CPU running too hot?

[Madoc Comadrin]

Well, with idle at 45 and full load going up to 71, that processor is not being cooled effectively, unless it is faulty...

Have you checked the processor core voltage setting in the BIOS? A program such as CPU-Z will display this and from what I can gather you should see 1.35 volts when it is running on full power. Your BIOS defaults may not be correct for this CPU. Often the cpu core voltage (vcore) is set too high. Also, is the airflow in the case good? What kind of case is it? Is there lots of clutter (cables etc) in here? Are air inlets blocked? Is it standing on a carpet? Does it get cooler if you run it with the case off (or with it on?) Do we know what motherboard you have?

Motherboard is Asus M5A87.
My case is this http://www.coolermaster-usa.com/product.php?product_id=2920
Airflow inside should be good, there is lots of room and I tied all cables to sides.
HDD temp is 37C and Graphics Card 36C so there seems to be no problem.

I'll check voltages next.

EDIT: I got these values from BIOS:
CPU offset voltage 1.4V
CPU NB offset voltage 1.1V
HT voltage 1.2V
NB voltage 1.1V

CPU voltage 1.368V

[Salmon Trout]

Is your BIOS version 0302 or greater? For the Phenom II 955 BE it needs to be, according to Asus.

Are air inlets blocked? Is it standing on a carpet? Does it get cooler if you run it with the case off (or with it on?)

[Madoc Comadrin]

All air inlets are unblocked. It's on table.
BIOS 0331.
Not any notable difference when case on/off.

[Salmon Trout]

Code: [Select]

CPU offset voltage 1.4V
Try setting this to 1.35 volts

[Madoc Comadrin]

Did that.
After 15 minutes of observing it seems to be 1-2 degrees cooler now.

Also I noticed that reinstalling the cooler yesterday seems to have helped a little.
While before I got 55-60 today I had 51-55. (Before adjusting CPU offset voltage.)
I didn't see that difference yesterday right after re-installation. 

[Salmon Trout]

Also I noticed that reinstalling the cooler yesterday seems to have helped a little.

Some heatsink compunds can take a day or two to 'cure' and reach full efficiency, so keep watching, it may get better still.

[Madoc Comadrin]

I'll see what happens.
At least now I have little safety margin before CPU's max temp. (As long as I don't need 100% usage for anything.)

[Salmon Trout]

So are you saying it now reaches 55 C at full cpu usage? Or at less than 100%?  You should be able to use the CPU at 100% for any desired length of time. if you can't, then something is wrong and you need to fix it. Otherwise why did you buy a 955 Black Edition when you could have had a cheaper processor? You need to solve this.

[Madoc Comadrin]

So are you saying it now reaches 55 C at full cpu usage? Or at less than 100%?  You should be able to use the CPU at 100% for any desired length of time. if you can't, then something is wrong and you need to fix it. Otherwise why did you buy a 955 Black Edition when you could have had a cheaper processor? You need to solve this.

Yes I want problem fixed, my point was that I don't have to worry about processor dying of overheating while looking for solution. (Compared to yesterday when it was only few degrees from max temp on normal load.)

Temps I spoke of were on about 25% processor load.

And I chose 955 because it seemed to have good price/   competence ratio. And didn't want to buy cheap one that would be outdated in a few years.

[Salmon Trout]

I have been using computers for over 30 years. Whatever CPU you buy is going to be outdated in 6 months.

[Madoc Comadrin]

I meant that I want it to be capable for example games I want to play and such even in future, since I don't have money to buy better ones all time.

Anyway, this seems to have turned into conversation about semantics. 
(English is not my native language so I might have some problems expressing myself the way I want.)

[Salmon Trout]

You are doing very well in English... You are right, the CPU temp is the issue. What heatsink compound are you using? And what kind is the fan on the heatsink? And have you set the fan speed to full in the BIOS?

[Madoc Comadrin]

This compound http://www.arcticsilver.com/as5.htm
This heatsink and fan http://www.arctic.ac/en/p/cooling/cpu/4/freezer-7-pro-rev.-2.html?c=2181

I didn't find direct fan control from BIOS. Fan Mode I had earlier set from standard to turbo but I didn't make any difference.
AMD Overdrive shows CPU fan speed 100%.

[Salmon Trout]

From a user review of your cooler on Amazon

This is a good cooler. I've matched it up with a AMD Phenom II 955 on a GA-M720-US3 motherboard. It's a bit tricky to install because you have to screw the heatsink into two loose clips. You have to put a bit of pressure on the metal bit to get the screw to match up and meet the clips. Once screwed tight its stable and does a great job at cooling. Initial temperature was 45C, the dropped down to 28C on second boot, due to the pre-applied TIM settling down.

So you did all that clip and screw stuff right? You used the right AMD parts in the Arctic pack? Something is not right here. Look at those temps in the review. After you removed the cooler, did you clean all the old compound off properly and re apply the right amount before reinstalling it?

[patio]

I suspect it's not fastened correctly...