Does 40C sound too hot for a 700e?

PIII 700e@ 875 @ 1.75v. Ambient = 26-27C, case temps around 28-30C. that is after 2-3 hours of online gaming. system is in signature. I am running 4 case fans. 1-120mm intake in front. 1-120 exhaust on side above HS fan. 1- 90 blowing in on vcard, chipset. 1-80 exhaust in back near connectors.

I applied AS with my finger the first time, could that be why its so hot? I got lots of wires running everywhere inside, as I have done some fan wiring projects to the case. turning both 120s off with bring chip temp up to about 43C. Any suggestions?

That doesn't sound too awful. My 850@1037 runs 40-42c running Prime95...BUT...only becuse ambient temps in my apt are higher than usual. I usually don't see temps above 38c...I'm also using a copper sink.

I've heard spreading HSF paste w/ your finger is a "No-No" because the oil from your skin actually acts as an insulator instead of a conductor.

A little hot, but I have overclocked these chips, and they tend to run hot so I wouldn't sweat 40C... I've seen 48C under full load and still stable with the P3 700.

Good cooling mods, but I've used the stock intel hsf and got similar results... it's definitely the chip.

thanks for the input fellas... I'm gonna try to reseat the HS and apply the AS right this time and see if it makes a difference.