i have a Amd Athlon XP 1800+ computer, i would like to know what is the highest safe temperature for my cpu. When i play game, my cpu temperature reach 55C, is it too hot? If i use a cpu cooler software, does that help?

Your temp is OK but 40-50 C is better. Max temp is 95 C. CPUIDLE will bring your temp down to 26-27 C at idle but will lock up if you overclock.

Try adding some fans to your case. My Athalon XP1700+ runs at 46c idle & 52c under full load with no fans running. Even with just two 60mm fans the temp drops to 39c idle & 42c under full load. Add an 80 mm intake fan and those figures drop by another 2c.

Max is 95 C? probably at about 75 C, the CPU would be fried. If you have some of those midtower cases that do not have enough openings for air intake, it is better to just run your computer with the left panel (your left) opened, because not having enough openings for air intake, cpu fan just circulate hot air into the heatsink, and just not cool the heatsink as much as just to let the case opened. On mine, I use another case fan taken out from the front (bottom), and use some glue to glue it (45 degree) to the case so that it will blow air up from the bottom of my case to the top into the CPU area, that is at the same time blow air through those add-on cards on my computer. Now I just realize that those midtower cases may are for processors that are below the 1 GHz point. I suspect that above this 1Ghz point of processors, heat dissipation would be a problem if it not have enough openings for air intake, and of course exhausting of hot air also. What I need is that the area above the CPU fan, this area must have completely fresh and cool air so that it can lower the temperature of my CPU a few degree Celcius more. Those midtower cases that I have, do not have enough openings for air intake. As a result, I had monitor my CPU temperature and see that if I run my XP 1800+ with the case closed ( with three addition fans setup to blow air from the bottom-left(my left) of my case up to the CPU and memory areas), the temperature of this 1800+ is 6 Celcius degree higher if I run it with the case opened.

i have a Amd Athlon XP 1800+ computer, i would like to know what is the highest safe temperature for my cpu, specially that my cpu temp reach 90 C in no time my motherboard is Soltek 75DRV4 KT266A with 266 ddr ram. It always shutdown while i'm working on it so what should i do?