Well, that depends... NMOS or CMOS version, not to mention which manufacturer and the clock rate that you're running the processor. It's best to consult the datasheet for the specific processor you have for power requirements. If you're looking to obtain a 6502, I would recommend the latest WDC W65C02S, which is generally less than 1ma of current per MHz of clock speed.

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Regards, KM
https://github.com/floobydust

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http://WilsonMinesCo.com/ lots of 6502 resources
The "second front page" is http://wilsonminesco.com/links.html .
What's an additional VIA among friends, anyhow?

Welcome!

Possibly you are asking about voltage, not about power dissipation. In which case, all 6502s can run with a 5V nominal supply, and CMOS 6502s may well be specified to run also at lower voltages. The currently available 65C02 from WDC can run with a 3.3V supply - maybe even lower. As always, consult the datasheets. I'm pretty sure the datasheet will also give estimates of power consumption, perhaps even at different speeds and supply voltages.

The Feb 2020 datasheet from WDC says:

Page 24 gives two important graphs: current vs voltage at 1MHz, and max frequency vs voltage.

If you're looking for an answer like 'will it need a heatsink' the answer is 'no'. If you're asking 'will it run from a coin cell battery' the answer is 'perhaps, if you're really careful about clock frequency.'

If you're asking if the original NMOS devices ran detectably warm at 2MHz, the answer is 'I think so, sometimes'.

Welcome, GeorgeStevens. As you can see, there are lots of folks willing to reply!

In order to assist you better it would be helpful if you explain why you're asking. For example, is there a project you have in mind?

-- Jeff

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In 1988 my 65C02 got six new registers and 44 new full-speed instructions!
https://laughtonelectronics.com/Arcana/ ... mmary.html