrive with a difficult to understand TDP. For us to understand, the TDP is the heat in watts that the processor can reach. We must not confuse temperature with consumption, even though the same value is used in both cases.
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Intel creates multiple TDPs for the Core i9-10980HK
The consumption in a normal working mode of the processor, according to Intel, is equal to the TDP of the processor, called PL1. Under PL1 the Core i9-10980HK has a 45W TDP adjustable as needed to a 65W TDP.
If the processor requires computing power, the frequency is raised using the Boost mode. Within this point, the PL2 limit is passed, which becomes 1.25 times PL1. Additionally, the parameter 'tau' is added, which is nothing more than the time that PL2 can be held.
Notably, the Core i9-10980HK is marked with a 135W TDP with a base of 107 for 56 seconds ('tau' time). And is that this parameter is the maximum that this unlocked processor can support. Manufacturers are left to modify the firmware for parameters PL1, PL2 and tau, among others. It allows manufacturers to adjust these values in order to adjust the temperature to the maximum.
Intel under Thermal Velocity Boost allows a 200MHz frequency boost for temperatures below 65ºC. If we are between 65ºC and 85ºC, 100MHz of additional frequency is allowed. A feature optimized for single-wire tasks, not applicable in all cases.
But the rest of Comet Lake-H has a 'tau' of just 28 seconds for regular PL1 and PL2. Leaving everything to adjustments of the notebook assemblers, who can modify it according to the cooling system. Come on, it will be adjusted downwards in most laptops to improve the autonomy of the system. Possibly there is a profile for when the laptop pulls the battery or when the charger is connected.
Source: G3D
