Hi guys. I've got a 3.20 gig P4 prescott core CPU. Now I know these are supposed to be hot but mine is really hot. It idles at 45'C and loaded(in game) it hits 65'C+. I've got my system set to beep at 65'C and shut off at 70'C. When the room temperature is warm and i'm in game, the warning speaker constantly beeps but my system never shuts down, so I know it's between 65-70'C. Is this too hot? I've reseated the HSF twice with AS5 but the temps stay exactly the same, so I think this is as good as i'm gonna get without a new HSF. Are these temps ok or do I need a new HSF? This is my current one.

http://www.arctic-cooling.com/cpu2....

Thanks.

P4 3.20HT 800mhz FSB
Abit IS7-E2
2x1024mb OCZ Value DDR400 Dual Channel
80GB Diamondmax9+ SATA 160GB Diamondmax10 SATA Sapphire Radeon X1650 PRO 256mb
Hiper Type R 530W PSU

"It idles at 45'C and loaded(in game) it hits 65'C+."

Well, these are not numbers that I would consider as "really hot", taking into account that you do have a Prescott P4. Just so you know your P4 should be able operate without buckling up to 75ºC, however setting your (load) temperature threshold to beep at 65ºC & shut off at 70ºC was a good idea.

Also the P4s are virtually impossible to burn up from overheating because of the built-in thermal throttling which kicks in when things get literally too hot & reduces the speed of the processor in order to contain the heat generation or in extreme cases cuts power to the system altogether. Interestingly though, you might want to download ThrottleWatch to help you verify if throttling is actually already going on with your hot potato.

While it would be nice to keep your load temperature below 60ºC, doing so without spending more money than necessary on specific cooling packages for your Prescott is highly unlikely. As is you can keep your numbers under control by keeping sh!t neat & tidy within you case to ensure unobstructed airflow & ensuring that dust accumulation is cleaned out periodically, and the room temperature where te system is located is conducive.

Good luck!

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Thanks man, you've put my mind at ease. I've already got throttlewatch and it isn't throttling. Although, today I turned the throttle setting off in the bios. Whether this will actually stop the CPU from throttling I don't know. As a point of interest, my mobo slightly overclocks my CPU and RAM 2% by default. I don't know why it does this but if my temps go up, I could always manually put the clocks back, 77mhz isn't much but it probably adds a degree or 2 to the temp, lol.

P4 3.20HT 800mhz FSB
Abit IS7-E2
2x1024mb OCZ Value DDR400 Dual Channel
80GB Diamondmax9+ SATA 160GB Diamondmax10 SATA Sapphire Radeon X1650 PRO 256mb
Hiper Type R 530W PSU

For a Prescott those temps are normal.