I finally built my pc everything is good and my cpu is at 48-51C idle/browsing internet. I have an okay heatsink a bit of an upgrade from stock and I installed a think layer of arctic silver 5 but still nothing. any suggestions? Specs: PSU: 430 watt CPU: core 2 duo E6600 Ram: 1gb
with a newely assembled PC, CPU overheating usually occours due to not properly putting the heat-paste/heat sink on the cpu. I once didn't seat the heatsink on a CPU and had it heating up to 90 c* and the PC restarting. When I seated the heatsink properly, it was working at like 29c*... so, I say - reassemble the mobo/cpu and see what happens. Remember - the heat-paste has to be a really thin layer because it can become a heat isolator and you don't wanna see that happen.
I second that, and let me clarify why. I think you may have applied too much paste. Thermal paste is there to fill any micro-gaps between the CPU heatspreader and the heatsink base. You only need a paper thin layer to do the job. Start globbing it on and it will act as an insulator. Like the above poster said, try removing the heatsink, cleaning it and the CPU off with isopropyl alcohol and then re-apply a new paper thin layer of thermal paste and then see what happens.
both of you were correct i took out the heatsink because i bought one today, and i saw a little build glob in the middle so i cleaned it out and installed the new heatsink and re-applied thermal paste (correct this time >.<) and now I'm at 26* idle. Thanks again
