[hpcjoe]

I noticed the comments pointing out that TDP is a marketing number, and max power draw for this part can be higher. The cooling seems to have been inadequate.

A rule of thumb I use for cooling is, you can rarely have too much. You should over-engineer that aspect of your systems. That and the power supply.

I have a 7950x, with a water block capable of sinking up to 300W. Under heavy load, I hear the radiator fans spinning up, and I see the cpu temp hover around 90-93 C. That is ok, though cooler would be better. My next build (this one is 2 years old) will also use a water block, but with a higher flow rate, and a better radiator system. I like silent systems, though I don't like the magic smoke being released from components.