[aidenn0]

I have a 65W TDP CPU, and the difference in power draw (measured at the outlet) from idle to full CPU load is over 100W; it seems to just raise the clock until it hist 95C, so if I limit the CPU fan's top speed, the power draw goes down.

[db48x]

Yep. Modern CPUs continually adjust their clock multiplier based on what their temperature is doing, plus a few timers. If you have a better cooler then you’ll get more performance out of the same CPU, but at the cost of drawing more power and producing more heat.