What is TDP, and why does everyone talk about it?

TDP is the wattage a handheld allots its chip — the master dial on both performance and battery. Raise it for more frames and less runtime; lower it for the reverse. It is why one PC handheld can be a two-hour powerhouse or a five-hour cruiser depending on the setting. The catch marketing exploits is peak versus sustained: a device may spike to a high TDP for seconds, then settle lower once heat builds. Every battery figure worth trusting is a band at a stated, sustained TDP — a number without one tells you nothing.