At stock settings CPUs will boost depending on many factors. Once one of several different limits is hit the CPU will not boost as high, trying to find a steady state where it stays below Tjmax.
Note the following: the 9950x does not come with a stock cooler. AMD recommends water cooling for the 9950x. Transistor lifetime decreases exponentially with temperature.
I'd expect that a 9950x under sustained load paired with a "165W" cooler would not only not boost, but would throttle to below base clocks.
In the case of CPU cooling, I don't agree that relying on the CPU's thermal safety nets to continuously regulate the system to avoid damage is good practice. With additional cooling to ensure it never reaches Tjmax, this also will result in better CPU performance, a tangible benefit.
Had the author monitored his systems, he would have observed high temperature and throttling. Yes, in 2025 it's arguable that a CPU's safety net should be reliable wrt temperature, even if you run with no heatsink at all. I also agree that TDP specifications are unclear.
But the bottom line is that you should pay the extra $100 or so to cool your CPU properly. It will be faster and more reliable.
Please take care of your equipment; do not take it for granted.
At stock settings CPUs will boost depending on many factors. Once one of several different limits is hit the CPU will not boost as high, trying to find a steady state where it stays below Tjmax.
Note the following: the 9950x does not come with a stock cooler. AMD recommends water cooling for the 9950x. Transistor lifetime decreases exponentially with temperature.
I'd expect that a 9950x under sustained load paired with a "165W" cooler would not only not boost, but would throttle to below base clocks.
In the case of CPU cooling, I don't agree that relying on the CPU's thermal safety nets to continuously regulate the system to avoid damage is good practice. With additional cooling to ensure it never reaches Tjmax, this also will result in better CPU performance, a tangible benefit.
Had the author monitored his systems, he would have observed high temperature and throttling. Yes, in 2025 it's arguable that a CPU's safety net should be reliable wrt temperature, even if you run with no heatsink at all. I also agree that TDP specifications are unclear.
But the bottom line is that you should pay the extra $100 or so to cool your CPU properly. It will be faster and more reliable.
Please take care of your equipment; do not take it for granted.