P4EE 3.4GHZ runs at 49.5 idle

I built this system recently with overclocking it in mind, but the CPU's idle temp keeps me away from trying it. 50C idle is kinda high, isn't it? So here's the setup.

silenx 120mm CPU heatsink fan combo, with arctic silver 3.
case has a 120mm front intake, a 90mm side intake, and a 120mm rear exhaust.

room temp is at 20C.

could this be a sensor problem, or is there anything i can try to lower this oven? thank you all in advance.

Same board here, and mine idles at around 50C as well (Prescott). This is under water. I tend to not beleive my sensors, i don't think i could clock to 4.2 stable at those temps. You also might want to check contact with the HS, make sure it's applied correctly.

Abit boards are notorious for this, they always report about 10 C over actual. To help make sure you have flashed to the latest BIOS for you MB. The latest BIOS versions tend to help slightly with temp readings. If you have already done this then take Sucka's advice and give your HS mount a peek.

im not sure about 10c over, i have this board and a 3.4EE (galatin).

my idle is around 32 and load can go up to 50(max), xp-120 with panaflo 105cfm.

like they said, reseat chip and flash to latest bios. should be fine.

murdok5 said:

im not sure about 10c over, i have this board and a 3.4EE (galatin).

my idle is around 32 and load can go up to 50(max), xp-120 with panaflo 105cfm.

like they said, reseat chip and flash to latest bios. should be fine.

Click to expand...

I think ABIT actually stands for Actual Below Indicated Temps.

This is an interesting read.
Abit Vesus ASUS CPU temps

Dun dun dun .... EE Avatar wars

Get an xp-120. If you're not an impulsive buyer: First, reseat the heatsink. When you're putting it back on, make sure you don't put on too much thermal compound. Check arctic silver's website for directions (they're for arctic silver, but the general rules apply for all compounds). Your airflow should be good with those fans; make sure cables aren't inhibiting the flow. Update the bios, but like everyone is telling you, Abit tends to report high temps. You could always pick up a digital thermometer with a probe and all that fancy stuff to get a more accurate reading.

Add a duct to the side fan and see your temps drop like a rock ( see the link in my signature)

Dave